*Per Bruno Guerra
A company creates an untold amount of data on a daily basis. In an ideal world, one would expect that using this data would help revolutionize and guide business decision-making. However, this is not what happens. The value of data is incalculable, but most of the time it goes unexploited. The challenge for each company is to have strategies and investments in Integration to maximize the Business Intelligence (BI) and advanced analytics, whatever their size or economic sector, to extract value from this data.
As much as we find companies that have projects of BI and Analytics, the national scenario is formed mostly by companies that have not yet invested in strategies in these areas. We have the companies that haven't even started the data journey and we also have the ones that collect and store the information in their databases and rarely use this data in analytics for the benefit of their organizations.
The 5 steps I present here are aimed at companies that are in doubt about how to start implementing competitive and active intelligence processes; how to better monitor all company activities; and also make more agile decisions based on data and, in the near future, carry out accurate early analyzes (this is an advanced stage that will require mastery of statistical techniques and Advanced Analytics tools).
Step 1 – Training your team (Data Literacy): a company that wants to be data-driven needs to start with training its staff (data literacy🇧🇷 It doesn't have to be all employees at the same time. Training through internal or external courses can be directed, initially, to employees in the financial, commercial and production areas.
Step 2 – Define a budget and a schedule: this step is taken concurrently with team training. Employees can already bring some inputs to prepare an initial schedule and a budget, which will have to undergo adjustments as activities evolve.
Step 3 – Select your technology partners: with the number of data analysis tools available, the manager can hire a specialized consultancy to help in conducting the project of BI and Analytics🇧🇷 It is necessary to consider the reality of the company in order to select the initial and future technology partners, as the project evolves.
Step 4 – Mapping where the data is in the company: where is the relevant company data? Not all business leaders can answer this question. Much data is unstructured, meaning it is not easily captured or quantifiable.
Step 5 – Establish an ongoing program that builds a culture of data analytics across the enterprise: study mentioned in an article in Harvard BusinessReview, points out that 91.9% of executives cite cultural obstacles as the biggest barrier to a company becoming data-driven. In addition to staff training (data literacy), it is necessary that all employees understand that the creation of a company data driven it depends on everyone's participation, on profound changes in mentality and processes.
Start this journey and think about the long term. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and learn through experience. Making the enterprise data-driven is a process, and leaders need to take that first step and not stop.
EN 
PT 
