The role of Chief Data Officer (CDO) is becoming increasingly vital as companies treat data as a core strategic asset. C.J. Nakamura from IBM outlines the responsibilities and challenges of CDOs, emphasizing the importance of data strategy, governance, analytics, architecture, and culture. He highlights the evolving nature of the role, from governance-focused to data monetization, and the necessity for CDOs to build strong relationships, secure funding, and recruit high-performance teams. The future of the CDO role looks promising, with Gartner predicting that 90% of Fortune 500 companies will adopt the role by next year.

CEMEX, a global leader in building materials, is undergoing a digital transformation to become a data-driven company. The company aims to leverage data to enhance customer experience and drive digital transformation. Key initiatives include the CEMEX GO platform, which allows customers to manage orders and invoices, and the implementation of a strong data foundation to support advanced analytics and AI. Collaborative governance and data quality are emphasized, with a focus on integrating accurate data across systems. The company is working towards long-term transformation while delivering short-term results through agile digital teams.

Graph databases are highlighted for their ability to manage relationships and provide flexible data models. Donna Burbank from Global Data Strategy presented findings from a survey showing growing interest in graph databases, with only 12.7% of respondents currently using them but many planning to adopt them. Neo4j's Startup Program offers free access to its Enterprise Edition for small startups, aiding companies like Quander in enhancing their data storage and analytics capabilities. Quander's CEO, Gavin Williams, discusses the benefits of graph technology, including cost savings and improved customer engagement tracking. The article emphasizes the practical applications and community support for graph databases.

A mock trial at the DATAVERSITY Enterprise Data World Conference humorously highlighted the importance of establishing a common data vocabulary within organizations. The trial featured industry experts playing various roles, emphasizing the consequences of failing to maintain data quality and compliance with regulations like GDPR. The event underscored the need for organizational commitment to data management and the integration of business and data professionals. The Leaders' Data Manifesto session further stressed the importance of data quality in machine learning, urging data professionals to collaborate with business counterparts to improve data standards and prevent potential failures.

High-performing enterprises maximize their data, while many businesses strive to improve IT-supported initiatives like operational efficiency and customer experiences. Key technologies aiding this progress include infrastructure modernization and cloud/hybrid computing. Syncsort's survey reveals mixed effectiveness in data utilization among organizations. Advanced analytics and data governance are crucial for enhancing customer insights. Syncsort's solutions, such as Connect CDC and Trillium DQ, address challenges in data integration, quality, and governance, ensuring up-to-date and reliable data for analytics. Partnerships with companies like ASG further enhance data management capabilities.

Crown College in St. Bonifacius, MN, has successfully implemented a predictive analytics model to improve student retention, particularly for at-risk students. The initiative, part of a five-year persistence and completion project, utilized data from 2009-2014 to identify risk factors and create a logistic regression model. The model has been effective, with retention rates improving significantly since its implementation. Key partners in this initiative include Jenzabar, which provided the predictive analytics software, and the Higher Learning Commission. The college continues to explore additional solutions to further enhance student retention.

KBpedia, an integrated knowledge structure combining elements from Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other major knowledge bases, has been made open source. This move aims to enhance machine learning and AI capabilities by providing a coherent structure for data integration and training. Mike Bergman, senior principal for Cognonto Corp., emphasizes the potential for broader adoption and new contributions. The open-source release includes over 300 features for machine learning, addressing challenges in data labeling and interoperability. Bergman's book, 'A Knowledge Representation Practionary,' offers further insights into the structured approach to knowledge representation inspired by Charles S. Peirce.

The Women in Technology Leadership Round Table at UC Berkeley highlighted the ongoing challenges and opportunities for women in the tech industry. Despite high confidence in their skills, many women face discrimination and lack mentorship. The report emphasizes the need for better management and support for women throughout their careers. Companies with higher gender diversity in leadership perform better, and there is a significant shortage of Data Scientists. Janet George of SanDisk advocates for more role models and better outreach to young women to encourage them to pursue computer science.

The article discusses the significance of Natural Language Processing (NLP) in the data economy, highlighting its role as a key technology in Artificial Intelligence and its rapid improvement due to advances in Deep Learning and Cognitive Computing. It mentions the economic potential of NLP, exemplified by Facebook's virtual digital assistant Moneypenny, and notes the involvement of major companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, IBM, and others in NLP research and acquisitions, such as SugarCRM's purchase of Contastic's NLP technology. The Tractica report forecasts substantial growth in the NLP market, with enterprise software revenue expected to rise significantly by 2024. The article also touches on the potential disruptions NLP may cause in various professional sectors and the challenges that remain in adapting NLP to human language. It concludes with a positive outlook on the influence of NLP, despite acknowledging the risks of not meeting expectations.

The article discusses the importance of data quality in supply chains and the efforts of GS1 US, a member of the global standards organization GS1, to address data accuracy issues. GS1 US has found that about 50% of data in supply chains is inaccurate, impacting efficiency and consumer satisfaction. To combat this, GS1 US has launched a National Data Quality program and developed a framework to help organizations improve their data governance, education, and attribute auditing. The framework aims to provide a single point of reference for critical data and includes guidance documents for organizations to self-assess and eventually attain GS1 US certification for maintaining quality data. Despite the challenges, there is room for improvement, and early adopters of the program are expected to achieve certification by the end of September.