Why You Need to Create a Data-Driven Culture

27.04.2017 |

Episode #1 of the course How to create a data-driven culture by Jon Leighton

 

Welcome to the course, and thanks for signing up!

During my time working with a variety of businesses using different cloud tools, I’ve heard it said over and over again: there’s so much more data available to us these days, to the point where we’re in the midst of a data deluge.

And rather than putting that data to use, we push it into reports once a month, then smile and nod before carrying on exactly the same as we were before.

Some of you might even just hide under your desk and ignore it.

Many of us don’t realize that with just a bit of extra work, you can embed data into the very center of your business. Using data becomes a part of your everyday tasks and no longer seems quite a scary—this is what we call a data-driven culture.

 

What is a Data-Driven Culture?

So what do you need to create a data-driven culture? Well, for one, businesses large and small, from startups to enterprises, use data in their decision-making process, so you can stop thinking it’s not for you.

The main point is that data is used throughout the business to drive action.

Instead of monthly reports being compiled and filed away with nothing changing in your business, data is used on the regular to influence decisions.

There’s no more making strategic decisions because your gut tells you to do so; instead, you’re making decisions because the data in front of you is telling you to do so.

(NB: That’s not to say that gut feelings and common sense still don’t have a part to play! As we’ll see, use data to come to a conclusion, then use common sense to decide if it’s the right choice for you.)

 

Why?

Of course, you’ve already signed up for this course, so I know you’re interested in creating your very own data-driven culture, but that’s no reason why I shouldn’t briefly cover why you’re already on the right track.

● The amount of data available is only going to increase

○ There are so many tools available now that can bring us new data to work with, from marketing, inventory, HR, and so on. It makes sense to make use of that data and start getting a grip on it now.

● Big data isn’t just for marketing

○ Using data to make better decisions isn’t just for the marketing team. Big data can help you as an eCommerce business decide which products are/aren’t working for your customers, identify key areas that need work in your customer service, and much more.

 

How?

The answer you’ve been looking for—how do you create a data-driven culture? You’ll need three things:

● Right Data

● Right Tools

● Right Mindset

And you’ve already got the right mindset just by signing up!

Throughout this course, I’ll be focusing on helping you get the right data and the right tools for your business, as well as how to get your team involved. I’ll start with making sure you’re measuring the right data by helping you to identify your KPIs.

Along the way, I’ll give you tips and examples of how to create your data culture, but you’ll learn the best throughout this course by actually putting the advice into practice as we go along.

Ready?
Jon

 

Recommended book

The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail – But Some Don’t by Nate Silver

 

Share with friends