Navigating the data odyssey

Navigating the data odyssey: a conversation with Willem and Fabrice from our Snowflake Business Unit

Willem Dullaart has joined Nordsky (former Agilos) 3 months ago as Chief Data Architect for Snowflake. Before that, he has been working with Snowflake and data platforms at several companies across different industries. He and Fabrice Van Ex, Head of Business Development for the Snowflake Business Unit, had a chat to dive into experiences with clients navigating the realm of modern cloud platforms.

Fabrice: What are the common challenges you encounter when talking to organizations seeking to improve their data analytics landscape?

Willem: I see many persistent problems when discussing data strategy with customers. First and foremost, we see that data continues to be very fragmented and locked in silo’s across organizations. This is nothing new, it’s actually getting worse with the increase of data volumes, data sources and the complexity of organizations. One of the consequences is that business users can’t access all the data they need and therefore the results of data analysis, reporting and analytics are often suboptimal from a qualitative point of view.

Fabrice: What else?

Willem: You see that lots of time is wasted in collecting the data and bringing them together, before people can start working with that data and get insights of them. IT people reading this can probably recall the many conversations they have had with business users coming back with new requests and urgent deadlines. They often lack the understanding how current IT landscapes limit the options to respond to the many requests.

Fabrice: How can organizations avoid such disconnects between business and IT?

Willem: Modern technology can usually help to address some problems. However, it’s important to understand that technology is an enabler, one piece of a large puzzle. Having the right organizational set up, instilling a culture of collaboration between people and trust in data are equally essential.

Many organizations need a first “Aha” moment to really believe the promise. Let me illustrate with a concrete example: last week we had an interesting conversation with a business stakeholder who spent three hours every Monday morning exporting data from many different sources and integrating the data into a cascade of Excel sheets in preparation of their weekly business performance meeting. By a few simple integrations and transformations, we were able to fully automate this process that would prepare her for the meeting, and her team immediately realized the potential to improve many similar processes within the organization. 

Fabrice: I’m coming back on technology. We see a lot happening in the field of data analytics and data platforms. With Nordsky we launched a Snowflake business unit in 2023. We advise organizations how they can benefit from the power of the Snowflake Data Cloud and its technology partners surrounding it. Can you explain why Snowflake is such a game changer today in the world of data platforms?

Willem: We believe Snowflake is a platform that can handle many types of workloads, making it a good fit for organizations who want to cover data warehousing, data lake as well as data science needs. With a strong focus on simplicity, and a resurgence of SQL as the language of data, the barrier is lowered considerably to build scalable and manageable data pipelines which can be more broadly supported within the organization. With native support for Python, and easy integration with many partner technologies, Snowflake can really scale with your needs. Most importantly, you can start small, getting the foundations right, allowing you to then tackle the more challenging projects after with ease.

Fabrice: One persistent challenge we still encounter is data silos within organizations. How problematic is it?

Willem: The last couple of months we had lots of interesting conversations with companies and explained how Snowflake acts as a data integration maestro, breaking down those siloed barriers with the help of great tools. Its architecture allows seamless data sharing and querying across different sources. Think of it as a unifying force, creating a cohesive data landscape.

Fabrice: So, Snowflake becomes the bridge between disparate data islands?

Willem: Precisely. It bridges the gaps, fostering collaboration and ensuring that data flows freely, enriching the entire organizational landscape.

Fabrice: Quality concerns in data are widespread. How does Snowflake contribute to maintaining high data quality and, more importantly, building trust among users?

Willem: Trust in data is paramount. Snowflake is more than a storage space; it's a curator of clean and reliable data. The platform offers tools for metadata management, data profiling, and quality monitoring. This means users can trust the data they are working with, promoting a culture of data integrity.

Willem: Now, Fabrice, we know that the cloud landscape is vast and companies often struggle to discern the best tools. What is your view on how Nordsky can guide organizations through this cloud conundrum?

Fabrice: First, when we engage with customers, we realize that every organization has a legacy, an IT debt. You cannot just come in and say that they need to change everything right away. We believe in the power of incremental steps, starting small but always with the mindset of allowing to grow and evolve in the future. We start with conversations focused on identifying which business problems need to be solved first and what the impact would be if we do so.  Defining the right use cases is absolutely key, it helps to make the possible outcomes very concrete and will allow visibility and support from the management. Once the use cases are defined, we work together with the customer on the architecture options. We spend a lot of time in clarifying the intricacies of various cloud tools and help companies choose the right blend for their unique data needs. Again, it’s not just about features; it's about aligning the cloud strategy with the organization's overall goals and often instilling a change in mindset.

Willem: So, Nordsky becomes the compass in the cloud maze, guiding companies to the right solution?

Fabrice: Absolutely. It's about helping them to make informed choices that resonate with the organization's objectives, avoiding unnecessary complexity while still ensuring high quality standards and of course the highest levels of data security. That’s what we tell our customers: Snowflake becomes the guardian ensuring that only the authorized guests enter the data party.

Willem: Talking about data party, the buzzword of the hour is “data monetization”. Many organizations are intrigued but struggle to embark on this journey. How can Nordsky and Snowflake be a guide in this treasure hunt?

Fabrice: You raise an interesting point here. Very few companies are really into monetizing their data yet, which is a bit strange as many of their data could really generate a lot of value to others. Snowflake’s data marketplace and data sharing capabilities are no less then game changers for the industry. We tell Snowflake customers that they can start experimenting with data monetization initiatives right away. Endorsement from management is also important and the best way to get it is to trigger them with first ideas and promising first results. We always advise to start small, identify valuable data assets and gradually scale up their data monetization efforts. The good news is that you with Snowflake you don’t need substantial budgets to start experimenting.

Closing Thoughts

Willem: In wrapping up, Fabrice, Snowflake isn't just a cloud platform. In essence, Snowflake emerges not only as a cloud platform but as a strategic ally, addressing fundamental challenges in modern data management. It plays multiple roles – from a unifier of data silos to a curator of high-quality data, a guardian of data security and an enabler of data monetization initiatives.

Fabrice: Agree. Embracing Snowflake is not just adopting a cloud platform, it's embarking on a transformative data journey supported by state-of-the art technology and certified services partners such as Nordsky.

To all parties seeking to modernize their data environment, let’s have a chat!