Getting DataOps Right

Chapter 7. Embracing DataOps: How to Build a Team and Prepare for Future Trends

Mark Marinelli

So far, we’ve covered the catalyst behind and need for DataOps, the importance of an Agile mindset, principles and components of the DataOps ecosystem, and what to expect from a DataOps tool.

But for an organization looking to build a DataOps team, where do you start? And what are the major trends expected for the future that your organization should prepare for?

Building a DataOps Team

Technology is undeniably important, but people are also a vital cornerstone of the DataOps equation. A high-performance DataOps team rapidly produces new analytics and flexibly responds to marketplace demands. They unify the data from diverse, previously fragmented sources and transform it into a high-quality resource that creates value and enables users to gain actionable insights. A key aspect of embracing a DataOps mindset is for data engineering teams to begin thinking of themselves not as technicians who move data from source A to report B, but rather as software developers who employ Agile development practices to rapidly build data applications. This requires a combination of skills that might or might not already exist within your organization, and it requires an organizational structure that formalizes some new functions and resources them accordingly.

We begin by identifying the key functions in the DataOps team. If you’re versed in data management, the functions might sound familiar, but the ...