Our deep dive into the Six Step Data Transformation Journey begins with a thorough hike into the concept of the Set-Up - and its importance in any data solution.
Good evening data campers! We find ourselves now with a new project and with a blank canvas clearing upon which we’ll be setting up our data management camp tonight. As we do, we’ll be getting into why it’s so important to set up your solutions correctly, and factors that might make you consider just how to set up your next solution, too.
I know, I hear the questions – What exactly do we mean by setting up?
Set up is a preparation, it’s coming to terms with your limitations and ensuring a solid foundation for your overall strategy. It’s also about making those key decisions before jumping in; to streamline the process and not get lost on your travels. You might be already used to these ideas from the winding trails of data generation. If you aren’t, stay with me for a moment - I know you might still be wondering, “why are they making set-up out as so important? Surely we can figure it out as we go, right?”. I’m right on it.
Imagine our set-up is a plan, a map through the national park of data management - a palace of data for any research team. Somewhere you can easily get lost. Now for example, imagine being in Yosemite for the first time without a map, and whilst you know what you’re looking for - you have no idea where it is. That sinking terror you feel is similar to any data scientist finding themselves amidst the throes of data chaos.
Any company of campers may try to blame the sheer scale of this data on the chaos to ensue, yet inefficient preparations lead to many research expeditions' untimely demise. Inefficiency tolerance and poor set-up preparations can be fatal when needing to find that one data set to help generate that one key insight - and this could easily build up!
It makes for quite the good campfire scare, but let’s make sure we leave it as just that and prepare properly. If you pull out your trip brochures you’ll find a handy section, just past the Wilson the Volleyball replica tutorial, entitled “Genestack’s three point set-up strategy for camping in the national park of data management, safely”. Let’s give it a look over together now.
Genestacks three point set-up strategy for camping in the national park of data management, safely
It’s always difficult when preparing for any strategic project to decide on one fundamental aspect. Do I build a niche, custom solution that can cover all of my current needs exactly but rather rigidly - or do I nab a license for a pre-built solution that harbors more flexibility and support whilst maybe leaving a few minor gaps? This question can leave your entire trek feeling weighed down, and that’s without a rucksack filled with requirements for FAIR data. It can leave that short window of time for preparation feeling that much shorter.
Here at Genestack, we harbor zero bias whatsoever with our selection of licensed data management solutions for research teams, and we wouldn’t try to persuade you… That much. That’s why we’ve limited ourselves to three reasons why you should consider a licensed solution on your next hike through data management park.
1. The time sink
Building a tent from scratch, without any prebuilt parts or plans is a process that can consume all of your time and ultimately leave you out in the rain. The same goes for data management. You may have a visionary who knows exactly what they want and can construct it in time, someone with apt survival skills, yet the plan may change halfway through leaving them back at the start with half the time to recreate their masterwork. Oh, and the budget has shrunk by 20%.
Licensed solutions offer a faster alternative. It’s a premium tent with the finest rigging poles, pitching stakes and canopy. The time it takes to set up is solely dependent on the speed of procurement and your process for doing so. There is an onboarding period, and it may not match every need exactly - but it makes data FAIRer, faster. They may even send an operator out to set it up for you!
2. Camp politics
Every research team has a set of common goals - yet organizations find themselves with departmental rifts that can feel like the size of the Grand Canyon. In many eyes, not all campers are created equal. Whilst some companies may find themselves free of such dimensions and share data at ease; these rifts can often clutter up custom solutions’ paths to success. In the pharma industry, Clinical research and R&D may have access to the same data in different ways, or different data in the same way. Each feel their way is naturally correct, the other’s wrong. Soon the weight of all the requirements can be overbearing, progress can slow to a halt and breakthroughs are lost!
Licensed solutions are often cloud hosted on servers like AWS. Genestack’s ODM specifically allows operators to control who can access which data on a single screen and without the hassle of building such processes alone. Every user has access to the amenities they need, when they need them. If departments have gathered and own different data pools, then others can request access with ease. It may even avoid a few meetings, multiple FTPs or trying to find that data in an email from 3 years ago!
3. The users
Our final data solution setup point is a simple question - who will be using your solution? Data management solutions, like tents, come in many shapes and sizes allotted for different group sizes and uses. Is it only data custodians (those who own the data) using the solution, or are data consumers (those who analyze the data) the only ones trying to draw insights? How many people would be using the solution at launch, and can you be sure of how many people will be using it in a year? Will they be the same people? Will everyone access it directly or do you intend to be feeding internal apps or dashboards via API?
If you can answer all of those questions with certainty in mind then a custom solution may not be the worst idea - yet licensed solutions are so flexible they’ll be prepared for nearly any situation up front. Hosted on the cloud to avoid data loss, allowing new users to enter and old users to leave, and being customizable alludes to a licensed solution being a penthouse of pitch-up tents - a luxury that may also cost time and money but save you both in the long run since the longevity of such a solution tends to be higher.
Now you’re ready to embrace data management with a firmer idea of what solution you wish to investigate further! Be it still committed to custom builds to find the most authentic solution for your niche need or interested in licensed options such as Genestack’s ODM (If you’re really interested, you can find out more here) to speed up the process, at least now you’re equipped with more knowledge to battle the wild tundras of mass data.
Well campers, I think you’ve got more than enough to pitch up now! Do remember that the wilderness is ever-changing, and these three factors may not be everything to consider during your data solution setup, but they’re certainly the three to help you prepare and plan at a base level. Now setup, harmonize that data and make it FAIR - Or, give a read over our first article as to why we use data management in life sciences if you’re still unsure there. I’ll see you in the morning!
Learn more at www.genestack.com or contact sales@genestack.com