Set aside the reference to open data and feel the resonance of this quote: “Far too often users of open data face small but time-consuming technical hurdles that slow down progress towards open data impact [...] With good standardisation practices, it becomes possible to innovate more rapidly, and to identify the solutions that work in one place, and build on them to apply that solution elsewhere.”
There's a lot of wisdom in this, so let's parse it a little. First, those small but time-consuming hurdles. Fans of “lean” techniques will recognize this pattern immediately, but anyone with an interest in process improvement will spot it too. People are routinely plagued by minor inconveniences that don't seem worth fixing. It's like if you need to use a certain action to make a door close properly – every time you use the door you're slowed up and distracted, but then you forget about it. If you were completely rational, you'd allocate some time to fix the door – once and for all. But this would be to break a habit, to take an overarching view of your processes, and even learn a new skill outside of your comfort zone (fixing doors).
Our lives are full of bugs. So are our business processes. And no more so than when it comes to managing the flow of data. Too many people accept mismatched and inconsistent data as a fact of life, rather than a process flaw they could fix. As an industry – heck, as a species – we waste way too much time working around these bugs. This is time we could spend on the goals that matter to us.
Second, take a look at where bug removal takes us. By standardizing around data, you save time, and the organization becomes smarter. You can innovate more rapidly – and, I would argue, with more certainty.
Third, standardization gives you a route to replication. This is not to say standardization offers a cookie-cutter approach to business practice – it doesn't, any more than speaking English condemns people to say the same things to each other. However, standardization is the best way to identify, promote, and distribute effective solutions.
By using a trusted industry standard, you also get to inject effective solutions discovered by your peers direct into your business. It's like giving evolution a boost.
One of the jobs we do in the standards movement is to help people see, respond to, and remove the bugs in their work environments. This is real empowerment – for individuals and organizations alike. Open Data
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