Transform the way your Business uses Data in 30 Days

The term “Data strategy” is often used ambiguously to cover a wide range of plans and initiatives aimed at using data more effectively.

These plans can be similarly vague, or more focussed on governance and building long-term capabilities than delivering rapid results.

Situation

  • The term “Data strategy” is often used ambiguously to cover a wide range of plans and initiatives aimed at using data more effectively
  • These plans can be similarly vague, or more focussed on governance and building long-term capabilities than delivering rapid results

Complication

  • Data strategy is rarely focussed on quick wins and short-term performance improvement
  • Taking a long-term outlook means that plans come up against a number of challenges:
    • “Business-As-Usual” takes priority, and can prevent business leaders focussing on data, analytics and immediate actions driven by insight
    • Businesses lack the technical capabilities to derive actionable insight from data sources and make change
    • Information exists in silos owned by a range of stakeholders, preventing businesses from taking full advantage of the information available
    • All the while, businesses are generating more and more data without generating valuable insight and actions

Key Question: How can I exploit the value of my data today, while also building a data strategy long-term?

  • Data, analytics and information management doesn’t have to take forever. When working with our clients, the JMAN team are always on the lookout for quick wins, alongside longer term plans to build data maturity
  • Businesses can design and implement data-driven change in just 30 days

Our 30-day Transformation Plan

  • Using this 30-day structure, transforming the way a business uses data need not wait for the implementation of a business-wide data strategy
  • By identifying pressing business priorities and using the data and capabilities available, businesses can drive better commercial decisions and improve performance straight away

Establish short term priorities

Day 1-10

  • Identify business areas that should not wait until a full data strategy is in place
  • These may be inflated inefficiency costs or bottlenecks to productivity and growth
  • Engage with end users of the insight – what do they need to know or track to make important decisions?

Mine the data and capability available

Day 11-20

  • Understand the data already available
  • Identify capabilities required to deliver targeted insight (e.g. industry or functional knowledge, analytical skills)
  • Design targeted proof of concepts and analytics, centred around opportunities and inefficiencies in priority areas

Deliver targeted change

Day 21-30

  • Deliver actionable insight that will support decisions and performance improvement
  • Anticipate threats and mitigate risks using historical data and forecasting
  • Produce data-driven action plans to target opportunities based on learnings

Measure and scale progress

Onwards

  • Measure the impact of changes implemented
  • Identify opportunities to extend the analysis or continuously improve
  • Share insights and outcomes with the business

How this works in practice

  • The JMAN team have found that this process fits effectively into our clients’ “hundred-day plan”, delivering rapid results and performance enhancements
  • Each 30-day transformation builds a better understanding of business data, processes and capabilities, strengthening the business for the long term

Day 1-10

  • Goal: Improve sales team effectiveness
  • Goal: Sustainable workforce planning
  • Goal: Optimise subcontractor spend

Day 11-20

  • Analysis of sales KPIs (e.g. win rates, commission rates, profit margins)
  • Testing for the impact of variables on sales performance (e.g. incentives, capabilities)
  • Analysis of workforce spend on the wage bill, reward, churn and recruitment
  • Measuring the optimal level of utilisation across the business year
  • Analysis of historical procurement demand and cost
  • Forecasting of future subcontracted services

Day 21-30

  • Target investment where expenditure delivers results
  • Incentivise or reorganise low revenue sales teams
  • Manage headcount and skills to match business needs
  • Recruitment planning to adjust for flex in headcount requirements
  • Manage procurement to match business needs and mitigate risk
  • Planned, informed purchasing decisions based on cost and procurement terms

Onwards

  • Iterate analysis and drive continuous improvement
  • Harness insights to attack new business challenges
  • Enable tactical decision making and action that enhances performance
  • Inform the overarching data strategy and wider business planning

If you are interested to learn more about our work with teams to build data
and analytics capabilities, please get in touch with our team.