Are you ready to DIG in?

Welcome to the Decisions, Information and Governance 2008 Conference blog, or as we like to call it....DIG. The purpose of the DIG conference is to discuss the key management competencies to make better decisions; how to organize data into information; and develop a management rhythm to ensure the entire organization is in lock-step.

For DIG 2008 we have developed a conference agenda along 3 core themes, with a heavy emphasis on Enterprise 2.0.

Creating One Version of the Truth : The goal for any corporation is constructing an information platform for the 21st century. To be successful, it is critical that the organization start by establishing a common business taxonomy that describes the organization in consistent terms. This includes a commitment to define, secure and improve the integrity of information assets, both internal and external to the organization. It also requires a commitment to define common terms and formulas for measuring performance and a willingness to resolve semantic data inconsistencies throughout. Once a common language has been agreed upon, it is critical that the enterprise data architecture is put in place that represents the business taxonomy and simplifies data access.

Insights from Advanced Analytics : Once an organization has consistent data, it is critical that insights can be made to drive decisions. Decision-making is becoming a key management competency driven by globalization, complexity and risk. Drawing insights through performance models that leverage leading business indicators can quickly uncover operational opportunities and issues in real time. Understanding the drivers and levers that can be controlled allows a nimble organization to react to changing market conditions and to constantly meet expectations. By combining consistent data with advanced analytics, organizations can achieve breakthrough enterprise performance management.

Enterprise 2.0 : To build a culture of decision-making, organizations must look beyond a small group of information workers and leverage the collective intelligence of the entire organization. Leveraging the social networks that exist inside of your organization can create new insights that are more accurate and meaningful. Emerging collaborative platforms that support blogs, wikis, tagging, mashups and predictive markets improve decision-making when extended to the enterprise and beyond, including customers and partners. Each platform provides improved knowledge sharing that drives management, problem solving, and, ultimately, continuous innovation.

What makes DIG unique is our focus on practical application of each of these themes within an organization. In addition, we will focus on a blend of case study presentations with facilitated panel discussions with the attendees. The goal is to step beyond the one-sided lectures and spark open and honest dialog between you and our presenters.

If you have an interest in rolling up your sleeves and immersing yourself in DIG, we will also provide a set of pre-conference clinics covering the 3 DIG themes. Check out the DIG conference website for details on the pre-conference clinics.

In addition to a compelling conference agenda, DIG will take place at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Check out the GVR website for accommodation and reservation details.

That's it! There will be more to come here on the talkDIG blog as we approach the event. The DIG conference team will be actively blogging on the site from now until the event. Our goal is to engage with YOU on the topics of DIG...before, during and after the event! So stop reading, dive in and DIG.
Pete Graham, DIG Conference Chair