What is circular data?
In today's world, where every click counts and every second produces a mountain of data, it is crucial to understand how that data can be managed sustainably and ethically. We invite you on a journey through the fusion of two powerful models: the DIKW pyramid and the Wedding Cake Model.
What is data?
Before diving in, let us clarify what data is. In essence, data is dematerialised information that can travel across a network. Its real power lies in its transformation into usable information the moment someone is able to interpret it.
Today, with Big Data, that simple piece of data has become a resource, a product, and even a financial and extra-financial asset. It lets us optimise our lives, from product personalisation to the decisions that are critical for a business.
When data is put to good use, it can become an invaluable resource, a value-added product and even a strategic asset. Data has the power to transform our world — from the way companies operate to the way we treat our environment.
The principle of circular data
We must all play our part in recycling data to help reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That runs through “Data Recycling®”, a triad of principles: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle data.
Reduce: optimise data lifecycle management to save resources and energy.
Reuse: foster interoperability and standardisation to avoid redundancy.
Recycle: use data for sustainable purposes, contributing to a circular economy.
Connecting the SDGs Wedding Cake Model and DIKW
The DIKW pyramid symbolises our path from Data to Wisdom, set alongside the SDGs Wedding Cake, which represents the strata of our existence — biosphere, society, economy and partnership.
A figure at the foot of the DIKW pyramid holds a recycling symbol, reaching out towards the Wedding Cake. That gesture symbolises how our collective wisdom — drawn from data — must be recycled to contribute to a more sustainable future.
If the DIKW pyramid shows us the path from data to wisdom, the Wedding Cake Model reminds us that all our actions, including data management, must be anchored in a fundamental respect for our ecological system. Combined, the two models can guide us in our quest for more responsible and sustainable data management.
Together for a sustainable and profitable future
The exact origin of the DIKW model is not firmly established, but it was popularised in fields such as information management, information science and decision science.
Contrary to what many believe, this pyramid is not fixed. Wisdom is not only the summit of the pyramid: it can be built into every level. A more responsible and ethical use of data can guide us towards a form of wisdom, as T.S. Eliot's poem reminds us: Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The strata of the SDGs Wedding Cake
This circular approach to data is not merely a matter of good management: it can contribute directly to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
• Partnership: through cooperation and solid partnerships, recycled data must serve every sector in order to contribute to the circular economy. This accelerates functionality and sobriety, spurs the search for new economic models, and supports the planning of our smart, sustainable cities.
• Economy: let us build a resilient, sustainable and fair economy.
• Society: for an equitable and just society.
• Environment: built on a regenerated, healthy environment, which is essential to our survival.
From encouraging inclusive economic growth to promoting responsible consumption and production, circular data can be a powerful lever of transformation.
Data is not only a commercial asset; it is an asset for humanity. Managing it responsibly can help build a better, fairer and more sustainable world for everyone. It is up to us to make data a resource that benefits all, with respect for our planet and its inhabitants.
Let us do our part. Let us recycle our data. Let us build a greener future, together!
Written by Jawaher Allala
CEO, Systnaps
11/10/2023
For a tailored Data Recycling® demonstration, contact us.