Having changed careers from golf to IT, I didn’t think there would be as much overlap as there has been.  Beyond customer or client interactions there has been one main commonality, data.    Data is what drives us and how we take action every day.

Until I really learned what data was and what it’s true function is, my only observation was that data would give me an answer to an equation or problem, and my problems would be solved.  However, when I relayed our focus here at UDig to my personal life, and looked back at my former life as a golf professional and specifically a club fitter, the similarities in all engagements became very clear.

For example, as a club fitter, the swings on a highly tuned and accurate launch monitor, give us over 30 points of critical data to make a subjective decision on which club, golf ball or swing correction is optimal for that given player.  The same holds true in business.  For example, when using sales data to determine how to adjust margins to maximize profit or increase human capital to meet demands of pipelined project work.

Subjective?  Yes, subjectivity or interpretation is still the end point and sometimes the crux of the process.  We can analyze mountains of data and make decisions, however if that data does not have a properly defined structure, set of rules, and process then the decision impacting the business lines, or in my former career, the golfer’s performance, are irrelevant or even detrimental.  That is why we focus on data architecture, governance and quality, along with integration and migration, to improve timing and efficiency.  With these solid foundational data practices, you can ensure the most accurate analysis and therefore, best actions taken.