Business Subject Matter Experts can be more active in defining opportunities to exploit data and analytics capability, without a data scientist.

Think about the decisions made within your area of expertise or the ones you would like to influence. Determine the value of good choices and which decisions would have the most benefit if improved. Do the calculation, connect to revenue, costs or risks, even if it takes many assumptions.

Most decisions involve predictions. Identify them and identify what data might improve those predictions or measure the outcome. Don’t restrict yourself. There is plenty of time to figure out what is NOT possible, not allowed or not cost effective later, and the restriction is probably temporary.

At this stage, you have identified predictions you would like improved, data you need, and the business case for doing it. Don’t lose that calculation connecting all this activity to business value. It is a key to managing scope and being helpful as the project progresses. Don’t stop referring to it, adjusting it, improving it.