Data Management: a gentle introduction. Bas van Gils

      Colophon

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      I wonder if Bas van Gils had in mind the quote by Albert Einstein, that “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”, because in this book you are about to read, he has created a “gentle introduction” which truly serves the purpose of explaining data and data management. Personally, when I first got into the world of data 20+ years ago, and coming from a background in marketing and business development, I had to learn about data management through the gradual osmosis of interacting with data professionals. While this is useful in understanding the “what” of real-world practice, it doesn’t fill in the theoretical foundations of “how” and “why” which are necessary to understand why that real-world practice works the way it does. I know I would have come up to speed a whole lot faster, if I’d had access to this book.

      One of the big themes in corporate data today is dataliteracy, and as organizations strive to become more data-driven, then it’s a theme that will only grow in relevance. Data is not a trend that’s going to flame out in a few years, so just like financial literacy and human capital management, it is now obvious that data literacy is going to be a critical knowledge requirement for all managers and executives in the future. As such, we should be thinking about data education in the same way we think about financial and HR education, building the foundations in schools and universities, then continuing to apply those foundations to practical experience through employee onboarding programs, and broader corporate training.

      This book serves these objectives well. All the important enterprise-level data management topics are included. It serves as a valuable curriculum for someone just starting out in a professional data career, or indeed for someone who like me, who picked up bits and pieces without much structure to my learning. Bas’s explanations are clear, and build upon each other systematically. I personally appreciate the research that has gone into identifying the clearest definitions available, even when that means quoting other sources. Bas has effectively curated the “best of” from existing industry literature, and tied everything together into a consistent whole, through his own lucid insight, analysis and explanations.

      I wish you, the reader, well whether this is the start of your data management journey, or like me, you are finding structure for your fragmented knowledge. You have found an excellent resource to help you fulfill your objectives.

      Tony Shaw, CEO &