It feels like all agencies and clients are feeling the pressure to double down on data overnight. As these organizations race toward data nirvana, they often stumble. Unfortunately, very few people talk about all the false starts, frustration and anguish that come with trying to move organizations to use more data to inform decisions. In my experience, there are three big reasons why data initiatives often lead to a dead end. I’ll give my advice for solving those common mistakes.
Problem: The relevant data is not in one place and people don’t usually want to share it. Eighty percent of the challenge in leveraging data is getting all the right data in one place and in the right format. Invariably, this is the step that has very little to do with math, but often requires people and departments to do something they have never done before—share data with each other.
Solution: Before you start a major data initiative, do an audit to figure out which departments report on the data that you are going to need. Then get C-level or executive buy-in so that data can be shared among all departments.