In this episode, Dr. Alexander Borek and Patrick Grohmann discuss the critical role of community in making data strategies effective, particularly within the procurement analytics team at Deutsche Bahn. They explore how data is utilized in procurement processes, the importance of building a central data team, and the shift towards empowering decentralized teams. The conversation highlights the significance of trust and open communication in fostering collaboration and addressing challenges within the organization. In this conversation, Patrick Grohmann discusses the importance of trust and community in fostering effective collaboration within teams. He shares insights on how building trust can lead to better communication, transparency, and ultimately, improved data quality and strategy. The discussion highlights key learnings for leaders on prioritizing human connections over technology, emphasizing the need for vulnerability and openness in leadership roles.

In this episode, Moritz Heimpel, head of Data and AI Operations at Siemens AG, discusses the role of data and AI within Siemens, a leading manufacturing automation company. He explains the structure of the data team, the importance of domain knowledge, and the growing demand for data-driven decision-making across various business divisions. The conversation also covers the challenges of scaling data use cases, particularly in factory settings, and the collaborative efforts required to ideate and implement new data solutions. In this conversation, Moritz Heimpel, head of data and AI operations at Siemens AG, discusses the evolution of use case development in industrial settings, emphasizing the importance of streamlining processes and leveraging common technologies. He highlights innovative use cases within Siemens, including foundational models that utilize industrial know-how to enhance AI capabilities. The discussion also covers smart infrastructure solutions, the Siemens Data and AI Cloud platform, and the future potential of managing unstructured data effectively.

In this episode we talked with Alekejes Plotnikovs who spent 15 years at Microsoft building their data capabilities and has just published a book on his data journey at Microsoft. The book is a collection of stories and insights for data professionals. In the conversation, Aleksejs discusses his career at Microsoft, the challenges they faced in data management, and the evolution of their data platform. He also shares the journey of creating a multi-billion dollar data business within Microsoft and provides advice for data teams in similar situations. The conversation explores the journey of data management at Microsoft and the importance of balancing centralization and decentralization. It emphasizes the need to enable stakeholders to operate with data themselves and the role of change management in this process. The conversation also discusses the different states of data management maturity and provides advice based on each state. The highest maturity stage is when leadership uses data live and understands where the data is and how it is protected. The strategic data dilemma is highlighted as the need to find balance in outsourcing, federation vs centralization, and skill sets.