{"id":34246,"date":"2023-04-12T13:02:42","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T12:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/?p=34246"},"modified":"2023-07-17T13:35:52","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T12:35:52","slug":"the-data-youre-not-yet-analyzing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/the-data-youre-not-yet-analyzing\/","title":{"rendered":"The data you\u2019re not yet analyzing"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the last two weeks, I\u2019ve been asked this question by more than 5 different business leaders\u2026<\/p>\n

If your team could get their hands on our data, do you think they could show us insights we can\u2019t yet see?<\/em><\/p>\n

I love it when we get asked this question.<\/p>\n

Of course, a primary reason is that I know it opens the door for our data team to dive into something they love doing \u2014 next-level analysis and insight elevation. But more so, I love this question because it tells me that the business world is shifting. Questions like these reinforce that\u2026<\/p>\n

All leaders \u2014 beyond just leaders of data and tech \u2014 are ready to do more with data<\/em><\/p>\n

Curiosity is piquing, as leaders know there\u2019s more that can be unearthed, elevated and identified<\/em><\/p>\n

Businesses are ready to ACT\u2026 to measure what they can\u2019t see today instead of settling and measuring what feels easy<\/em><\/p>\n

And, because without necessarily realizing it, what these leaders are really asking is for their dark data to be elevated<\/em><\/p>\n

Dark data is defined as information that organizations collect, store, and process, but information that they typically fail to use for other purposes such as analysis, monetization, correlation and causation, and business activities (more on that here<\/a>). And it\u2019s more common than you might think. According to a 2022 report from the Enterprise Strategy Group,\u00a0nearly half<\/a>\u00a0of all data can be considered \u201cdark.\u201d<\/p>\n

So when asked this question, what it really signifies is a leader who is ready to go beyond just data collection and storage. It signifies that the leader is ready to go from dark to illuminated.<\/p>\n

But how do you begin the process of elevating your dark data? Where should you begin? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Use case identified<\/h3>\n

Amidst the sea of big data overwhelm \u2014 from multiple sources to quality issues to integration woes \u2014 a big reason dark data exists is simply because it can be hard for organizations to decide where to start. Do they start org-wide to elevate dark data? Within a department? Within a system? Across systems that are integrated? The sheer number of questions can be enough to halt organizations before they begin.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we try to simplify it.<\/p>\n

When we are asked the question above, it always follows with a question on our end\u2026<\/p>\n

Absolutely, we can get our hands on your data. What sources of data do you want us to examine?<\/em><\/p>\n

We ask this because instead of boiling the ocean, we encourage leaders to pinpoint the top use case around which they need to elevate new data insight. A use case that can be examined immediately, with little friction, and with no dependencies on how much or little data they have. Things like\u2026 deep diving into software lifecycle velocity, marketing campaign performance, product release quality, customer service experience, employee retention, etc. By focusing on one use case, big data shifts from herculean to manageable. What\u2019s more, insights can be derived and elevated within days, not months or years.<\/p>\n

How would you answer that question? What\u2019s the one use case you want deep-dive examination into? For example, do you want to unearth insight to better understand\u2026<\/p>\n

How your go-to-market strategy is performing<\/em><\/p>\n

The efficiency \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 in your software factory<\/em><\/p>\n

How included and psychologically safe your employees feel<\/em><\/p>\n

Variables that impact customer renewals<\/em><\/p>\n

How your operations are plagued by defects, redundancies and bottlenecks<\/em><\/p>\n

Chief factors resulting in employee burnout and quitting<\/em><\/p>\n

What your customers say about you when you are \u201cnot in the room\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Once you identify the focus area upon which you want to dive deeper, now comes the real fun\u2026 it\u2019s time to uncover newfound insights quickly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An insights win<\/h3>\n

One of the main reasons why dark data remains in organizations is because teams get really good at \u2014 and comfortable with \u2014 measuring what they\u2019ve always measured.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 once you\u2019ve identified the use case you want to understand better, it\u2019s time to inject creativity into the process of elevating new insight so as to make sure you don\u2019t remain in the comfort zone of how you\u2019ve always measured.<\/p>\n

For example, a few questions that you might want to dive into include:<\/p>\n