Prepare for the intelligent future
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Apple Podcast: Link
Youtube: Link
Episode Summary
The first series has the theme "Prepare for the intelligent future". Together with Michael Morton VP, Dell Fellow, Dell Technologies Data Strategy and Development, Mike Veldhuis talks about how to transform your company into an intelligent business. Listen through your favorite podcast app (Spotify here) or watch via YouTube.
Want to know even more and ask your own questions? Then register for the (English) online Masterclass, provided by Michael Morton.
Episode Notes
The three question we raised in the podcast to answer together with your team:
- What are the top three question you want to get answered for your business?
- What data do you actually need?
- What are you going to do with the answers you get from the data. What is the business outcome?
The Platform Website: https://www.nalta.com/theplatform
All Nalta Blogs: https://www.nalta.com/blog
Host, Mike Veldhuis
https://www.nalta.com/mikeveldhuis
Guest, Michael J. Morton
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljmorton/
Transcript
Mike Veldhuis 0:00
You are listening to the platform. podcast to learn about our digital world. I am Mike Veldhuis, partner at Nalta.com.
Michael Morton 0:11
I'm Michael Morton, VP of Dell Technologies, data management and intelligence and Dell Technologies Fellow.
Mike Veldhuis 0:19
Well welcome listeners to our new podcast channel the platform with the first four episodes dealing about the intelligent business with my guest, Michael Morton. Welcome, Michael.
Michael Morton 0:33
Mike, it is so great to be back. Thank you very much for having me.
Mike Veldhuis 0:38
We talked in the Nalta podcast and in December, we were discussing data like we done oftenly. And we came to the conclusion that we needed a new way of actually sharing the knowledge of data and becoming a more intelligent business with a little bit more depth. How can we create content that people will listen to like short snacks on when you're sitting on your bike when you're driving home when you're in the car, and maybe at home? At the couch? And we share a path in four episodes about how to become the intelligent business? And that's what we're gonna do, right?
Michael Morton 1:25
Yes,
I liked the way you put that. By the way, I didn't think about that a snack.
I like that
Mike Veldhuis 1:30
It is a snack. It's a snack. Yeah. And in 15 minutes per episodes, the first one this this one will deal about the Planet Data, which is the favourite of Michael, he told me. The second episode, we talk about the essentials of the data foundation. So what do you have to do to make sure you get your data governance in place? Think about security, security trusts, a lot of topics we're going to address in the second episode. And third one how to execute your strategy around data and digitization. And fourth one. And I'd like that one too, is about how to propel perfection. So you got your strategy, you got your data foundations in check, how are you continuously improving on that strategy to become a competitive business? And that's it, what we're doing in the podcast. And as a bonus, there's something new we're going to organise a masterclass Michael will be in the master class. And in the master class, we'll share the content of the podcast with a little bit more and the ability to ask questions, make it a little bit more interactive. So this first 15 minutes is about Planet Data. Michael, you're in front of planet data. What about Planet Data?
Michael Morton 2:59
by the way,
I think I'm, I think I'm going to refer to data as snacks now. I think I'm going to steal that
Mike Veldhuis 3:07
you're more than allowed.
Michael Morton 3:09
And the reason why I'm going to steal that is when, by the way I would never claim to be the person that came up with planet data or welcome to Planet data, I use both phrases I'm sure somebody else has. But just like I said, I'm going to steal data snacks. When I use the phrase or talk about planet data, there's there's a reason it is just push any business context aside. And just think about the world that we live in. I try to get people to relate to data in more of like a human way so that I can talk to anybody of any age, to any demographic, any job role. And just get them realise that everything that we do from the time that we wake up to the time that we go to sleep and everywhere in between. Something is producing data about me or my business. So Mike asked you a question. What's the first device he touched in the morning?
Mike Veldhuis 4:12
I probably shouldn't say this. But it's my phone, my mobile phone.
Michael Morton 4:18
course everybody does it right. It's exactly right. Think about what's happening as soon as you touch your phone.
Mike Veldhuis 4:26
It triggers some sensor. At least that I'm alive. Actually, it's probably my Apple watch that I touched first. And I started wearing my Apple Watch to monitor my sleeping habits and to be awakened in the morning. Not by brutal noise but by a gentle buzz.
Michael Morton 4:51
Yep. So just think for a moment. It wasn't that long ago that we weren't when wearing watches to track our sleep? No. Sure we've had phones for a while. But it is so integrated into our lives. What produces data? And then how do we get value from that data? So? Okay, you have all this data being generated from your phone or your watch. Are you getting value from that information now?
Mike Veldhuis 5:27
Which is kind of funny, you say that? Because I receive every week an notification on my computer that I spend. The latest notification was around 12 hours a day, behind the screen. Which Is that a lot?
Michael Morton 5:49
Wow.
Mike Veldhuis 5:50
Yeah, it's it's all devices combined, right? It's the phone is the tablet is the computer.
Michael Morton 5:57
Yep. Okay. That's bad, by the way, very bad. But here's the most important part. Data is being produced. It's being presented to you in context, but the most important part? does it impact a decision about the way you live your lifestyle? Does it does it make does it does it? Does it provoke a change? Is there an outcome from from you knowing this?
