What We Talk About When We Talk About Data

In the context of a discussion about how data strategy has to connect to business strategy, Chris Bannocks, chief data officer at ING, announced, “I like to use simple analogies!” and plucked a bottle of water from the table in front of him. Bannocks launched into a metaphor comparing his company’s data to the bottle of water. He covered quality—water has to be clean or the drinker will get sick; he covered use—it’s not enough to simply possess the bottle of water, as you must drink it to get