"If you knew this information, what might you do differently?"
I had a conversation with a client recently about developing KPIs, reports, and queries from their forthcoming data warehouse. My client said: "We have a ton of requests for KPIs and reports. How do we determine which to focus on first?"
My response: "When someone requests a dashboard or query, ask them 'If you knew this information, what might you do differently?'" Because very often the answer will be "Nothing. I just think it would be good to know."
In most cases, the purpose of analyzing data is to understand if we need to change what we're doing. Is there some action required as a result of what we've learned?
In my experience, I've found that many (maybe half?) of all reports and queries requested by the Board and senior staff is actually "good to know" data, not "let's act on this information." There is some value in these types of queries, but the real value is data that will help you identify where action needs to be taken.
Don't fall for the "that would be good to know" trap! Ask yourself "If I knew this information, what might I do differently?"
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
There is nothing so permanent as business rules
There is nothing so permanent as business rules Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman said, “There’s nothing […]
Budget for feature discovery and adoption
Budget for feature discovery and adoption When developing a budget for implementation of a new […]
Customize staff pages for better user adoption
Customize staff pages for better user adoption The single most important element to data management […]
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer
Don’t ask questions for which you already know the answer I was recently completing an […]
All decisions involve risk
All decisions involve risk Whether it’s choosing a new AMS or introducing a new product […]
Try flowcharting your processes
Try flowcharting your processes Working with a client recently on their membership join process reminded me […]
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.”
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.” I asked my client: […]
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data Without knowing anything about your organization or its data, I’d […]
What are you doing with new contacts?
What Are You Doing with New Contacts/ I was very interested to read in a […]
Be Aware of Selection Bias
Be Aware of Selection Bias I wrote recently about the mistaken perception of older members […]