Mike Veldhuis 6:33
Well, it triggers at least a funny answer. Because I'm quite competitive. So I start sharing this with my colleagues, especially Ralph, and I thought more is better, you know, so I'm winning. And next week, it should be even more. The, the non funny answer is actually, I am doing this stuff. I'm making screenshots of it and sharing it. But it the correct answer is, you start to be aware of the amount of time you spend behind your computer, which is an awful lot, which is not very healthy. And I think it's a good thing. So the business decision would be to a lower increase or decrease decreases, right? decrease the amount of time you spend behind your screen and do other stuff. Yes, that's right.
Michael Morton 7:33
Okay, everything we just talked about maps to a business, every piece of it, if you think about it, number one, what, what data is being generated either by your business or not by your business? How are you putting that data to work for you? And what is the outcome that's being produced? And whether you're a person or a business, the same simple concepts apply? It's the same, it's the same thing. And so it's a mindset. I mean, it is a mindset, your business is a person, it's a thing, right? So now you just you just apply the same pattern to your business.
Mike Veldhuis 8:12
But if you put it this way, it's simple. People understand this. But we can't stop here, you know, people are being drowned in the world of data, they're submerging, and they are overwhelmed. They're hearing from companies from vendors, you should become a data driven company. use data to your advantage. But I think to be honest, a lot of companies have no idea where to start. And they have no idea of the amount of data that is actually surrounding them.
Michael Morton 8:55
That's very true. That's exactly right. It is very overwhelming. It's overwhelming in sources of data. It's overwhelming in format of data. It's overwhelming, in what technologies to use. It's overwhelming of being worried about data privacy practices.
It's,
it is a very, very complex world now with all this data, and regulations. Very difficult, and hopefully through these sessions will give some hints of maybe just to think about, okay, how do I start decoding and actually getting more value from data given all these challenges?
Mike Veldhuis 9:48
And this podcast series is about giving answers. It's not us making it even more difficult on this on these topics, but we thought about maybe give a little bit of homework things to at least give a thought about. Discuss with your colleagues and think about more thoroughly. So we've come up with three questions, three questions, and we'll put them on our website, nalta.com/platform. Three questions that will help you in this journey, this journey of the next episodes. And the first question would be Michael,
Michael Morton 10:38
by the way, before I go to the question, I'll just people just wait for the question. You bring up a very good point. I don't know everything. You don't know everything? No, it's very complex. It's overwhelming. It's not one size fits all. Certainly, we're here together to really get people to think, think maybe a little bit differently. Maybe call them. We just don't have all the answers. But the best that we can do is apply our real world experience together. And hopefully, maybe provide some some guidelines. So indeed, a great way to approach it is, let's think about these three questions. Question number one. Just start simple. Yeah, I know it sounds of course. Yeah.
Mike Veldhuis 11:37
It's a bit corny. Yeah,
Michael Morton 11:39
it is. It's true. It is. The good thing is I'm not very smart. So I can think simple, pretty easily. But it's this is just pick the top three questions. It doesn't matter what they are. I don't care if it's a sales question. related to sales, marketing budgets, doesn't matter. Or about customer, which is really quite popular. What's the top three questions that you want? To get answered? for your business? Top three questions. That's it, pick top three questions you currently either don't have an answer to or lack confidence about have answers. questions you would like to get answered for your business, just three.
Mike Veldhuis 12:22
And if you figured out those three questions, write them down. discuss this with your, with your team with your colleagues. Because this is where actually where the journey starts. When when you I just watched one of the many Gartner webinars awesome content. I talked a lot with customers actually about this podcast series to get insights from from them, what content Do you like to be served as snacks? What What is it that you what will help with your business decisions or your it decisions for your company. And I think it's this interactive way of dealing with your team and talk about these topics. And it always starts with business strategy, that's important that keeps the business running, then we got digital strategy. And to be honest, those two are more aligned than ever, which is good, because more and more businesses are becoming digital businesses. And to have a very good foundation for your digital strategy, you have to think about data. Data is at its core. And that's the second question we want to pop. What data do you actually need. So not think about all the data that you can get, but think about the data that you need to run a successful business?
Michael Morton 14:08
Very important, because the number of sources are overwhelming. But if you stick to those three questions, and by the way, you won't get it right. Not the first time. Because when you start actually obtaining data, operating on data, trying to get an answer to the question that you originally asked, it's going to change over over and over again. It's gonna keep changing. Why? Because it's a learning experience. There is no magic. Here's my question. I want this answer. And it takes 10 minutes. It doesn't happen that way. Is it is a learning experience. And quite frankly, through the rest of the sessions. When you and I continue on. It's going to reveal the complexities of that. And hopefully, maybe we can provide some guidance. But yes, start figuring out what data do you need. And that data is likely not necessarily only data within your business.
We're getting to the end of this first episode about Planet Earth, planet data. And there is one question left the third one, which is probably the coolest one, Michael...
Mike Veldhuis 15:24
Most important. All right, you have your question. You have your data sources, you're spitting out answers. And all of a sudden you get magic answers that are suddenly unbelievably unexpected and revealing everybody jumping down excitement. But the most important part of this for that last question is now what are you going to do with the answer? What is the business outcome that you can generate from that answer? That's the most important in final third step.
So thank you for listening. Think about the answers and see you in the next episodes, the essential source of data foundation. This was the platform. Thank you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai