Primarily aimed at business leaders and of particular relevance to Chief Data Officers (CDOs), Infonomics (Information and Economics) is a fascinating read with many informative real-world examples of viewing and using data as a monetisable asset. The book introduces the key concepts and how businesses can benefit from utilising internal and third-party data (including open source).

Laney talks at length how other types of business assets are viewed and utilised within organisations and how information should be granted the same care and attention.

"It is silly that someone around here has an inventory or our office furniture, but nobody in the company has an inventory of what data we have".

The second half of the book discusses the techniques Laney has employed over the cause of his career at Gartner to measure the value of information monetisation. These methods are laid out in an easy to understand way. I would have liked to have seen some worked examples of the formulas he discusses for different ways to measure Infonomics as this is key to effective data monetisation.

I love how Laney has taken the dry subjects of data management and governance and demonstrated how vital these are in monetising information.

John has many years of experience building and promoting advanced analytics teams, which is demonstrated throughout the book with many funny and engaging real-life examples to drive his points home.

I like John's open and honest writing style. He doesn't try to sugarcoat the many challenges that face anyone positioned with building a successful analytics team. Nor does he shy away from the fact he has made mistakes and uses this opportunity to ensure others can learn from these.

A large part of the book covers the work needed to promote an advanced analytics team to all levels of the organisation and points out that it can take a long time before the business starts to see the benefits due to the complex nature of their work. He provides many useful ways to engage with the company and begin showing value at the earliest opportunity.

John makes an interesting point, in that advanced analytics teams should be managed uniquely and measured by different criteria. The innovative work data scientists perform, and their methods to achieve success may seem unfamiliar to others, but this is precisely what makes them so good at what they do best.

21st century organizations, across all sectors and of all types, have to cope with an international marketplace where change is frequent and customer expectations continue to rise. The work of business analysis professionals is crucial if organizations are to succeed and grow. If change programmes are to be successful, stakeholder engagement and situation analysis are vital, and to achieve this, senior business people need to display competence in a range of areas, not least of which include the ability to challenge, lead and influence. Business Analysis and Leadership is for anyone involved in business analysis working in any organization worldwide, from financial services to charities, government to manufacturing. It takes the reader beyond standard textbooks full of techniques and tools, advising on how to lead and gain credibility throughout the organization. It will help you with the tricky role of working with people from the shop floor to board directors and give readers the confidence to challenge the easy way forward and point out what will really work in practice.

This inspirational book consists of contributions from leading thinkers and practitioners in business analysis from around the world. Their case studies, practical advice and downloadable appendices will help the reader to develop leadership skills and become an outstanding catalyst for change.

Almost every role today uses data for decision-making. This book is not about visualizing data, there are plenty of books covering that. Instead, you’ll learn how to transform numbers into persuasive narratives to drive action.

In DataStory you’ll learn to:

• Explain data through the lens of empathy

• Spark action through story structures

• Craft recommendations that get approved

• Write clear observations of charts and annotate them

• Structure and layout a Slidedoc

• Inspire others with data that sticks