As business leaders strive to get the most out of their analytics investments, democratized data science often appears to offer the perfect solution. Using analytics software with no-code and low-code tools can put data science techniques into virtually anyone’s hands. In the best scenarios, this leads to better decision making and greater self-reliance and self-service in data analysis — particularly as demand for data scientists far outstrips their supply. Add to that reduced talent costs (with fewer high-cost data scientists) and more scalable customization to tailor analysis to a particular business need and context.
When to Give Employees Access to Data and Analytics
Five criteria to determine when — and to what degree — to democratize data.
May 24, 2023
Summary.
As business leaders look to democratize data and analysis within their organizations, the real question they should be asking is “when” it makes the most sense. We offer the following criteria to help you determine when to empower data citizens: think about the citizen’s skill level, measure the importance of the problem, determine the problem’s complexity, empower those with domain expertise, and challenge experts to scout for bias.
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New!
HBR Learning
Digital Intelligence Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Digital Intelligence . Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Excel in a world that's being continually transformed by technology.