In Data We Trust by Marc LeVine

If you torture the data long enough, it will confess.

Ronald Coase, Economist

Most soft skills fit with the career interests and needs of all, regardless of chosen profession.?We can all improve our interactions with others and that is what most soft skills address.?However, there are a few soft skills that blur the lines between interactions with people and interactions with information.?One such skillset is DATA ANALYSIS.

The ability to analyze and interpret data accurately is valuable to a successful problem-solving approach. ?We cannot effectively and efficiently solve problems without knowing what established facts and known variables may exist. Nothing can be interpreted accurately and explained well without the necessary data having been carefully gathered and analyzed. Visit the jobs page at www.thermosystems.com/careers.

Annual Flu shots cannot be considered effective unless scientists have accurately determined which viral strains will be headed north from our southern hemisphere ahead of winter. ?Political pundits cannot predict or explain who may or may not be elected each November, without having conducted careful analysis of reliable survey data and poll results. Clothing retailers have no idea what to buy from their design wholesalers until they understand seasonal trending and have successfully completed their competitive analysis.

Data analysis is critical to business leaders as well as to those responsible for providing quality customer service, improving sales, effectively marketing to target clientele, and controlling costs. Anything less than painstakingly analyzing data would be considered “guessing,” which has never been a successful business or personal strategy. ?Respected professionals are expertly able to convert raw data into actionable insights. This increases the likelihood of good decision-making and improves the odds for success.

There are five very basic steps to analyzing data:

1.??????Identify the data you want to analyze

2.??????Collect the data

3.??????Clean the data in preparation for analysis

4.??????Analyze the data

5.??????Interpret the results of the analysis

Sounds easy??It is not. The process includes a great deal of upfront work in planning and organization.?There is much to consider ahead of each step outlined. ?For example, gathering data involves complex decisions on conducting surveys, website tracking analytics, or buying data from data collection firms. ?Cleaning data requires the use of programmed instruments and detail methods that eliminate duplicates, errors, and outliers from raw data. Such errant data can skew results in the wrong direction and cause faulty decision-making. ?And interpreting data properly relies on the ability to spot patterns or trends leading to solid conclusions.

Data analysis requires special awareness that only comes from a highly developed skill set.?It’s a critical skill because successful people and organizations depend on their ability to seek data from reliable sources, interpret it precisely and act on it with great confidence. ?

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The Author

Listen to Marc's latest interview on The AutomationBlog Podcast with Shawn Tierney.

Marc LeVine?is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions and Learning and Development Lead at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021. His prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