Navigating Data Tides - Parag Shrivastava- Making Better Decisions - Episode #49

“ The focus is on driving the business outcomes and the last mile delivery.” Ryan welcomes Parag Shrivastava, the Global Director and Head of the Data and Analytics Portfolio at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. With nearly 25 years of experience in the field, Parag discusses his journey ranging from electrical engineering to roles in major companies like Sama, Deloitte, and McKesson. They discuss the importance of turning raw data into actionable business outcomes, focusing on last-mile delivery, balancing data infrastructure, and the human element involved in data storytelling and adoption. Parag also touches on crucial aspects of change management and shares practical applications of traditional machine learning, LLMs, and AI in improving supply chains and optimizing healthcare systems. 

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on Business Outcomes and Last Mile Delivery: Ensure that data initiatives include clear plans for implementing and using insights to drive productivity and performance improvements.
• Balance Infrastructure with Actionable Insights: While keeping infrastructure robust and modern is crucial, the emphasis should be on actionable insights that directly benefit the end-users.
• Data Storytelling and Simplicity: Ensure the data insights are presented in a simple, consumable format. Dashboards and reports should be easy to understand and actionable to facilitate better decision-making.
• Implement Incremental Changes: Embrace an agile approach to data projects. Deliver value in incremental steps rather than trying to roll out everything at once.
• Change Management Across All Phases: Effectively manage change by involving users early in the ideation, execution, and operational phases. Use design thinking and continuous feedback loops to improve the adoption and usability of data initiatives.

Quote of the Show:

• “ It's a data-driven decision. It's not based on emotions.” - Parag Shrivastava

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pshr/ 
• Website: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/home.html 

Check out our SubStack! https://substack.com/@makingbetterdecisions1 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6PpvYXoXjAYl8auDpmShYi 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-better-decisions-leaders-in-data/id1739178505 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5e2ec300-0c66-4e24-8b01-0586af60235c/making-better-decisions-leaders-in-data 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/making-better-decisions-leader-5672586 
• Transistor: https://www.makingbetterdecisions.live/episodes 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MakingBetterDecisions/podcasts