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

    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
    Impact : High
    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 provides a foundation for better decision making

    When collected well, data can provide valuable insights into your business. These insights can then inform strategic decisions to improve it and help you grow.

    Real business story

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

    Providing employees with data empowers them to make informed decisions – but you won’t create a data-driven culture overnight.

    Real business story

    Customer feedback is essential for product development and future improvement

    Customer feedback should be an essential part of product development — before and after launch. Hearing what customers think offers valuable insight into whether your business meets 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 can I understand what digital tools or support my business needs? How do I effectively seek external digital support? How do I know if my technology is robust enough for growth? How do I assess and choose the right technology to improve business operations? How do I work out the best digital sales channels to use? How should I best budget and plan for new technology investments? How should I go about collecting data to improve my business? How should I use the data I have to improve decision making?

    Leadership & Strategy

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

    People & Team

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

    Planning

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

    Sales & Growth

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