by Angela Guess
Craig Raeburn recently commented on what he sees as the main obstacles preventing companies from putting their data to work. Raeburn writes, “With advanced technologies and internal and external data available to be leveraged, the time has never been better to put data to work. However, introducing a performance management program is often met with resistance. The three most common concerns are: (1) Data: Is there enough? Is it good quality? (2) People: Is special expertise required? What if staff resists? (3) Change: Are radical adjustments to the status quo necessary? Will it be disruptive? In spite of some skeptics, the organization can truly be a different, better world after implementing a performance management program. Keep in mind that it is an evolutionary process and not an abrupt transformation.”
Raeburn continues, “The first step in putting data to work is to assess the organization’s data: Is it sufficient, is it accurate, and is it being captured correctly? Some companies never get beyond this step, deciding instead to postpone implementation to focus on cleaning the data. Vigilance about data management is important and organizations should always consider the impact of bad or missing data; however, quality is rarely as bad as they think and it is more important to get started. One of the best ways to improve data quality is to put it to work. Seeing the information in reports and driving workflows gives staff a deeper appreciation of their role as stewards of good data. Using the data reinforces the importance of completing requested fields and capturing updates. As facts and issues change, staff can experience the benefit of their efforts in their enhanced decision making.”
photo credit: Aim low, play bass
