The Tenets of Data Products
A framework for solving fragmented data, turning raw information into foundational, fused and analytical data products that drive decisions.
Fragmented data, an impossible question
A few years ago, I was in a meeting where the CEO needed a complete, overall view of the business. We had data everywhere, in marketing, operations, and finance, but the challenge was that none of it was connected. As the questions rolled in about how different domains were performing, it became clear it was impossible to weave together the picture, because the data remained fragmented across the company. The technology team had no way of instantly bringing it all together without proposing a massive, cost prohibitive data project.
I hear you all moan… "Not another data project!" And believe me, I felt the same. This wasn't a one time struggle, over the years I've seen countless businesses face the same problem. Despite all the data they had, they couldn't connect the dots to see the whole story.
Data products built on core tenets
At Data Tiles, we focus on solving these issues by building data products that adhere to key tenets, ensuring data is not only collected but also connected, scalable, understandable and trustworthy, and therefore actionable. Drawing on the extensive work of Cameron Price, our CEO and Founder, who has led data and analytics transformations across the globe (including leadership roles at Deloitte and AWS Asia Pacific & Japan), we built Latttice with these tenets at its core.
Our goal is to help organizations move beyond fragmented data products and gain a complete, actionable view of their business. Latttice fuses data from different domains, meeting the needs for scalability, interoperability and real time analytics, without massive, cost prohibitive projects, while keeping transparency over the construction and meaning of every data product.
The eight tenets of a data product
There is a lot of discussion about data products in our industry, and the associated misconceptions result in poor quality and products that ultimately don't serve the purpose intended. It is not enough to simply gather data from different sources. For data products to be truly impactful, they must adhere to certain core principles, tenets, that ensure data is reliable, accessible and actionable.
Data products must be uniquely identifiable so they can be accessed easily across domains, the foundation of any internal data marketplace.
Consumption must be simple and available to all, for example, exposed as an API so users can work with data products in the tools of their choice.
Harvard Business Review, 2019
A data product must have real relevance to a business outcome. Different by use case and by domain, never just a dataset.
Deloitte, 2020
Users must be able to easily find what data products exist and how to access them.
Accenture, 2019
Data must be clear to technical and non technical users alike. The same data in different contexts has different meaning, that context must travel with it.
Security is a design consideration, not an add on. Infrastructure and data security are built into every data product from day one.
McKinsey, 2018
Open standards for sharing and consuming data products are key to integration across platforms and systems.
ThoughtWorks, 2020
If a data product can't be trusted, at the level of trust the context demands, its value is dramatically reduced.
Gartner, 2020
From tenets to three types of data products
At Data Tiles, we've built our approach around the development of data products with these core tenets. The principles guide our development of the three essential types of data products, Foundational, Fused and Analytical, that help businesses maximize the value of their data.
1. Foundational data products, the bedrock
Foundational data products are the core data products that power your business. These can be domain or enterprise wide, sit across various data sources, and contain the core, common logic to be used by all. They demand strict attention to data quality and governance so the foundation can be trusted. We focus on making them accurate, consistent and accessible across domains.
2. Fused data products, connecting the dots
Fused data products integrate data products from different domains into a holistic view of the business, combining customer behavior with operational metrics, or financial data with marketing analytics. The tenets of interoperability and scalability are crucial; with Latttice, organizations can fuse data from various domains and get real time visibility without complex IT infrastructure.
Organizations can easily fuse data from various domains, providing real time visibility without requiring complex IT infrastructure.
, Gartner, 2020
3. Analytical data products, turning data into action
Analytical data products turn foundational data into actionable insight via predictive analytics, analytical functions and Gen AI. Each focuses on a specific outcome, like customer retention, and can be combined with other data products for greater insight. With Latttice, businesses build complex analytical data products and fuse them with other product types, all AI powered, with zero code.
Latttice, simplifying data fusion, unlocking value
While the tenets provide the foundation for any successful data strategy, the challenge lies in implementation. This is where Latttice comes in. Latttice helps businesses fuse foundational and analytical data products into trusted fused data products, meeting the core tenets, trustworthy, understandable, accessible, secure. As an AI powered, zero code platform, it makes connecting and leveraging data across domains practical without costly, complex projects.
Building a future on data product tenets
The business landscape is increasingly data driven, at speed, and organizations that can effectively manage and fuse their data with ease will hold a strong competitive edge. At Data Tiles, we believe that adhering to the tenets of data products, to create, secure and share, is key to unlocking data's true potential.
By focusing on the three types, Foundational, Fused and Analytical, and building solutions like Latttice to simplify data fusion, we empower businesses to move beyond fragmented data to actionable, strategic insights that drive success.
If you're looking to transform your data strategy, it's time to focus on the tenets of data products.
Join a Data Conversation
Lili Marsh.
Lili Marsh
Data Tiles
Lili writes on the framework that finally makes data products work, turning fragmented systems into trusted, actionable assets owned by the business.
References
- Deloitte. (2020). Data as a Business Asset: Turning Data into Actionable Insights.
- McKinsey & Company. (2018). The Case for Data Governance.
- Harvard Business Review. (2019). Data Management for Modern Analytics.
- ThoughtWorks. (2020). The Continuous Intelligence Report.
- Gartner. (2020). Top 10 Data and Analytics Trends.
- Accenture. (2019). Scaling Data Insights Across the Enterprise.