The need to improve skills

[nusratjahan]

The lack of adequate skills within companies is another factor to consider. Over a third of respondents stated that " not having the necessary knowledge to manage the data explosion " is one of the most widespread problems. A portion admitted concern that " employees are not aligning with data policies ."

To increase skills, capabilities, and knowledge, the HPE Aruba study recommends that companies provide specific training to employees with in-depth industry knowledge, then appoint a Chief Data Officer responsible for organizing and extracting value from data, and finally create data governance groups that include decision makers from all key business functions, ensuring their needs are reflected in data strategy and management.

“ Most of the most valuable resources are within a shop company ,” says Tom Chatfield , a philosopher of technology who co-authored the study. “ Upskilling staff so they can talk to computer scientists and use APIs is often much more valuable than asking a computer science graduate to quickly acquire an understanding of a new field .”

Security and compliance
Respondents recognize that one of the key objectives to be achieved is data security, and that it also represents one of the greatest uncertainties for the future. Two of the top three concerns expressed are, in fact, related to security or compliance.

The report includes recommendations for improving and strengthening security , including the need for companies to classify data according to different risk levels, implement contingency plans in the event of a breach, and provide employees with ongoing updates on current scenarios to improve their risk awareness.

“ Employees are the last link in security ,” says researcher Andrew Grill . “ No matter how well-designed your firewall or VPN is, all it takes is for one person to keep a copy of their Gmail password file, and for a hacker to gain access to it, everything you’ve done is undo it .”

Morten Illum, VP EMEA at Aruba , concludes: “ Companies are aware of the opportunities data offers to drive innovation, improve product development, and transform customer and employee experiences. Now that data and decisions are increasingly oriented towards the network edge, companies must ensure their systems and processes are ready to support this challenge. As the HPE Aruba study suggests, companies must improve skills and training, implement effective governance structures, and focus on data security. ”