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 "The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency." (Bill Gates)

(Hey, here I am with another (probably) hot take. You might think: doesn’t Nur Imroatun Sholihat advocate technology/automation implementation? Is she in her right mind when she said ‘don’t automate’? Please read till the end if you want, or at least the summary, okay? 😊)

Here’s the summary if you would prefer to not read the whole post: Use automation wisely, timely--be cognizant of what not to automate as much as what to automate, of when it is too early as much as it is too late.

     In my second term learning digital transformation at UNSW, I took a core course called Business Process Management (BPM). When I read the handbook, honestly, I was puzzled because a digital transformation should mostly be about digital, right? Why would the university’s School of Information Systems and Technology Management require the students to take such a course out of the blue?

      Now in week 8 of the course, I finally understood the reason why it’s made compulsory for the future digital transformation people. The realization still astonishes me today therefore I decided to write about it. Based on my newly-found understanding, at the heart of a digital transformation is the ‘transformation’, not the ‘digital’. The university wanted the students to, instead of jumping to automation directly, think more fundamentally when it comes to transforming the organization. The school taught the students to not consider automation as one solution for all. Automation is indeed one of the keys to the transformation door but let’s not be surprised that it isn’t the only one on the list (see the list below).

Redesign heuristics (Dumas et. al, 2018)

      Please don’t misunderstand me as I like automation as well (who wouldn’t though?). However, it concerned me that automation has grown as a solution that is easily misused. There is a common misperception that automation offers a magic mend to bad or broken processes. As much as I wanted it to be, let’s face it that it’s not Doraemon’s magic pocket (if it ever exists in real life) that solves all the problems instantly. It’s not a “plug-and-play” solution that could be straightforwardly implemented without careful adjustment and refinement.

      I know it’s uncomfortable to not directly think of automation when it’s already becoming one of the most-talked advancements organization could have. I also recognized how tempting shiny automation tools that promise exceptional optimization are. However, as I mentioned in my previous post, Luxury, “the ability to remain grounded amidst the sea of fancy buzzwords is a luxury. The ability to prioritize the fundamental things while having the serenity to not feel missed out is a luxury.”. Let’s have this uncomfortable discussion about the necessity and prioritization of automation.

      First, recognize that to fix a process to be in the best working order, automation isn't necessarily the most favorable answer. For example, does the process uniformly run or it has several unnecessary variations? If it has many variations, process standardization might provide more advantages than automation. Also, ask questions such as: is it better to be handled by machines or humans? Do the benefits of automation outweigh the costs? With our current capabilities and condition, when is the right time to automate? After that “pause and think” moment, we hopefully could gain a good working order, knowledge of which process to be automated, also investment and timing justifications.

     Second, as every organization operates with going concern assumption, act as a player in a long game. Not all automation initiatives should be implemented in a hurried manner--in other words: prioritize. Automation is known as resource-intensive activity therefore prioritization will help us to have steady measured steps. Identify business processes that present the quickest most meaningful wins and consider them as the earliest automation initiatives. The good news is: other initiatives can wait :)

     To conclude, implementing automation is definitely one big leap an organization could take. There is no doubt that a wise, timely implementation of the advancement will greatly benefit an organization. What it takes to get that wise, timely automation is a mindful slightly uncomfortable “pause and think” moment of what and when to automate. In most cases, what sets the successful automation implementation with the rest is that "pause and think" moment, which unfortunately seems unattractive in this fast-moving world.

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Reference: Dumas, M., La Rosa, M., Mendling, J., & Reijers, H. A. (2018). Fundamentals of business process management (2nd ed.). Springer Berlin.

P.S.:

1. What I enjoyed the most about studying master’s degree, besides meeting great minds, is how my knowledge is constantly challenged. When I'm proved wrong, I am happy knowing that through that process, I am a bit closer to knowing rightness. When I realize my knowledge is shallow, I enjoy deepening it through constant challenges. I think that’s the essence of a master’s degree: to make someone think a tad deeper and act a tad more purposefully. I am most grateful for those things.

