Cookies help us display personalized product recommendations and ensure you have great shopping experience.

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    sales and data analytics
    How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
    9 Min Read
    data analytics and truck accident claims
    How Data Analytics Reduces Truck Accidents and Speeds Up Claims
    7 Min Read
    predictive analytics for interior designers
    Interior Designers Boost Profits with Predictive Analytics
    8 Min Read
    image fx (67)
    Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
    9 Min Read
    big data and remote work
    Data Helps Speech-Language Pathologists Deliver Better Results
    6 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Demise of the Data Scientist: Heresy or Fact?
Share
Notification
Font ResizerAa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Uncategorized > The Demise of the Data Scientist: Heresy or Fact?
Uncategorized

The Demise of the Data Scientist: Heresy or Fact?

RichardBoire
RichardBoire
5 Min Read
Image
SHARE

ImageAs an avid practitioner of data science, I purposely try to read articles that provide new learning and knowledge in this discipline or which at least tend to be controversial from my perspective. One article from an IT leader of a well-respected U.S. organization hypothesized that data scientists will in the future become like switchboard operators:obsolete.

ImageAs an avid practitioner of data science, I purposely try to read articles that provide new learning and knowledge in this discipline or which at least tend to be controversial from my perspective. One article from an IT leader of a well-respected U.S. organization hypothesized that data scientists will in the future become like switchboard operators:obsolete.

The primary reason for this declining demand according to the author  was that increased automation and operationalization of business processes will not require the technical skills of the data scientist. Obviously, my initial reaction was emotional with my first reaction being  to completely ignore this opinion but the more rational part of my nature  aroused my curiosity in not what was being said but why it was being said.   The “what is being said” does present an opinion which is based on his perspective. But it is this perspective that must be understood if we are to obtain a better sense of this viewpoint.

This perspective can be better understood by knowledge  of this individual’s background and experience. For the writer in question, the background is IT or computer science/systems development and not data science in the truest sense. The IT practitioner, here,  does have some understanding of data science but not as a true practitioner of the discipline. Both IT and the data scientists do  develop business solutions. But the types of solutions  are different. IT individuals steeped in the more  traditional computer science discipline are  trained and developed to focus their skills on developing solution that streamline business processes. In most cases, this is about operationalizing or automating a given business process.

More Read

Change management – a means to an end
Google Treasure Hunt 2008 – 3, 4
Jazz Solos & Nerdy Code
Can’t Buy Me Friends
Use Cases & Email Marketing

Meanwhile, the data scientist focuses their efforts on developing analytics solutions that solve a specific and unique  business problem. In most cases, these data science solutions when initially built, are customized to solve the problem at hand . The need for automation or operationalization is not paramount at least initially in the data scientist’s mind.

With Big Data and big data analytics, the need for analytics and more customized type solutions is experiencing exponential growth. Methods and approaches in employing analytics need to be quicker and more flexible which require I/T support for more operationalization and automation . But this does not replace the data scientist. In fact, big data analytics reinforces the need for more and not less data scientists. The data science “work”  is really about building the right template for a given business solution. In specific terms, this could be a predictive model or a pivot table to conduct a given business analysis. Meanwhile, IT needs to create the necessary technical and systems architecture towards a more automated infrastructure. In this environment, the data scientist has the capacity to create the more automated templates for many different types of business problems. Some may question that this is the role of IT.

The answer is no as these templates are uniquely designed for each business problem, but automation or operationalization of these solutions is facilitated through the infrastructure that has been set up by IT. Architecting the data to solve the business problem is the role of the data scientist. Creating a technology environment  which allows access to data and the potential for increased automation is the role of IT.  This kind of scenario is simply going to increase the demand for both data scientists and IT in our Big Data world regardless of certain opinions on the declining importance of data science.    

TAGGED:big data scientist
Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

sales and data analytics
How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
ai in marketing
How AI and Smart Platforms Improve Email Marketing
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive Marketing
AI Document Verification for Legal Firms: Importance & Top Tools
AI Document Verification for Legal Firms: Importance & Top Tools
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive
AI supply chain
AI Tools Are Strengthening Global Supply Chains
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive

Stay Connected

1.2kFollowersLike
33.7kFollowersFollow
222FollowersPin

You Might also Like

big data scientist
AnalyticsBest PracticesBig DataBusiness IntelligenceData ManagementJobs

The Big Data Scientist’s Skillset

7 Min Read
data science and GDPR
Big Data

What Do Big Data Professionals Need to Know About GDPR

4 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

giveaway chatbots
How To Get An Award Winning Giveaway Bot
Big Data Chatbots Exclusive
AI chatbots
AI Chatbots Can Help Retailers Convert Live Broadcast Viewers into Sales!
Chatbots

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?