When it comes to data, most organizations are very quick to jump into action and start crunching numbers. But what happens after collecting all that information? What decisions will be made and what would to focus on, will other valuable data be discarded? We know you’re curious!
From this article, you will learn how Service Delivery Manager, Giedrius Gustas and his team effectively execute processes and technologies to aid Reiz Tech in becoming a more data-driven company. Giedrius will also provide insights into what it takes to build a data-driven culture in your organization.
What Does It Mean To Be Data Driven
When asked about “what a data-driven culture means to you, Reiz and its people,” Giedrius elucidated that “data has never been as valued before as it is today. It gives us insights on the process and everything that is happening in the organization from numerous diverse perspectives. At Reiz Tech, all decisions taken are based on data, not on emotions. As data is linear and not subjective, we can focus on definite criteria and conditions, allowing us to classify the best solutions and decisions for the business.”
“A data-driven culture is fully implemented and effective when everyone is encompassed in this culture. This means that everyone is sharing this data inside the organization, they are using this data for decision making, contributing ideas, and postulating insightful understanding.”
The Challenges Of Implementing A Data Driven Culture
As for the challenges that Giedrius faced when implementing a data-driven culture, he mentioned the importance of data quality and security. Data parameters need to be definite, comprehensible, precise, complete, and coherent.
“It is important to make sure that the data collected by the people is accurate, relevant, and up to date. For example, if the organization needs to decide today and the data was updated 3 months ago – the organization will not be able to make a sound decision as the data is outdated.”
The importance of data security cannot be understated. To implement a data-driven culture to an organization, the full support of the management is fundamental. There needs to be a visibly well-defined strategy, vision, roadmap, what are you developing, and what you have already delivered.
He also believes that a keen budget is obligatory as it involves the development of technology and you will need tools for that, “for example, PowerApps for the collection of data and sharing, PowerBI for data visualization, and to check the data status, you will need to have a dedicated team (data engineers, data architects) of people to analyze the data and offer insights. You will also need developers who can ripen those automation solutions and you need to have storage where you can keep data safe.”
What A Successful Data-Driven Culture Looks Like
One of the goals and success markers that Giedrius sees in successful implementation of a data-driven culture in an organization is when there is synergy between tools, processes, and employees. He believes that “the goal is to do a beyond forward-looking analysis to attain insights and recommendations that will help optimize processes and make timely decisions.”
To have good insights, accurate and dependable data needs to be collected. The biggest challenge is to guarantee that the results of analytics are considered stern and transmitted into action. It should not be overlooked or neglected and must be used daily by as many people as possible - executing into the DNA of the organization.
He mentions that “it is also good to remember that a data-driven organization does not have a fixed end – it adapts to business changes, adding more processes, and people, because there will always be more data that needs to be analyzed and actions to be taken.”
Successes We Have Had After Implementing A Data-Driven Culture
Some of the practices that Giedrius has helped implement through using data from various sources is, for example, the recruitment report. Using the data from the recruitment report, we helped to convalesce our work with talents to create the best hiring experience for them.
“Company uses the data from the report about the number of days candidates spend on each stage of the hiring process (the goal is to minimize those days and make hiring as quick as possible). By keeping track of the hiring history of each talent, it increases recruiting competence and creates a better standing in the market”. With the support of the data, the organization uses that to define the processing time of candidates and improve the quality of how the organization approaches them.
Creating a data-driven culture requires changing the way people think and act. Organizations need to understand the difference between a data culture, which focuses on collecting and analyzing information, and a data-driven culture which uses that data to make better business decisions.