2. Credit to my lecturers, George Joukhadar and Frieda Maher, who inspired me to think about automation deeper. Forever, it changed the way I think about automation.

3. After a long thought about this blog’s direction, finally I come up with #sensibletech, a section I dedicate to address my concerns regarding the thoughtful utilization of technology. Please look forward to more #sensibletech posts I will deliver in the future :)

Two months ago, I had my first term break and my Malaysian friends came up with the idea of one day trip to Newcastle. There were many beautiful attractions in that city and the last one we visited was Nobby’s Beach. Although I have visited several beaches in Sydney, this one radiated slightly deeper tranquility. I walked with an empty head through the pathway alongside the shore. There was nothing in my brain but admiration for the scenery. It has been a while since the last time I mindfully looked at the surrounding. Hence, it's safe to say that that evening was quite a memorable walk for me. 

At that moment, Maghrib prayer time arrived. Immediately, my friend and I approached the cold ocean water and performed ablution (wudhu). Using Google’s qibla finder, we figured out that we’d perform our prayer facing the beautiful lighthouse. After finished, we just silently sat and stared at the expanse of sand. The white phare was sparkling from far away. It was such a magical moment where I deeply reflected and thought about life.

During the first month in the Emerald City, I recalled feeling a tad uneasy about performing prayer. At the campus, I shall go search for a “safe space” to perform it or walk a long way to the religious center. To perform ablution, I needed to lift my legs to the sink, which made me worried to be perceived as weird. I remember feeling rather jittered when I perform prayer in public spaces, uncomfortable with people's stares. Everything was a brand new feeling for me who can perform it with no hassle back in Indonesia.

Later I remembered a conversation I had with my dad back then when I was very young. We had finished performing the Maghrib prayer and sat in the prayer room waiting for Isha time. When the time arrived, I said to him, “Shall I do ablution again? I believe there was nothing that invalidated my ablution but who knows I might forget or something else.”

“What’s so hard about doing an ablution, Im? Even a simple act like ablution is counted and rewarded by Allah. Every effort you put for Allah matters.” He advised. “Therefore, do your best for Allah.”

It reminded me that I should always put my best when it comes to my observance. I shall put aside my excuses and make my best attempt--and in the case where I've already put my best and that’s still much lacking, He is the all-forgiving. However, first, I need to put my best efforts into Him.

I remember one time when I was afraid that people in the street would stare at me praying, I decided to pray sitting. I defended myself that this might be the highest effort I can provide. However, verily that was not me giving my all. Accordingly, it is ironic that I haven’t tried my best yet asking Him to send all the good things to my life. What a shame that I couldn’t even perform the most important ritual properly yet think that I deserve a flowery fate.  

What’s my excuse for not performing prayer properly when even people in the war zone, with disabilities,  in extreme poverty, etc could perform it appropriately? What’s my excuse to feel discouraged to perform prayer in public spaces when even during the period when Prophet and his companions were afraid that they would be attacked, they still performed it one after the other? Where is my gratefulness for this perfectly-functioned body, decent life, and peaceful situation? 

I stared at the beautiful beacon, with the peaceful calming sound of the beach in my ears and tears covered my eyes. As a woman full of excuses ‘’I don’t think I can”, “Shall I take the easy road?”, and “No need to put more effort as this is also acceptable”, I reflected on this mistake of mine. As a Muslim, I know I thoroughly lacked perseverance. I had too many sins that might put me in a position of not deserving anything good. Nevertheless, He still bestowed me His mercy and favors. 

Lost track of time, the sky gradually turned black. My heart felt warm on this cold seashore due to the thankfulness for this experience of becoming a minority. I appreciated how my love for Allah has grown through difficult times. I stared again at the radiant lighthouse, this time with a smile. As the lighthouse guides mariners, thank You for always guiding me. Alhamdulillah.

Love,

iim

 All human wisdom is summed up in these two words, --wait and hope. (The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas)

A few weeks ago, I visited Cockatoo Island with The UNSW’s Postgraduate Council. This island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site formerly operated as a convict penal establishment. On this trip, the participants walked around the historically significant place accompanied by a tour guide. After a short ferry ride from Barangaroo Wharf, we were welcomed by light rain on the site.

While waiting for the tour guide to arrive, the group had lunch together in a coastal restaurant. After finishing my food, I glanced at my watch checking whether it was already prayer time. I approached the trip leader to get her permission to excuse myself for a while.

“Is it okay if I pray for approximately 10 minutes?” I softly spoke beside her.

“Of course.” she put down the pizza in her hand. “Take as much time as you need. We’ll wait.” she smiled.

I immediately thanked her and then went to pray. While walking to the beach to perform ablution, I suddenly felt a strangely vivid feeling. What she said struck a chord in me. Take as much time as you need--how I wish I could tell myself this very sentence every day. Therefore, when someone said those words to me, I got a tad emotional--I wish I was in my room so I can sob. In this convict site, I realized I myself was a convict of my own self-reproach. I internally spoke “dear self who often blames herself for walking too slowly and taking too much time to reach 'places', take as much time as you need.” while patting my shoulder. I very much deserved it after years of self-blaming.  

One of the most relatable quotes for me is Bolin Shijiang’s “The world is so big and I walk slowly. What if I never find what I am looking for?”. Even since I was a child, I noticed that I seemed to "walk" relatively slower than most people. The realization got more intense as now I am pursuing a master’s degree at this age. Almost everyone in my classes was in their early twenties yet shined brightly as if they have had 10 years of work experience. Sometimes it discouraged me that I couldn’t even manage my academic life properly while those youngsters could. It reminded me of many things that come relatively later to me compared to the others. The list is extensive I wouldn’t even try to mention the content. I remember how I grew up as someone who appeared confident outside but timid inside. Truthfully, my constant failure to keep up with the “regular” timeline contributed to turning me into someone who was easily frightened and lacked confidence. 

In a world where people in the fast lane are more appreciated, I confusedly walked with a low velocity. I was drowned in a society where the deadline is tight, the expectation is high, the pace is hurried, and the competition is tough. Therefore, I was forced to rush and be impatient. I felt despair when I haven’t gotten/achieved something while everyone around me has already enjoyed it. It was so discouraging to still wait for my turn to get a piece of cake when everyone has moved on with a bigger slice. I'm worried that I don’t have time to wait anymore--my heart murmured when I was extremely weary. On many occasions, I stared blankly and thought that probably what I wait for would never come. I've already missed the train and there is no other train afterward, or even there is no train for me in the first place--my inner voice convinced me--therefore I am stuck in the same place even though a long period of time has gone by. 

However, what she said that day straighten up my slumped shoulders. The knowledge that I can take all the time I need brings light to my dim heart. I might be left behind in everything based on society’s standards but I have the right to take as much time as I need. It’s totally okay to walk slowly or even intentionally slow down my pace when I need it. No matter how much time I need, I can wait. Even with the broken hope, I am allowed to wait. No matter how long shall I wait, or how slow my pace is, it is always okay.

Love,

iim

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P.S.:

1. When I am writing this post, one of my lecturers sent an email to the students regarding the group creation and his closing sentence was “Please do NOT feel bad if you aren’t yet in a group-- I was picked last throughout my life and I (just about) did ok in the long run! 😊”. God knew I needed to hear additional encouragement. Even as someone who was already a part of a group since the first week, this uplifting message is powerful. Tears ran down my face as I know how it feels to be the last. Never underestimate the power of kind and encouraging words. You never know that somewhere, someone really needs to hear that. Thank you, Prof! I adore your kindness from the first time I attended the class.

2. Have you ever read Alexandre Dumas's "The Count of Monte Cristo"? The novel suddenly popped up in my mind when I wanted to write about convicts. Or have you ever read Bolin Shijiang's "Entrust the Rest of My Life to You"? :)

Dear hope, the Sydney I wrote about to you today is drizzling--the light kind I would love to face unshielded although it’s frosty. But dear hope, I know one day the mizzle would turn warmer because of your presence.

