Using data in decisions: technology and organisation

Name: Using data in decisions: technology and organisation
Start: 2024-02-16T09:20:26Z
End: 2024-02-16T09:58:26Z

Øyvind Nilsen and Eivind Lofthus joined Frode Stenstrøm to discuss the organisational and cultural work behind becoming data-driven.

Frode Stenstrøm

Contributor:Øyvind Nilsen

Held: February 16, 20242 min read

In briefShow moreØyvind Nilsen and Eivind Lofthus defined a data-driven company as one that uses data to make informed decisions, not one where data alone decides.

Øyvind Nilsen and Eivind Lofthus defined a data-driven company as one that uses data to make informed decisions, not one where data alone decides.
Both stressed that an analytics or BI project needs backing from management and the business side, not just IT, to succeed.
Data quality and data ownership were highlighted as critical: bad figures quickly destroy trust, and someone has to be accountable for them over time.
The conversation also covered Copilot and AI: the guests expect the tools to become useful but remain sceptical that they can yet explain the underlying causes behind a figure.
Both argued that choice of technology matters less than business needs and organisation; Microsoft Fabric was mentioned as a packaged option that lowers the barrier for smaller companies.

In this 2024 episode of ProsessPodden, Frode Stenstrøm was joined by analysts Øyvind Nilsen and Eivind Lofthus to discuss what it takes for a company to become data-driven. They began by clarifying the term itself: for Nilsen it is about making practical use of the data a company already has, while Lofthus was wary of the word because it can suggest data alone makes decisions, rather than supporting informed ones.

A recurring theme was that analytics and BI projects need broad organisational backing rather than being driven solely by IT. The guests pointed to the need for key people or a steering group on the business side who can prioritise work and communicate back to their own departments, warning against letting the data warehouse team become a bottleneck for the whole company.

Data quality came up as a precondition for trust: incorrect figures quickly undermine confidence in a solution, and it is better to fix errors at the source than after the fact. Ownership of data and definitions was framed as as much a cultural issue as a technical one.

Towards the end, they discussed artificial intelligence and Microsoft Copilot. Both expect language models to become useful for retrieving figures and simplifying internal communication, but doubted the tools can yet explain the underlying causes behind a result. They concluded that choice of technology vendor matters less than having a clear business need and an organisation ready to actually use its data.

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Foredragsholdere

Frode Stenstrøm
Gründer og teknologistrateg
Som gründer og teknologistrateg i ProsessPilotene jobber jeg med å hjelpe virksomheter forstå og bruke teknologi som en strategisk kraft for bedre arbeidsprosesser, kundeopplevelser og beslutninger. Rollen kombinerer forretningsutvikling, teknologirådgivning, virksomhetsarkitektur og formidling. Jeg arbeider særlig i skjæringspunktet mellom AI, CRM, digitale plattformer, data, analyse og fremtidens arbeidsliv. En sentral del av rollen er å være brobygger mellom ledelse, fagmiljøer og teknologi. Det handler om å gjøre komplekse teknologiske muligheter forståelige, vurdere hva som faktisk skaper verdi, og bidra til at digitale løsninger blir en naturlig del av hvordan virksomheter jobber. Jeg bruker også rollen til å formidle faktabaserte perspektiver på hvordan AI og teknologi påvirker ledelse, organisasjoner, ansatte og kunder.
Øyvind Nilsen
Forretningsanalytiker