84.51° Chief Data & Technology Officer: Fusion Teams With Business Intimacy Are Key to Speed and Relevance

Todd James, Chief Data and Technology Officer at 84.51°, speaks with Steve Kleinmann, Industry Practice Lead for Master Data Solutions at Moody’s Analytics, in a video interview about managing quality and governance of data at scale, the role of fusion teams and business intimacy in driving impact, and the possibilities of emerging technologies such as AI.

James says it is only possible to manage data quality and governance at scale with telemetry. He explains that the first step is measuring and tracking data flow and understanding the challenges. He notes that a mindset change regarding business and technology is the next — and more critical — step. Apart from platforms, governance structures, and telemetry, data leaders need to shift their mindsets and bring the business along with them, James adds.

According to James, the real challenge for data professionals is to ensure stakeholders see themselves as worthy custodians of data and that the data is enriched to serve as a resource for their decisions, thus creating better experiences, making people's lives easier, and gaining a competitive edge.

When it comes to exploring new possibilities, James says, 84.51° Labs looks at emerging capabilities from a technology perspective and works with business partners to understand the data science possibilities. The group of consultants within 84.51° work closely with business partners, enabling the technology teams to generate ideas within the relevance and context of the business. He emphasizes that the magic occurs when data, insights, business, and intimacy equal business impact.

Continuing, James reveals that the organization has pivoted toward building integrated teams and bringing science and technology closer to the customer. He says working alongside employees within stores gave data scientists a real sense of the people consuming their science.

Sharing Kroger’s approach to building combined teams, James says that fusion teams built around business intimacy will be crucial to speed and relevance. The organization teamed technology professionals with business professionals, helping the business side better understand the science and vice versa.

Concluding the discussion, James mentions the innovations he is most excited about — the ability to use advanced science to offer extensive combinations of options and the fundamental impact of AI on business and society. He also highlights the possible application of computer vision, text analytics, machine comprehension, and NLP to create new business models and more simplified and relevant experiences.

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