Full STEAM ahead: What the arts can offer data science Posted on : Nov 05 - 2019

Data-driven businesses could be missing out on big wins while competitors becomes more competitive.

It’s fashionable for businesses to talk about STEAM: the combination of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, with the arts. UK firms say they want talent from the arts just as much as they want data scientists when looking for new hires. Yet, research shows when they are forced to choose, data leaders rate data analysis as three times more important than storytelling. So, is it just a load of hot air when businesses talk about supporting STEAM? Or, have they got it wrong when they shun arts?

You’re not finished yet

Businesses are beginning to realise that merely having big data isn’t a victory. More and more businesses are taking the next step in their journey and becoming fully data-driven. Two-thirds of UK data leaders see the ability to explain the business impact of insights and data visualisation as their top skill gaps. Becoming data-driven requires squeezing as much value as possible from data the business acquires, as many insights as possible should be found.

However, this isn’t the end of the journey. Quality insights often have important nuances to them which need to be related back to business functions: marketing, sales, operations, in terms they can understand. After all, insights are no use if they cannot be understood. STEAM supporters argue those in traditional STEM fields normally responsible for managing data in businesses lack the ‘right-hand brain’ creativity needed to fully interpret the insights they generate. View More