Episode 42 - Data Analytics with Nathan Taylor

State of the CIO

Nathan was crucial in implementing cutting edge data infrastructure technologies such as DataRobot, Alteryx, and Snowflake. While at Symphony, Nathan was named a “Data Science Superhero” by DataRobot. Several years ago, Nathan was invited to lead the Healthcare User Group at Alteryx, a role he still holds today and is Core Certified in Alteryx Designer. He is also an AHIMA Certified Health Data Analyst and a HIMSS Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems.

Nathan shares so much of his knowledge about data analytics. He shares tools his company has found most useful. He always shares great starting points to start using data successfully in your organization.

Show Notes:

• [01:06] Nathan shares how he got into IT and specifically healthcare IT. He has worked in the IT space for almost 21 years from an analytics background.
• [02:37] He was a programmer for seven years and then he moved into data.
• [04:19] He loved technology from the beginning, but he loved building it. He likes that you can rapidly build on the data side.
• [06:52] Since he was more technical and less business savvy he knew he learned more about business and accounting.
• [08:02] Don’t just look at the data set and think about solving this problem in front of you. Think of it from the business impact it can have. You are solving more than a data problem. You are solving a business problem.
• [10:01] In 2020, no one can say they don’t have a computer job.
• [10:42] You have to constantly think about what you are doing with the data and what you know that can help solve problems.
• [12:01] They researched many tools, and they settled on Ultra Excel. Nathan shares other tools they have found to be a great fit for their organization.
• [13:12] You have to fit the tool and what it does well with the end-user and always keep the end-user in mind.
• [15:13] We are going to see people start standing up APIs.
• [16:53] They set up a lot of their data infrastructure in the cloud and they still have firewalls and security in place. It allows you to move data much quicker.
• [18:01] They provide internal training for the more difficult problems they encounter. Vendors usually provide baseline training and support. Many vendors also have great online communities that can be a great resource to answer questions.
• [19:52] KDNuggets is a great resource for analytics.
• [21:57] Noone will see what you are doing unless you talk about it. It is a balancing act to be humble and also talk about what you are doing well.
• [22:41] A public speaking class in college is money. You will need to have the strength and courage to talk in large groups.
• [23:30] Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and talk about what you’ve done. It may come with criticism.
• [23:53] Learn to say no. Be judicious in the projects you choose. Think about what things are going to matter to the business and focus on those. Cut out the things that won’t really have an impact.
• [24:27] You always have to be learning something new.
• [26:01] Nathan shares his best worst boss story.
• [27:53] Sometimes people are not talented at all but have a great attitude and they can be trained, taught, and elevated. We can’t teach attitude.
• [29:52] Most of the problems that people are having is just not understanding the time nature of data.
• [30:21] On more advanced teams they look at the culture of the team.
• [31:49] Every company has one metric that matters most. If your company doesn’t know that, then that is the place to start.
• [33:02] There are opportunities all over the place to find savings.

Links and Resources:

• State of the CIO Podcast Website
• State of the CIO Podcast on Apple Podcasts
• Dan on LinkedIn
• Nathan on LinkedIn
• Nathan on YouTube
• Lean Analytics