
Do you think your business culture is data-driven but still have to wait days to get a simple answer?
At its core, a data-driven culture revolves around the idea of using data systematically to inform and guide decision-making processes in an organisation. However, many organisations fall into the trap of believing they are data-driven simply because they have a plethora of dashboards. The reality is more complex.
Wait, Why Is Your Dashboard Different From Mine?
Many organisations tackle data-driven decision-making by publishing dozens of fancy and complicated dashboards. These dashboards are used sporadically by different stakeholders, providing short-term answers and immediate satisfaction. However, as business circumstances change over time, these dashboards become less relevant. This leads to a situation where data analysts become bottlenecks, handling new requests or changes, which delays decision-making. In worst-case scenarios, different departments may try to access the data independently, leading to misinformation and inconsistencies.
So What Is The Right Approach?
To create a truly data-driven culture that avoids these pitfalls, consider the following strategies:
Reliable Data Warehousing Store your data in a performant, reusable, and reliable data warehouse. This foundational step ensures that all subsequent data activities are based on solid ground.
Curated Golden Tables Model critical business information into clean and curated golden tables. Implement the organisation's business logic with clear and specific labeling. For instance, define what is referred to as "sales" or "net profit" explicitly to avoid any ambiguity.
Empower Key Stakeholders Grant key stakeholders access to raw data from these tables. This access enables them to query and answer day-to-day questions independently, fostering a sense of ownership and empowering more informed decision-making across the organisation.
Focused Dashboards Use dashboards to monitor only the most meaningful, dial-moving metrics rather than short-term ad-hoc questions. Focus on metrics that rarely change but are critical for strategic decision-making.
Periodic Reviews and Pruning Conduct periodic reviews of your existing reporting stack. Prune old, irrelevant objects to keep your data environment lean and efficient. This practice ensures that the data and tools you rely on are always current and relevant.
Benefits of the Right Approach
By adopting these strategies, your organisation will no longer need a large BI team solely dedicated to delivering more dashboards. Instead, you can streamline your data processes, reduce delays in decision-making, and increase overall efficiency. This shift allows your organisation to truly become data-driven, where data empowers every decision, and stakeholders have the tools and access they need to derive actionable insights independently.
Transitioning to a truly data-driven culture involves more than just having numerous dashboards. It requires a strategic approach to data management, stakeholder empowerment, and ongoing optimisation. By doing so, you can ensure that your organisation leverages data effectively, drives better decisions, and maintains a competitive edge in an increasingly data-centric world.