Introduction: Data Are Business Assets--The Time is Now to Put Them to Work in Your Organization

Data and information have many properties that, collectively, present unparalleled opportunities and daunting challenges. Unfortunately, in today's organizations, data and information remain essentially unmanaged assets. Organizations must develop deep understanding of their eclectic properties, where they come from, how they move around, and the myriad ways in which they help create--and destroy--value.