Here's how you can smoothly navigate conflicts between technical and business teams as a data architect.

This is what I learned from one of my favorite books regarding conflict management: 1- Have empathy. First of all, remember we are human beings. 2- Discover the ultimate interests of all involved parties in the conflict. It is important not to pay attention to the positions they take in the conflict, but to understand the reasons behind those positions. 3- Innovatively find a solution to cover the interests of all conflicting parties.

A well informed and widely consulted Data strategy that goes alongside the Digital strategy is key to driving data driven architecture and transformation in an organisation.

I truthfully believe if there are goals set by the company and a strategic direction of what they want to achieve. Equally important is the company being transparent about these goals. This is of utmost importance. If these goals are presented and you allow and trust you’re team to come provide solutions from each department to meet or exceed your goals. This will make everyone want to contribute to the bottom line and even have financial goals that are a results of their working together the conflicts will take care of themselves. If there are not transparency and goals set. Then your team is like a ship without a rudder no guidance and that is what you get. Confusion, Chaos, and no growth due to the lack of communication and isolation.

Rightly said. Here is the famous saying from Henry ford "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success." I believe in this completely and this is my adaptation for solution architecture "Coming together is a beginning, aligning technical and business teams is progress, and working together through the goals and business strategy is success."

On many situations both teams are working toward the same goal with different approaches. Carefully listening to the other team may allow you to be given the same Kind treatment. Not only try to understand their perspective but being able to articulate it back to them will earn trust and goodwill . You can then suggest a compromise that satisfies both teams.

A top down approach to data modelling often helps mitigate the risk of conflicts. This involves designing a business data model that resonates well with non technical stakeholders first. Once this is established, developing a logical model that aligns with the best practices of the underlying products will help connect the business model to the implementation. Going at it the other way around, and showing a physical data model and then working its way up, makes it difficult for users to understand and automatically puts the dialogue into the defensive.

I still remember explaining this to my business team and technical team: "ETL stands for Extract, Transform, Load. Imagine it like making a meal: gather ingredients (extract data), clean, organize and prepare them (transform data), and serve the meal (load data into a system for analysis). This ensures data is ready and in the right format. For example, when launching a new product, the marketing team needs accurate data to target potential customers with promotions. Timely and correct data boosts sales by reaching the right audience. Outdated or incomplete data can lead to targeting the wrong people, wasting resources, and missing sales opportunities. Therefore, clean, up-to-date data is crucial for achieving business goals."

Based on my experience, here are effective strategies for dialogue between technical and business teams: Schedule regular meetings with focused agendas. Act as a mediator, translating jargon. Use project management tools and chat apps for ongoing dialogue. Hold training sessions to foster empathy and shared language. Gather input through surveys, valuing all voices. Foster an environment where questions are welcome. Share successful collaboration examples. Establish clear conflict resolution processes. Recognize and celebrate teamwork. Open dialogue fosters transparency, resolves conflicts, and promotes innovation.

Understanding the opinion of both teams is crucial in finding the vision of both teams if it is valid. For instance, the technical team may require scalable solution while the business teams’ priority could be cost effectiveness, in which case the architect’s task would be to propose a cloud based phased approach with scalability aspects that promotes economical growth in line with business objectives. There may be many more such scenarios in terms of data security and data views where the priorities may be different. Win-win solution is what would help resolve the conflict in the right direction. Besides, documenting agreements is necessary as this ensures transparency and prevents future misunderstandings.

Here are thumb-rules we follow for effective solution 1) Understanding each team's perspective fully before proposing solutions 2) Always present at least three viable solutions 3) Transparency in the benefits and drawbacks helps stakeholders make informed decisions. 4) Solutions must contribute to the broader business objectives to gain stakeholder buy-in 5) Prioritize Based on Impact 6) Document Decision 7) Inform, Educate and Propagate the decisions.

To find compromise solutions effectively, consider these strategies: Ensure both technical and business teams feel heard. Focus on shared objectives that align everyone's efforts. Adjust timelines to balance technical and business needs. Explore methods or technologies that meet both requirements. Implement small-scale pilot projects to test solutions. Create a feedback loop to continuously assess and improve solutions. Make cross-functional training to help team members understand each other's roles. Clearly document any compromises to ensure alignment. Finding compromise solutions bridges the gap between technical and business teams, leading to smoother execution and better results. This approach resolves conflicts and fosters innovation.

En la educación de las partes interesadas, utiliza los diagramas de arquitectura del sistema y documentos de requerimientos de negocio para dar ayudarlos a entender como un requerimiento se transforma en funcionalidad tecnica; y puedan entender como funciona la arquitectura por interno junto a sus limitantes y capacidades.

Leveraging vanilla entities and relationships provided by Custom-off-the-shelf (COTS) products is key. While the traditional custom application development relies on developing a robust physical data model, the construct is abstracted one level up when it comes to COTS solutions like a CRM. The out of the box business layer data model offered by industry solutions dictate the underlying physical model. When designing a solution, if you get the business entities right, it will support a low overhead and easily maintainable solution.

When technical and business teams clash, it can feel like they're speaking different languages. That's where tools can be a lifesaver. Visual aids like diagrams and dashboards help bridge the gap, making complex technical jargon easier for non-tech folks to grasp. Project management tools keep everyone on the same page, tracking progress and managing expectations. And let's not forget data visualization tools – they can turn dry numbers into compelling stories that everyone can understand. By using these tools strategically, you can foster understanding and create a shared language, turning potential conflicts into productive collaboration.

Beyond these points, it's important to foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Encourage both technical and business teams to participate in cross-functional training sessions and workshops. This not only enhances their understanding of each other's roles but also promotes a culture of innovation and collaboration.🌟🚀