Services
In my world data rocks. Understanding what people are thinking and using that insight to make better decisions is my life’s work.
So, this short piece is about how to get the right data and use it well.How come we have all got so fascinated about death rates and other data we never troubled ourselves with up until now? My guess is because we hope that within those numbers is an answer, one which will help us understand something so big for most of us we can’t really fathom. Data can and should be our friend throughout our lives because it is the map which can lead us out of problems and just as importantly towards something better.
Clean data is the best data and just like hands it needs pretty regular cleaning to keep it that way. Just think about customer lists; people move, change jobs, names and buying habits, it can be a bit dull but keeping this stuff up to date is the most important thing you and your teams can do. If you don’t know your customers, they will stop knowing you. Forget about cleaning your cupboards at the moment, clean your data.
Historical data: lots of organisations collect transactional data which can be interesting and useful, especially if it is used to manage stock, operations or any of the busy stuff people have to do. It gives a good understanding of where an organisation has come from and information about trends, peaks and troughs. It does not necessarily help when things change suddenly or to fully understand the heart of the organisation and how to do things in times of stress or transformation.
Smart data is where the rocking really starts and what transforms an organisation from being one that follows history successfully to one that can make history. Who would have thought that South Korea would be a hero of Covid? They did this by really smart use of data which they built using historical data from Sars et al and aligning this to their big, new, smart data sets developed to manage behaviour to create a positive outcome for its people and economy.
Developing smart data is much easier than it sounds or looks. At Halo we have been doing this for the last eighteen years using our own method of understanding and measuring how people think and feel in order to deliver the very best outcomes for our clients. Those who have used it know that with this data they can make bolder, braver decisions and be sure that both their people and their service users will come with them cheerfully. As I have said before, fortune favours the brave, so to come out of this event in the best possible shape, clean and smarten your data, using the right information and you and your organisation will have the very best chances of winning in the coming year.
May 2020