SEATTLE, WA, July 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TDWI, the leading source for in-depth education and research for analytics and data management, today announced an update to its online assessment tool for evaluating an enterprise’s level of data literacy. This questionnaire objectively measures how well employees understand and interact with their data—and communicate the results of their analysis—enabling them to meet their organization’s analytics needs.
The accompanying TDWI Data Literacy Maturity Model Assessment Guide provides a primer on what’s driving the need for data literacy (including self-service and AI-driven analytics, diverse data types, and cloud data management) and explains the key components of a data literacy program. The update examines data literacy levels and results in each of the five data literacy maturity dimensions from over 150 enterprises that completed the assessment since its original release in 2021. It also offers tips for interpreting an organization’s assessment scores and provides guidance for companies at the beginning of their data literacy journey by explaining best practices used by companies that are more mature.
Today, more organizations than ever before are expanding their data and analytics strategy to larger audiences across the enterprise. Fueled by trends in digital transformation, data monetization, and advances in analytics technologies, these programs are democratizing data-driven decision making and aiming to inform decisions at every level of the business and across every functional area. This trend is reflected in TDWI research, which shows that self-service ranks at the top of organizational priorities, with more advanced analytics (such as machine learning) not far behind.
To drive this expansion, businesses want to improve their overall data literacy. Data literacy involves awareness and recognition of the value of data, how well people understand and interact with data and analytics, and the ability to communicate data-driven insights to impact behavior and achieve business goals. It includes understanding the business, framing analytics, understanding data elements, critical interpretation, and communication skills.
“Data literacy is not only for business analysts; this is a critical skill for individuals across a data-driven organization, although the level of literacy may vary based on role. Whether interpreting visualizations produced by other people or building full-scale analytics models, understanding how to interpret and use data is a critical skill,” according to co-authors Fern Halper (vice president and senior director of TDWI Research for advanced analytics), Chris Adamson (TDWI education director), and Markum Reed (director of research for data management).
“The Data Literacy Maturity Model can help guide organizations on their data literacy journey. It provides a framework for companies to understand where they are, where they’ve been, and where they still need to go to support data literacy.”
The assessment quantifies an enterprise’s progress toward full data literary across five key dimensions: culture and resources, data infrastructure, skills/talent, tools, and data governance. Because organizations can be at different stages in each dimension, the assessment tool scores each dimension separately and provides an overall score participants can compare with other organizations.
Users can take the online assessment at tdwi.org.
About the Authors
Fern Halper, Ph.D., is vice president and senior director of TDWI Research for advanced analytics. She is well known in the analytics community, having been published hundreds of times on data mining and information technology over the past 20 years. Halper is also coauthor of several Dummies books on cloud computing and big data. She focuses on advanced analytics, including predictive analytics, text and social media analysis, machine learning, AI, cognitive computing, and big data analytics approaches. She has been a partner at industry analyst firm Hurwitz & Associates and a lead data analyst for Bell Labs. Her Ph.D. is from Texas A&M University. You can reach her by email (fhalper@tdwi.org), on Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
Chris Adamson (CBIP) is TDWI’s education director and a BI and analytics consultant and author. Chris works with clients worldwide to establish BI and analytics programs, define and prioritize projects, and develop information architectures. With over 30 years of data management experience in IT, consulting, and high-tech marketing, Chris leads TDWI’s education programs and curriculum development. A recognized expert in the field, his many publications include the top-selling books Star Schema: The Complete Reference and Data Warehouse Design Solutions.
Markum Reed, Ph.D., is the director of research for data management at TDWI, where he focuses on data management, data governance, data literacy, data science and analytics, and machine learning. Before joining TDWI, Reed was an associate professor of data analytics at the School of Business at Henderson State University and part of the research faculty for the Institute of Chief Data Officers. He has also taught at Southeast University, Nanjing, and was a research scholar at Southern Illinois University. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. You can reach him by email (mreed@tdwi.org) and on LinkedIn.
About TDWI
For over 25 years, TDWI has provided individuals and teams with a comprehensive portfolio of business and technical education and research about all things data. TDWI’s in-depth, best-practices-based knowledge can be quickly applied to develop world-class talent across your organization’s business and IT functions to enhance analytical, data-driven decision making. TDWI offers major conferences as well as topical seminars, onsite education, membership, certification, live webinars, resource-filled publications, industry news, and in-depth research. See tdwi.org or follow us on Twitter @TDWI.
About 1105 Media
1105 Media, Inc., is a leading provider of integrated information and media in targeted business-to-business markets, including specialized sectors of the information technology community; industrial health, safety, and compliance; security; environmental protection; and home healthcare. 1105's offerings span print and online magazines, journals, and newsletters; seminars, conferences, and trade shows; training courseware; and web-based services. 1105 Media is based in Woodland Hills, California, with offices throughout the United States.
###
Attachment
