What do Customer Service, Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, Merchandising,
Logistics, Legal, IT, Accounting, Finance, Administration, R&D, and Vendor
Relations have in common? If you answered “data,” then you’re right. Data is
water. It’s the only reason the plumbing, faucets, shower heads, toilets,
hoses, and sprinklers matter. It permeates every aspect of the business, and
without it, the business dies. The best businesses know this. And because they
know it, the field of enterprise data architecture has steadily grown,
flourished, and gained widespread respect over the last twenty years. But
despite the mainstreaming of data architecture, many people still understand neither
what it is that a data architect actually does for a living, nor what it takes
to be a successful data architect. Today I’ll try to answer both.
Who is the data architect?
The data architect is equal parts teacher, preacher, organizer,
ambassador, salesman, and tech guru. The data architect’s sworn duty is to
protect and defend an organization’s data from all enemies, both foreign and
domestic (ok, so that’s a little overblown; but it’s true, data is more often jeopardized
by those within an organization than by those without). The data architect
protects an organization’s data from being corroded, corrupted, coopted, or
otherwise contaminated.
What does the data architect
do?
The data architect plays a role in every organizational initiative
that involves data – in other words, the data architect plays a role (or
should) in every organizational initiative. From database design, to
application development, from master data management to business intelligence,
from CRM to ERP, every successful project will involve the data architect at some level. While typically part of the IT department, the data architect’s
role is (and must be to be successful) very much inter-departmental. Though a
non-manager, the data architect enjoys (in organizationally mature companies) an
elevated status equal to them, and unfettered access to every level of the org
chart, from the receptionist to the CEO.
What makes a good data architect?
Joe McKendrick (co-author of The SOA Manifesto, and an
influential voice in the world of information technology) suggests that soft-skills
(people skills) are a data architect's most important skills, followed closely
by an unmatched level of expertise in the areas of methodology, modeling, and
governance, and finally by a broad-based technical background that includes
systems, networking, database development, application development, and project
management. I've borrowed his top-five bullet points, and amplified them below
with my own comments:
1. McKendrick
says a data architect should be “well-respected and influential.” To be successful, a data architect must have the gravitas needed to command respect, the
soft-skills required to build consensus throughout an organization.
2. McKendrick says a data architect should be “able to emphasize methodology,
modeling, and governance.” Because effective data management is predicated on the
effective application of appropriate frameworks, methods, and principles, an
effective data architect must have mastery of these.
3. McKendrick says a data architect should be “technologically and politically
neutral.” I’ve
long thought technological agnosticism a good thing. Because data architects
typically have 15 to 20 years of experience, they naturally carry with them
certain biases toward certain technologies (typically those with which they’ve
spent the most time and built the most technical acumen), but they should be
careful to let their personal preferences only inform, and never impeded, their objectivity. With regard to political neutrality, a data architect’s job is
only and always to do right by an organization’s data; it is never to simply
further the agenda of any employee, manager, or department. At the end of the
day, the data architect’s goal is to do everything possible to ensure the
closest possible alignment between organization's data with its stated business
goals.
4. McKendrick says a data architect should be “articulate, persuasive, and a
good salesperson.”
Data architects must be equally comfortable whether in the
company of programmers or presidents – and equally conversant in the languages of each.
5. McKendrick says a data architect should be “enthusiastic.” Because data architects are given lots of responsibility, but
very little authority, this is not a career for the faint-hearted or
thin-skinned. Moreover, enthusiasm often sways option in a way that dry facts
simply cannot; after all, the most compelling arguments are often apprehended
as much as they are comprehended!
Well, I hope this has helped clear up just what it means to be a data architect. And as always, I'd love to hear your feedback!
