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How should I use the data I have to improve decision making?

Digital questions

Simply collecting data is one thing, making good use of it is something entirely different. The company website, social media, review platforms, online search terms and surveys are just some of the ways businesses can learn more about customers. However, turning reams of numbers into something actionable requires some upfront planning so the right data is collected and then there is a clear path for how it will be used to improve functions such as marketing and customer service.

Ways to help you deal with it:

Action plan

Using data to inform decision making at your business

Effort : Medium

Using data to inform decision making at your business is a no-brainer – the biggest challenge is getting into the habit of doing so.

ACTION PLANS are a structured list of steps designed to help you approach tackling a particular business challenge.

We explain why each step is important
Customise by setting your own completion dates and assign tasks
Helpful tools are provided for certain steps
A downloadable PDF version of each action plan is available

Action plan

Develop your digital skills as a leader

Effort : Medium

Impact : Medium

Identify what digital skills are important in your leadership role and find the best learning method, from online resources to training and events.

Action plan

Set a research question to shape data collection

Effort : Medium

Impact : Medium

Embarking on data collection without a clear plan can leave you with swathes of information that’s irrelevant or unusable. Setting a research question first gives the process direction.

Guide

An introduction to using the data you have to improve decision making

Data plays an important part in effective decision making, whether it’s around company growth, hiring practices, sales or marketing campaigns.

GUIDES break a challenge down, providing important context and real-world experiences.

Based on SME experiences, not corporate jargon
Filled with real-world stories
Achievable steps every business can take

Other support that's available

The new normal

The new normal

Find out why professional services firm Deloitte believes data driven decision making is no longer a novel way of doing things, it's become a primary need for all types of businesses.

Quantitative vs. qualitative

Quantitative vs. qualitative

Business data and information comes in many shapes and forms, but a good place to start is understanding the difference between quantitative and qualitative – as outlined by SurveyMonkey.

How other businesses have tackled something similar

Real business story

Data can inform decisions and improve your business

Technology has helped businesses like Housekeep collect data from multiple sources and collate it into usable information.

Real business story

Use data to improve decision making at all levels of your business

Find out why Freespace CEO Raj Krishnamurthy believes that providing employees with a clear benefit is the best way to get them comfortable with using data.

Rob Law, Trunki

Real business story

Customer feedback is essential for product development

Customer feedback should be an essential part of product development — before and after launch. Hearing what customers think offered Trunki valuable insight into whether products were meeting expectations.

The questions lots of businesses are trying to answer

What issue is keeping you awake at night? A bit of targeted support is often all you need to overcome those challenges.

Select a topic

Digital

How can I improve the digital presence my business has? How can I streamline and automate some of our business processes? How do I work out the best digital sales channels to use? How should I use the data I have to improve decision making? How do I effectively seek external digital support? How do I know if my technology is robust enough for growth? How should I best budget and plan for new technology investments? How do I assess and choose the right technology to improve business operations? How can I understand what digital tools or support my business needs? How should I go about collecting data to improve my business?

Leadership & Strategy

How do I learn to become a better leader? How do I improve the communication in my business? How do I get staff interested in our vision and values? How can I reflect on my own strengths and weaknesses as a leader? How do I give my team autonomy and get better at delegating? As a leader, how do I learn to trust others within my organisation? How do I apply learnings from other businesses to my own company? How should my role as a business leader evolve with the company’s growth? How can I balance short-term needs with long-term targets? How do I get better at noticing and reacting to warning signs?

People & Team

How can I develop the skillsets of my workforce? How can I reduce employee turnover? How can I run a better appraisals process? How can I keep my best members of staff? How do I manage an effective remote workforce? How can I develop career paths for my staff? How can I increase staff engagement and motivation? How do I deal with a challenging member of staff? How can I improve my hiring and onboarding practices? How should I performance manage my staff?

Planning

How can I work out what required skillsets are missing in the business? How can I get staff interested in the financial situation? How can I define and communicate my vision for success? How do I ensure my business can navigate a dip in trading? How do I know when to scale up my business? How can I make my business more resilient to change? How do I better inform my business plans? How do I know when to invest in my business? How can I get better at looking internally at my business? How can I balance ambition with setting realistic goals?

Sales & Growth

How can we better serve our most loyal customers? How can I identify new customers to target? How do I create targets and KPIs for my staff? How can I get a better return on investment from my marketing? How do I make sure my team and processes are ready for growth? How do I develop a clear unique selling point? How do I financially plan for new opportunities? How do I build a network to support my business? How do I benchmark my business against competitors? How can we develop new products and services?