Two days ago, Mbak Lia (Edmalia Rohmani) visited this city and agreed that we would meet at Circular Quay. The weather prediction stated that there would be rain all day yet our night meeting happened under no umbrella. We knew each other in the first place since we both loved literature thus no wonder poetic words were uttered while strolling down the wet paving blocks towards the Opera House.  

“Imagine walking along this path with the loved one.” Her statement turned the literature mode on in me. “Under the rain, with such a view.”, she added while patting my shoulder as if she knew I have been waiting for that “quietly strolling beautiful place with someone” moment. The dream moment I have forgotten for a while due to recent hectic days where my heart felt like in a high-speed blender.

I looked far across the beach, the Harbour Bridge was sparkling beautifully. The cars on the bridge were moving in slow motion as if it was a scene from a romantic movie where the character is surrounded by an air of melancholy. Imagine spending such a lovely night just walking serenely side to side with someone so dear to the heart. When I turned my head a bit, the Opera House was radiantly glowing. What a poem-worth situation it was. Flowery lines kept popping out in my brain as the romantic view of two Sydney landmarks shined in front of my eyes. There is no exaggeration in saying that this particular night in Sydney has inspired me to stay optimistic, especially regarding the old hopes.

As Mbak Lia repeatedly mentioned how grateful she was to be here, I couldn’t help praying that one day, I would have an opportunity to repeat the amble with a loved one. I smiled at the tender waves sound of the beach alongside the pathway. I hoped my future man could hear this too from wherever he is now. I felt the 12°C gentle wind blow as the wishes were raised to the sky. The city was cold and I can feel my freezing hands touching my face. Aamiin, I said silently.  

I want to fall in love with someone, one of my very wishes that night. The kind of love that puts my heart at ease. A feeling that resembles home for my unsettled mind and heart. Love that it reminds me of how beautiful Allah’s plan is. Love that even by remembering his smile, my heart feels warm. I wished in love to feel that effortless and lightweight.

I can portray him as a solemn and thoughtful old soul. A laid-back and grounded introverted man with whom, silence is comfortable. Someone whose eyes spark soft light like a ray of morning sunshine. Someone that walking through his mind offers me a leisure walk in a sunflower garden. Someone I’d love to have a deep conversation with for hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, lifetime and rarely get bored as I keep uncovering a new depth of his mind. On top of everything, someone that makes me remember Allah more, therefore, paradise feels relatively closer.

As Sydney itself is a magic that came true--a long-time wish turned into a reality, I hope these particular wishes I whispered in the “magical land” would come true too.

Each city has its own color and sentiment. For me, Sydney is the symbol of hope. I am hopeful that one day, I’ll get an opportunity to meander this scenery at night, while rain is lightly pouring, and his calm smile raises the temperature. I believe in it just as I believe in all the previous dreams I wrote in my diary. No matter how silly it sounds when I ask for it from Allah, I fully recognized the fact that He carefully listens.

God listens to our prayers, always. Indeed. 

Love, 

iim

Fate is like invisible cards that are distributed to us.... 

When I was a kid, besides several traditional games, I sometimes played cards with my playmates. (I hope I know the name but am still clueless even after trying to search it on Google. Hihi. Also, don’t get it wrong. No money, bet, or punishment was involved. It was purely a game for fun.)

Since I don’t know what it’s called, I’ll explain the rule so you can imagine it. (Someone who knows the name please let me know. Hehe). The cards are shuffled then 5 up to 8 of them are given out equally to each player, leaving the undistributed ones as a deck. Following right after, the paper on the top of the deck is revealed. Each player has to put a card which matches that particular card’s suit. Subsequently, the one with the highest card decides the suit for the next round. If a player doesn’t have a similar suit to the one which is being presented, that person needs to take the cards in the deck until he/she finds it. The one who finishes their cards first wins and the last one to do it loses the game.

When I was a child, never I had any thoughts, expectations, or anticipation about the cards being shuffled. It was just a game so whatever I got, I would still be excited about it (only slightly was disengaged when I got low cards. Nevertheless I enjoyed it). Now if I have to play it again, maybe I will wonder which cards would be played by me and what wouldn’t be in my hands. I wonder if the cards would vary significantly for each player and there is no favorite card in mine. I am also curious if favorable cards are handed to me instead. Moreover, what if I got no spade or diamond or heart or clover among them?

