Data Strategy Reconsidered: Seven Principles That Challenge Convention and Deliver Results

Your data strategy is probably following advice that doesn't work.After 25 years building data strategies—first running his own program, then consulting for hundreds of organizations across every major industry—Kevin Lewis discovered something: nearly everyone having challenges with their data strategy is making the same fundamental mistakes.They're trying to build business cases disconnected from the real enterprise priorities. They're creating "foundations" that are severely underutilized. They're swinging between extremes of centralization and decentralization. And they're wondering why their significant investments aren't delivering results. All this while faithfully following widely-repeated expert guidance.It's time to reconsider the conventional wisdom driving these strategies.In Data Strategy Reconsidered, Lewis shares seven counterintuitive principles that actually work in the messy reality of large organizations:Target Business Initiatives, Not Direct Business ValueStop competing for attention and become an enabler of what matters mostBuild for Change, Not All Possible RequirementsCreate extensible solutions without over-engineeringBalance Responsibility, Don't PolarizeFind the sweet spot between centralization and decentralizationBuild Coherent Architecture, Not Monolithic Data Stores or Splintered Data ProductsEnable true cross-domain integration when business demands itFocus on the Future, Not on Rewriting LegacyDeliver value immediately while gradually retiring old systemsPlan the Program, Not Just Individual SolutionsEnsure every project contributes to a larger visionEmbed Data Strategy, Don't Isolate ItMake good data practices a permanent organizational capabilityWhat makes this book different:Battle-tested principles refined across hundreds of large enterprisesPractical guidance you can apply immediately—no fluffTechnology-agnostic approach that works regardless of your tools or platformsClear examples from financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and moreWhether you're building a data strategy from scratch or fixing one that isn't delivering results, this book provides the roadmap that conventional wisdom doesn't.Stop struggling with approaches that sound good but don't work. Discover what actually succeeds in the real world of enterprise data strategy.Kevin Lewis brings 25 years of hands-on experience in data strategy, having built his own successful data and analytics program before becoming a consultant to hundreds of organizations. His contrarian insights have helped companies across every major industry transform their data capabilities from struggling cost centers into strategic business enablers. Read more