Discovering insights with effective data management
Here at Buzz, we find businesses are increasingly looking to leverage data for smarter decision-making.
Sometimes, they’re collecting lots of raw data already - and doing absolutely nothing with it. Whether they don’t realise the potential in it, or they simply don’t have the tools to understand and display it in a coherent way, it can be an untapped resource that could transform the way they do business.
But how do our clients know what they need to track, and where does it start?
THE DISCOVERY PHASE
Understanding business needs
The journey to effective data management may end with easy-to-use dashboards and reports, but, at Buzz, it begins with understanding what a business actually needs through a discovery process.
The Discovery Phase is all about understanding how the business functions, getting up to speed with how things work currently, so we can start building a vision for the future.
Part of this is about identifying the pain points, understanding the inefficiencies, and finding the gaps in their current operations. We help businesses first nail down their unique challenges and objectives, what the moving parts are, and how they all integrate together. We’ll then test assumptions, bringing to light areas the client may not be able to see from the inside, with true value found in building a picture and shared understanding that can be iterated over.
By focusing on those core operations and challenges, we’ll then unpick where software development can play a key part in their overall business management.
This process will include everything from analysing workflows through their day-to-day, to using tools like event storming to map out key events and processes - all to help us answer big questions: What is the biggest challenge? Where is the bottleneck? What features could we build to resolve the issues?
If data makes up a key part of this, it gives us the opportunity to pick out what data is actually valuable, rather than jumping feet-first into a development project that might not yield the desired results.
Our Discovery Phase sessions will help us envision a clear structure for data tracking, and provide a detailed plan for moving into development (which, for some projects, may well result in a data dashboard).
ORGANIC DATA CAPTURE
Capturing data as a byproduct of business operations
Often, a business will approach Buzz with an entirely different challenge, and this is where we might find opportunities for data capture through a system that naturally integrates into daily business activities and management.
For example, a business may initially focus on job tracking and scheduling. As they begin using a structured application, like a bespoke portal, new insights (such as efficiency trends and bottlenecks) will inherently emerge.
With a well-designed software system, we can seamlessly capture the data as part of business workflows. This can then ensure there’s consistency in how the data is recorded and stored, and allow us to find those insights that surface organically over time (rather than forcing predefined metrics).
TOOLS AND METHODS
Turning data into actionable insights
Building a good user experience is possibly the most critical part of any software development project. Before we even look at creating something like a dashboard (and good data management doesn’t necessarily always mean needing one), we want to allow users to navigate intuitively around the software that’s tracking data first, and find key, in-depth information through things like filters and custom searches.
By ensuring there’s good visibility of what’s being captured at a lower level, we can then start to look at which features make the most sense for analysing and engaging with the data.
To do that, some of the most common tools and methods can include:
- Dashboards: High-level overviews of key metrics, all presented into an easy-to-use interface
- Notifications and alerts: Automated triggers that highlight critical events in real time (such as with automated emails, or in-software alerts)
- Data storage and mining: Storing historical data that can be analysed for long-term trends and predictions
By building software that allows companies to extract meaningful insights tailored to their needs, we can make sure they’re getting the right information at the right time.
BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE DATA MANAGEMENT
We know there are many benefits to effective data management in a business, and, today, lots of businesses are striving to make the most of them. After all, a well-designed data application can empower businesses in more than just an overview of current operations.
It means they can:
- Identify inefficiencies and optimise operations
- React to real-time data changes with proactive decision-making
- Leverage automation for streamlined workflows
- Utilise long-term analytics for deeper pattern recognition
To make the most of these benefits, tailored software should have the ability to evolve and grow with a business’s needs over time. With regular updates and reviews, the data collected can be fine-tuned, so they’re always tapping into the most relevant information to move the business forward.
DATA MANAGEMENT WITH BUZZ
If you’re looking to make the most of your untapped data, we can help you focus on the real business challenges and look at how data can help. Whether you already have an idea of what you want to know, or our Discovery Phase allows the missing data to evolve naturally, by building a solid management framework, you’ll get all the benefits of smoother business operations, too.
To find out how we can support you in effective data management with a dashboard, portal, or bespoke web application, get in touch with the Buzz team, right here.