Now when I think about it, it resembles life in many ways. Forrest Gump (1994) has popularized “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.” and for me, instead of a box of chocolates, I would like to put the cards as a metaphor. The major difference is that our cards are shown before we begin the game, thus planning is greatly possible. On contrary, the cards are unveiled gradually one by one in life. Furthermore, compared to the cards in the game in which we know the precise meaning, in life sometimes we are oblivious of the denotation even after it is disclosed.

Fate is like the cards that are being distributed to us. We equally get a life yet the cards vary. We simply don’t know what cards would be handed to and played by us. We can’t withdraw from the game just because we think the cards aren’t on our side. We also can’t automatically win just because we have the cards that are beneficial for us. When interacting with other players, we realize that it’s not just ours that matters but also other people’s cards. And above everything, some things are out of our control like the suit that would be uncovered by the player with the highest card. Nevertheless, we still follow the game and try to gain control over it. Life also acts in that sense. Several things are within our control while the others are beyond it. Still, there is a space where we are in the driving seat.

If I may add one more lesson I learned from the card game is that everyone has a different set of cards. Consequently, the way we play the game would be different--our strategies are personalized and our stories are unique. Thus, there is no point in comparing our life with others. 

However, what resonates the most with me recently is, that in the game, we can always put an effort to find the card we don’t have. We could always attempt to search for the missing piece in life. It might take a long time. It might make us unable to finish the game early, but there is always a probability of winning or at least not being the ultimate defeated.

Presently, when I have to take a longer route than the normal one, I will remind myself of how often I didn’t lose the game even when I didn’t have a certain suit in my cards then needed to take a lot of them from the deck. While finishing all the cards cost me ages and I might be left behind anyone who can spend theirs earlier, I had the courage, patience, and confidence to continue the game. Rarely did I lose back then when I was a kid and I believe that I would not lose too in life.

Because until the game is finished, I never knew how it would be ended. So do with life, I want to have the same courage about my cards. I want to trust my journey like that little girl back then who has confidence in the cards in her hands. Win or lose, she still smiled genuinely and continue the game. In life, I want to face "the cards" with a similar frame of mind.  Would you too?

Love, 

iim

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Courage, patience, and confidence—how I wish I could have those words plastered all over the place so I will always remember them. 

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image credit: istockphoto.com via mentalfloss.com

"I feel quite lost inside myself, like I'm looking for my train tracks for my life." - Sabrina Ward Harrison

Hello, everyone. How are your days? Mine is mainly cold (homonym intended). As someone who was accustomed to Jakarta’s heat for years, Sydney’s low temperature is already challenging from the very beginning. I shouldn’t walk around dressed as if it is the early winter when people barely wear jackets but just let me. Hehe.

When I posted my previous writing, some people suggested I write down my experience navigating life as a student in Sydney. Here I am starting my #OzDiaries (Oz is another way of spelling "Aus", which is an abbreviation of "Australia") while planning to post them regularly *I wish. I hope I can share the snapshots of a mere student’s life in a big EXPENSIVE city *yeah wrote the highlight in capital letters! Hihi. Promise you they are nothing sort of bragging but more like the lessons I learn or the inner feeling unspoken. So shall we start now?

When I conveyed that I would pursue my master’s degree in Sydney, my mom asked me whether I am not tired of constantly studying and struggling. After all, women, my age should start to have a comfortable life, right? It was not that she didn’t approve of the idea. From time to time, she checked on me to make sure that I am happy with the choices I make. Truth is, that happened because she acknowledged my habit of recklessly jumping out of my comfort zone and then quietly struggling by myself. Occasionally she mentioned that my health and happiness are so much more important than the so-called growth since she was worried that I did everything out of the desire to outgrow myself. While the betterment I aimed for is due to my wish to contribute better to society, she never forgot to emphasize the importance of enjoying life.

(I bet she is actually struggling to be a mother of someone who likes to do difficult things when actually deep down is a coward.)

