How can you effectively get feedback on your Business Intelligence (BI) work from colleagues?

It's already well-known that to succeed in the data field, someone must know which questions to ask each time. No matter how good a dashboard is, if it isn't answering the right questions, it's not useful. Therefore, to obtain invaluable feedback that can actually drive improvements, one must focus on the problem they are trying to solve. Once at work, I was asked to create a dashboard to present the company's sales performance. After its creation, I reached out to a C-level executive for feedback. The dashboard was too detailed for him, so he requested a summary page. However, the sales managers loved it. Aligning the problem with the correct audience is the point at which you can get the best feedback.

The best colleague feedback mechanism I’ve found is to hold several UXTs. These User Experience Tests are run as follows: 1. Have a prototype or interface for the user to use 2. Set up a video call with yourself, the user & the people who helped build the product. 3. Ask the user to describe what they see, and have the user suggest how they would use it. 4. Make sure to make the people who built it keep mute! Don’t help the user. This can be very cringe inducing, but it’s essential for the learning. 5. Make notes (& record!) of the whole session for use when setting the agenda of what to fix & build. UXTs avoid “let’s be nice” issues as well as most “let’s nitpick on certain aspects” problems, as it’s very action-focused. Try it out!

The challenge lies in stressing the dashboard's ability to answer complex questions. I particularly favor this quote: 'Dashboards are not the place to tell the story; they are the place to find a good one to tell.' Personally, when soliciting feedback, I tend to ask people to test a specific scenario that includes as many attributes as possible. Afterwards, I ask the following questions: 1.What could be improved in this dashboard? 2.Did you easily find all the information you needed? 3.If you could change something, what would it be, and why? By posing these questions, you can ensure receiving honest and detailed responses.

Feedback is often most useful when sought BETWEEN projects. This practice offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on overarching strategies, methodologies, and team dynamics beyond the confines of a single project. Gathering feedback in the intervals between projects allows for a broader perspective, encompassing learnings and highlighting patterns that may not be evident within the scope of individual projects.

Getting feedback from colleagues on your Business Intelligence (BI) efforts is an effective method for validating the data presented on the dashboard. Take, for instance, the development of a sales dashboard. It is essential to verify the accuracy of sales amounts, volume summaries, and other trend values by consulting with the sales department. This proactive approach ensures that the displayed numbers align with the expected range, offering a reliable means of validation before presenting outcomes to senior managers and stakeholders.