Democratizing Data and Analytics, Part 2

Booz Allen has helped government and commercial organizations gain game-changing data and analytics capabilities through a perspective that differs significantly from that of other firms.

First, we recognize that agencies cannot democratize their data and analytics through a purely technological approach—no matter how “cutting-edge” or powerful the tool. Opening up data and analytics to everyone is as much about people as it is about technology. It’s important to understand not just how people use data, but how they think about it, and how they view its possibilities in their day-to-day jobs. Otherwise, people will never connect with the data—they may not even want to—and expensive new technologies will be underutilized or ignored.

Just as significantly, we recognize that people throughout the organization need to be able to find these data-driven insights on their own, without the cumbersome process of going through a computer scientist or other intermediary. 

With traditional approaches, if analysts or others want to see what the data shows about a particular subject, they have to ask the computer scientist to build the necessary databases. They then have to pose specific questions to the computer scientist, who translates them into computer language and queries the computer, and then translates the responses back for the analyst.

This time-consuming process often leaves analysts waiting days for a single answer—making it difficult to ask follow-up questions, chase down ideas and follow hunches wherever they might lead.