I told her that I was not just ready but also excited to embrace the adventure. So she smiled and said that I should take care of myself because there would be none to lean on, to accompany. She also mentioned that I should be responsible for the privilege I got: be a good student and come back as a better me. I nodded while holding back tears because I should contain the emotion as always. All by myself, in a new city, I know my train would be heading to a station of uncomfortableness. Yet there I was holding the ticket tightly.

What happened later were the things that warmed my heart. I accepted a lot of help both from the people I knew and I didn't. Someone offered me her phone when I said that there was no wifi outside the airport building, a Ph.D. student at my university DM-ed me and took care of me whenever I am on campus, an old man approached me who was standing in front of the city map asking whether he could provide me assistance, some people greeted me “assalamualaikum” when I walked on the road with a tired face after classes, the UNSW Muslim community members who embraced me warmly, and many more that I couldn't mention one by one--they didn’t know that they came right exactly the moment I needed morale-booster.

At one moment, a woman on the light rail offered me the seat beside her. I couldn’t help saying “I am new here and the people are so kind. Thank you.” which was replied with a big smile on her face. We talked about several things and when the announcement said that shortly we would arrive at The UNSW station, I prepared myself to stand up. She poked me and handed me a piece of paper money that was $50. Overwhelmed by the surprising act, I said I can’t receive that. Her kindness was already an uplifting chunk of my day. However, she insisted while saying “if you want to repay for that, please pray for my husband. He has been in hospital for months.”

I didn’t walk to the campus right after I arrived at the station this time. Instantly I sat down and stared blankly at the money in my hand. She might have had harder times than mine but helped me anyway. What I called tough days might never come close in difficulty compared to hers. Yet she patted my head and continuously said “Good luck. I wish you all the best.” as if she knew that that particular morning, I really needed someone to pat my head and say that I’ll be okay. She was really the answer to my prayer that day and I can’t thank her enough for giving me additional strength. (writing this part got me in tears. Huhu)

After all the difficulties I had in life, I realized how Allah always send me what I need to bear. For my very first days in Sydney, that woman is the symbol of how I should always be hopeful about my life here. I should always know that the smiling faces of friends and strangers would be there when I need them the most.  

The series of kindness from people in Sydney reminds me of something: the next time you see someone with a confused face or you are in a position to help, please do yourself a favor. If you can, please offer help. You never know how much that person needs your help. You have no idea how many times that person would want to say thanks to you. You never know that perhaps that person will pray for you due to your kindness and hoping that he/she could also be a kind person like you. You never know what someone is going through so be kind, always.  

Lastly, Eid Mubarak for my Muslim friends. Taqobalallahu winna wa minkum. I will see you again later insyaAllah! 😊

Love, 

iim

If you are here right after I posted this, it means I’m on a flight to Sydney, the city I mentioned as one of my dreams since 2013 (please pray for me to land safely). Moving out of Jakarta this time, I realized that I’m in a constant search mode for a "home" all my life. I am leaving the only country I called home with mixed feelings, but most importantly thankfulness.

In early April, I received the information that I would be starting my master’s degree journey this very month (yes you read correctly). Supposedly to be great news, half of April 2022 turned out to be one of the toughest periods in my life. I have to prepare everything only in 18 days. And considering how bad I am toward goodbyes, every little melancholy doubled in weight.

However, now that I can join this Jakarta-Sydney trip, I can breathe easy while reminiscing all the struggles I had. I thought I would fail to meet the departure preparation deadline. I was a bit pessimistic about whether I could start the course this term. I lost count of how many times I said: “Should I just defer to the next term?” because the hurried preparation wasn’t comfortable at all if not seemed impossible.

Realizing how difficult to make the decision to move forward with the original plan or to defer, I performed istikhara prayer. As always, I don’t know and Allah knows. So I asked Him to guide me in deciding which option benefits me the most. I also asked Him to give me the strength to accept the decision whatever it was. It didn’t take long for Him to guide me to stick with the plan by making my heart suddenly feel stronger.

