Setting up your organisation to succeed with data
There is a common misconception about how exactly data enables our organisations to be more successful. Many people mistakenly believe that data is becoming a replacement for human decision making and intuition. While data can certainly provide new answers to questions, people will still always be required to ask the questions.
This is one of the key points when we discuss data literacy. Beyond merely being able to understand data analysis, data literacy also teaches people the ability to “argue” with data. Rather than taking the first result of analysis at face value, data literate employees will ask:
- Are we using the best available data to develop this conclusion?
- Are the metrics being used really the best indicator of an answer?
- Is there a more valuable question we can be asking?
Your business needs to adopt this approach to truly understand concepts such as:
- Who your best customers are
- Which products and services best serve your customers
- Who your most productive employees are
We need to remember, there will always be more than one answer to the questions above, and that's OK. What is more important is that your people have the capabilities for asking different questions of data and seeking out different answers.
Unfortunately, the traditional approach to enterprise data has seen data analytics capabilities siloed within technology teams, where less data literate employees both don't have access to data or an appetite for gaining a new understanding from data. In these environments, traditional governance processes are stifling the kind of vibrant data analytics culture that could provide your business with a true competitive advantage.
Data science follows the scientific method generally, which always begins by asking a question – much like those above. In a data-driven organisation, employees have the freedom to “wonder” about new ideas. Their intuition may lead them to wonder if there is a better answer to a question, and then they begin combining different datasets in new ways to test their hypothesis.
Thankfully, new tools now allow our analysts to “self-serve” the data they need for finding the answers to questions. Rather than having to wait six months for the right data to be available in a data warehouse, and to follow drawn out requisition processes with the IT team, we can begin putting data into the hands of people so they can make up their own mind as to the real value of data and metrics.
They may not know ahead of time whether the queries they have for different datasets will prove fruitful, but this shouldn't stop them from going ahead and asking the question. This is what real data success looks like – a culture where people have a natural curiosity about the answers that data can provide, and the means to seek out those answers.
There are various interlocking components that drive this success such as dynamic data governance, data literacy training, and the data platforms that act as a catalyst for bringing data together in new ways. The secret lies in balancing a high level of data quality, while also ensuring that data governance practices aren't standing in the way of data literate employees who want the freedom to ask questions.
About the author:
As the Founder and Director of Velocity Business Solutions, my team and I work as collaborative consultants to help our clients utilise world-leading data analytics and visualisation tools, while also offering a range of services including deployment, education and ongoing support. If you are currently working with or exploring data analytics, and would like to learn how you can begin transforming your business, please feel free to get in touch with me at [email protected].