*By Cesar Ripari
Considered one of the main bases for building the companies of the future, data analysis, also known as Analytics, is certainly a crucial step for brands to make better business decisions in the hyperconnected world we live in. However, although fundamental, the truth is that extracting insights Accurate storage of information is also an undeniable challenge for organizations, especially given the numerous sources and formats of information available. It is in this scenario that leaders increasingly need to deal with the following question: what to do so that teams can, in fact, use analytics as a practical tool for the best possible decision-making?
The answer to this question, without a doubt, goes through a wide combination of intelligent technology that allows real-time data analysis, well-defined processes and a culture oriented to data analysis, with people being constantly qualified, trained and equipped to use records as a present and active ingredient in definitions – whatever they may be.
For the success of digitization initiatives and improvement of data analysis, however, we can highlight some essential tips. The main ones, in my opinion, are:
- Place data analysis within strategic discussions;
- Identify the needs of the teams, understanding which information and activities deserve greater initial focus;
- Expand digital literacy across teams and across the organization as a whole;
- invest in systems that enable people to make more assertive and agile decisions (and not just in resources that make decisions alone);
- Know and carefully select the information collected by the company;
- Focus on applications that allow going beyond the visualization of the past and make it possible to take actions for the future;
- And continually update plans to improve analytics usage within operations.
In this list, the first tip is to place data analysis within the strategic discussions, because, as important as technology is, it is the understanding of the importance, scope and capacity of data analysis that will make initiatives successful. successful in the short term, but serve as a basis for actions in the medium and long term. In today's business scenario, it is more important than ever that business leaders and executives are able to make decisions based on quality information - but, before that, leaders need to know where the business should go and what indicators (data) will be key to keeping the corporation on course.
Data, when understood properly and used efficiently, provides a powerful tool for achieving these goals. Without it, organizations are simply navigating blindly. Not by chance, according to a recent survey by IDC, more than 75% of executives choose Active Intelligence in data management as a factor for accelerating business in the digital age.
After defining the direction, it is necessary to see what are the needs of the people (of the teams) to fulfill the tasks that will take the companies to the defined objective. This requires listening to the teams and understanding where the bottlenecks are that can be solved using data and what information is really useful for the company. For example: today, through an active intelligence solution, it is possible to integrate different data sources in real time to generate insights and propose marketing actions with a high level of customization or targeted sales campaigns. By transforming data through Active Intelligence, companies can guide better decision-making, increase revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships.
Parallel to this, however, it is fundamental that companies invest in the dissemination of digital literacy and in the formation of a culture data-driven, that is, that sees and uses data analysis as a recurring – and important – act for optimizing processes, maximizing results and continuously improving offers. Today, studies of Data Literacy Project, a program that assesses and promotes data literacy around the world, indicate that less than a quarter of the workforce feels confident about their ability to read, work with, analyze and communicate with data. This number is alarming.
It is necessary to reverse this situation, bringing knowledge about the importance of digital technology and data analysis to the routine of employees, teams and companies, as well as offering constant training to enable these professionals to better use the solutions available in their work. It is also key to invest in innovation, implementing technologies that facilitate the use of digital records in the construction of daily plans and tasks, automating whatever is possible and adding real intelligence to the decisions that these people need.
From the point of view of innovation, fortunately, this is a demand that is finding more and more solutions in the Industry, as technology advances to provide better tools for viewing and managing information. It is increasingly expected that data will be better used to drive business value and obtain a competitive advantage, and this effectively involves these three points: placing data analysis as a strategic and cultural part of business, with leaders and professionals really driven by trusted, secure, and governed data; aggregate knowledge at all levels and layers; and investing in state-of-the-art technology, with solutions that optimize, automate and maximize the performance of operations, checking the most important indicators for business success.
It is time for leaders to focus their efforts on leveraging analytics and constant innovation to transform their plethora of raw data into intelligent, actionable actions that are contextualized to business objectives. It's time to provide the right information, at the right time, and with the best practices for viewing and understanding each possible insight, which in the midst of the avalanche of data we live in, can make a difference for the business.
*Cesar Ripari, Pre-Sales Director for Latin America at Qlik
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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