I was stronger but if I have to mention something that made tears sit in the corner of my eyes is how kind and helpful the people around me were. I then understood that when Allah says He does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear, He really means it. Your strength is not just your own force but the collective power of you and the people who helped you. That when He wanted to make you overcome the difficulties, He sends the helping hands--both from the expected and unexpected directions. Miraculously, the answer to the prayer started to fall into place. I finally could make it, even though still facing a lot of dramas until the very last time.

One day, a good friend of mine ever mentioned how important the little help given by other people was when she was in a tough period. That she appreciated the people who did even the simplest things so she could concentrate on something big she was facing. Now that I am in that period, I understand her statement wholeheartedly. That even someone waited for me to print my scholarship contract, which was sent to me at the end of the working hours, was a big intangible pat on my shoulder. I remember when that friend and I stepped out of the office, I wanted to say thousands of thank you if that wasn't wasting too much of my friend’s time. So I just smiled and promised that I will remember the kindness for all my life.

Maybe I never said millions of thanks but I’m eternally grateful for every little thing the people did. Some of you may know that I fear asking for help. No, it’s not that I aimed to be a fully independent woman. I just feel that being dependent is a luxury I couldn’t afford. Being accompanied is a wish I could only keep by myself. Therefore, I appreciate the people who offered me help without me asking for it first. Every little help you offered put me on the brink of tears. Even the smallest kindness would always be remembered. I am forever indebted to a lot of people this time around and I promised that I will not let everyone down. I will work hard so every effort the people spent on me wouldn’t go to waste.

I am willing to trade my one-year hard work to see your smiling faces. InsyaAllah I am just 365 days away from you all. Until that day, I will pray for our pleasant meetings in the future. Until then, please wait for me happily and healthily.

Thank you.

Thank you for being the ingredient of my happiness.

Love,

iim

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P.S.: During the preparation, I numbed myself because I didn’t have the luxury to pause and process my feelings. Ah, I am still that "pretend-to-be-tough" woman.  Now that I am finally on the plane, should I just cry? 😊 

Thank you for sending me off ☺(and for some people who didn't join this photo, you know I appreciated it not any less)

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image source: meer.com

“Through 2022, only 20% of analytic insights will deliver business outcomes.” (Gartner, 2019)

My take: It’s good to have a high ambition but more importantly to have the right ambition. It's good to start by "We want to have data analytics projects/use cases. What should we analyze?" (as long as business values are the objectives), but the better path is "This is our objective, thus X and Y values should be created. What analytics should we perform?"

My personal note: I know the title is a bit controversial. Please don't get me wrong. I always think data science is awesome. I am also a big supporter of analytics implementation. Here is just a piece of my thought on creating better analytics  :)

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Data is widely considered this century’s most valuable asset—beating oil, gold, and anything precious in world history. The attention has been gathered and the spotlight has been shone on its ability to drive business decisions. The four-letter word now has another buzzword: data-driven. 

The dream of becoming data-driven is basically on almost every organization's wish list. When an organization implements a data-driven approach, it means the strategic decisions are based on the analysis and interpretation of data. The insights, patterns, and anything behind the data will be uncovered to decide the actions. So now, that we have data (tons of it!), we all should jump to the analytics, right?

Unfortunately, history repeated itself. Data analytics, as its technological advancement predecessors, is treated as a black box: as if it, by itself, will magically solve all the problems.  In fact, the analytics process as a standalone is far from wizardry. There are a bunch of processes going behind the curtain to ensure that the results benefit us. There are a plethora of details that hold more meaning than the tools and techniques: data governance maturity, analytics strategy clarity, translation and communication effectivity to name a few--business objectives to name the paramount. 

In short, neither having data nor performing analytics sets an organization apart from the rest. The success indicator of analytics is not having use cases but gaining business value. Therefore, it should first and foremost be about action and value (Schmarzo, 2020). Values should always be the heart of every process, including analytics, performed by an organization. Consequently, every analytics should always be able to be converted into value. Value creation means we start our analytics with a clear vision. Always have a business improvement opportunity/problem statement in mind. Instead of wanting to have a data analytics project, ask ourselves, why do we want to have one? What problems/improvements do we want to get the answer about? Invariably, have an objective regarding what should be generated through a use case before creating one.

Many publications including Gartner reported that most analytics projects failed. Let’s not be surprised that the reason wasn’t that the organizations lack use cases/projects/techniques/tools. No, it was not. After careful observation, it was revealed that many organizations didn’t start with a clear vision and objectives. That particular approach is inherently prone to failure in delivering business outcomes.

In conclusion, always know what business value our organization wants to generate through analytics. The clearer our vision, the better.  From there, we know what data should we collect, the data governance maturity level should we aim for, which analytics strategy should we implement, and which use cases should be prioritized. (Yes, we have to prioritize them. It means, not every data set should be turned into a use case exactly now. Some can wait. Some can wait even longer.) 

Back to the title above: "data analytics is overhyped". It will continuously fail to keep up with the hype as long as it doesn't put "value creation" at the center. Ultimately, an organization should be value-driven at the core. Always. Without exception.

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References:

Schmarzo, Bill. 2020. The Economics of Data, Analytics, and Digital Transformation. Birmingham: Packt Publishing Ltd.

White, Andre. 2019. “Our Top Data dan Analytics Predicts for 2019". https://blogs.gartner.com/andrew_white/2019/01/03/our-top-data-and-analytics-predicts-for-2019/. Accessed on 26 March 2022

image source: umanitoba.ca

If you only have 20 seconds to read this *wink as usual, don’t worry, I’ve already boiled down the insights into a sentence you can finish before your eyes blink thrice: to communicate data/numbers, give them emotions—angry number, happy number, tragic number, you name it.

Whenever I feel blue, there is something that puts things into perspective: the knowledge that some of my best days haven’t happened yet….

Yesterday, my friend excitedly told me about Sabrina&Belva’s wedding: an event that gave us abundant feelings, most especially warm euphoria. We barely know them personally but it didn’t stop the sentiments from coming over us. As if Disney movies jumped into reality, a fairytale-like wedding does exist. We are sincerely happy about their marriage.

We then talked about how mysterious fate was. We simply don’t know what will happen in the future, even in the next second. For sure, Bina (Sabrina’s nickname) in the past didn’t know that in the future she would sit in one of the best colleges in the world i.e. MIT while at the same time marry one of the most eligible bachelors in the country i.e. Belva. (P.S.: my friend has adored Belva since a long time ago and I occasionally heard about his works and manners. It’s safe to conclude that whoever marries him is on cloud nine.).

We also discussed Allah's mightiness to unite a person with someone alike. Indeed good men are for good women and vice versa. The Natuno's co-founder had gone through a lot and worked hard to be the person she is today--the kind of woman who's made Belva fall head over heels for. So did Belva who has put his all to build a better education environment in Indonesia. When the time came for him to settle down, he eventually ended up with someone like Bina.

Above all, their story gave us bounded optimism about the future.

Subsequently, I remember a post that has helped me get a hold of myself, written by Omid Scheybani. He mentioned that anticipating all the upcoming small and big things was something that put him on stable ground. The notion that several best days in his life haven't happened yet has assisted him to overcome his sorrow.

The aforesaid notion affected me likewise. It’s comforting knowing that some of the most beautiful feelings of my life are waiting to happen. It’s uplifting to realize that sundry best days in my life will eventually come. The day I fall in love, the day I marry someone, the day I embarking my master’s degree journey, the day I become a mom, the day I perform hajj, the days I see my parents, brother, and friends’ best moments, and so forth. It’s a wonderful thought that some of the most beautiful days in my life haven’t happened yet. I will work on myself to be someone who deserves those delightful moments.

Lastly, barakallah for the wedding which gave a lot of people heartfelt emotion, Sabrina and Belva. Thank you for reminding me once again that inshaAllah the future holds a bunch of my finest moments. I have faith in Allah so I trust my journey. Even when sadness hits me, I would remind myself of this idea: some of the best days in my life are waiting for me. The best is yet to come so I should be patient. 

I believe there is happiness waiting in front of each of us after the long tiring days :)

Love,

iim

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The title above mirrored Omid's post title: The Best Days of Your Life

image source: twimg.com