Data analysis gives us better outcomes
Data helps make things happen. It helps us understand what is happening and what might happen next. Data helps us make better choices for better outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) is exciting because it automates and speeds up pattern recognition but we can collect, analyse and learn from data without AI. AI doesn’t work without data. Data has been changing the world for a lot longer than AI. As consultants, one of our tools is data analysis. Sometimes it is the best way to gain insights, identify opportunities or provide convincing evidence. Data analysis helps solve problems, realise opportunities, avoid costly mistakes and reveal the answers right in front of you.
Data analysis pioneers solve problems
People started doing data analysis in the Sumerian census about 4,000 BCE – 6,000 years ago. The Sumerians (also known as Babylonians) started to count their people in order to store and distribute food. They used cuneiform symbols on stone tablets. Records also survive from The Chinese Han dynasty’s census in the 2nd century. They counted 59.6 million people. The information helped prevent famine, identify labour sources and helped China govern far-flung regions.
Life-saving data avoids costly mistakes
Data is a critical element of public health. One of the pioneers of data analysis and infographics was 19th century nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. Nightingale used her statistics and her social connections to reform healthcare by identifying sanitation and hygiene as critically important to health outcomes. She used data, charts and graphics to tell her stories. Around the same time, Dr John Snow (not the Game of Thrones character) collected data and used data analysis to trace the source of a cholera outbreak in central London to a single contaminated water source – the Broad Street water pump. At the time people thought “bad air” transmitted cholera. Dr Snow’s data analysis proved them wrong and led to better sanitation in London and around the world.
Value-adding data solves problems and realises opportunities
Start with your internal datasets to start to gain insights. Some of the most useful insights come from data at your fingertips that is seldom reviewed and analysed. It can tell you the difference between profitable and unprofitable products and services. It can tell you about unmet customer needs. It can tell you what is trending up and down. It can give you early warning about threats and opportunities. Analysing your own data can also tell you where you are adding value and where you are not and the scale of the waste and lost opportunities can be huge. It is easier and quicker than you might think to do this.
Fun data analysis
There are lots of fun datasets available online to develop data science skills or simply to occupy your time. This Lego dataset was built to help people figure out how to repurpose their LEGO sets . It contains the LEGO parts, sets, colors, and inventories of every official LEGO set in the Rebrickable database. You can set you sights much wider and delve into a huge range of earth science data at Nasa. There is a wide range of datasets available from Wikipedia. If you are a Facebook user and you are logged in you can download and analyse you own Facebook usage data by clicking on MyFacebookData
Sometimes the answers are right in front of you
Data analysis is exciting because the answers to problems and opportunities are right in front of you if you know where to look. A combination of curiosity, confidence and expertise can unlock a lot of value. That value may be for you personally, for a business, for a not-for-profit, for a public service agency or for a community group. Data analysis lets governments and businesses make better decisions that fuel growth, help communities and ignite innovation.
Sometimes we need to set data standards. At other times we need to leverage our ERP system better. Data quality can suffer in new systems implementation and a rapid project rescue might be needed. Other projects might just need strong collaboration to achieve data goals. Some sectors need a sector wide approach to managing data. There is no magic bullet to making data work for you but a little analysis and planning and a structured approach can reap huge dividends. Talk to us.
Phil Guerin, Consultant/Director, Hague Consulting Ltd. © Hague Consulting Ltd 2024. If you like this content, subscribe to our blog – it’s free!
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