Changes in data regulation following the General Data Protection Regulation are transforming businesses in every industry, as well as shifting some responsibilities among data leaders. Executives like John Backhouse (pictured, left) chief information officer at CareEnroll, know well the challenges of fighting for resources and working to streamline processes in the ever-changing healthcare space. His insights, along with others, helped contribute to a recent initiative from IBM, called the Cognitive Enterprise Blueprint.

The Blueprint, which outlines how IBM is approaching its transformation to a cognitive enterprise, was released in October by Caitlin Halferty (pictured, right), chief of staff and client engagement executive, Chief Data Office, at IBM during the IBM Chief Data Officer Summit event held in Boston, Massachusetts. “This has been an 18-month project for us, and we’ve done it in close partnership with folks like John giving a lot of great insight and feedback,” Halferty said.

Halferty and Backhouse spoke with Rebecca Knight (@knightrm) and Dave Vellante (@dvellante), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the IBM’s CDO event. They discussed IBM’s new Cognitive Enterprise Blueprint and how it helps create a framework for evolving responsibilities between data leadership roles. (* Disclosure below.)

Before the Blueprint, tasks like building a team provided a challenge to business leaders who were unsure of the skillset they’d need to compile prior to understanding the scope of the work ahead, according to Halferty.

“What IBM has produced is very tangible; it means you can take the pieces and you can action them,” Backhouse said. “The blueprint helps you understand what you’re trying to recruit for, and … the monetization, or getting the data, or making it fit the purpose. That’s a real challenge, and there’s no magic wand for this.”

Growth worth the growing pains

IBM saw an opportunity to systematize the industry-wide transformations that had so far been progressing in fits and starts. Businesses needed a guideline to take full advantage of the shifts in data use and regulations.

“It started in response to regulatory and compliance concerns within financial services industries. … We’re seeing more and more retail consumer products … investing in that leadership role to drive that transformation. I’m seeing that spread beyond the regulated industries,” Halferty said.

Already working through these challenges at CareEnroll, Backhouse has found the difficulties well worth the results. “Not only can I use the infrastructure, I can enable people to get information at the point where it’s needed now far easier than I ever did before,” he said.

Looking ahead, Halferty sees even greater opportunities for immediate action on data and faster turnaround on results of quality efforts. “I think we’ll see the ability to take all this data that we already have and deliver it and influence behavior and spending patterns in real time,” she concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of IBM Chief Data Officer Summit. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the IBM Chief Data Officer Summit. Neither IBM, the event sponsor, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE