The true value of data depends on business insight.Data analysis is one of the most powerful resources an enterprise has. However, if the tools and processes used are not friendly and widely available to the business users who need them, the value of the analysis will be significantly reduced.

数据的真正价值取决于业务洞察力。数据分析是企业拥有的最强大的资源之一。 但是，如果所使用的工具和流程不友好，并且无法广泛用于需要它们的业务用户，则分析价值将大大降低。

After all, people can use data to gain insights in areas such as sales, marketing, product development, customer support, and customer experience.

毕竟，人们可以使用数据来获取销售，市场营销，产品开发，客户支持和客户体验等方面的见解。

“Data itself does not mean analysis,” said Bryan Phillips, senior vice president of technology and CIO at bottle and jar manufacturer Alpha Packaging. “At a certain point in time, you must fully understand the problems and opportunities displayed by the data, otherwise, it is just data or beautiful pictures.”

“数据本身并不意味着分析，”瓶罐制造商Alpha Packaging的技术和CIO高级副总裁Bryan Phillips说。 “在某个时间点，您必须充分理解数据显示的问题和机会，否则，仅仅是数据或精美图片。”

The following are seven methods used by organizations that may not be able to ensure that their data analysis is friendly to business users.

以下是组织无法使用的七个方法，这些方法可能无法确保其数据分析对业务用户友好。

Abandon the data strategy or the data strategy is inconsistent with the business

放弃数据策略或数据策略与业务不一致

Jeremy Stierwalt, managing director of consulting firm Protiviti in charge of enterprise data and analytics, said that companies need to formalize their data strategy and align it with organizational goals, indicators, and growth.

咨询公司Protiviti的常务董事Jeremy Stierwalt负责企业数据和分析，他说公司需要正式制定其数据战略，并使其与组织目标，指标和增长保持一致。

“An organization operating under a clearly defined strategy will naturally become a data broker, using its data as a key asset,” Stierwalt said. “Decisions about the type and amount of data of an organization, how to collect it, where to store it, how to access and use it, who is responsible, and where to invest in data in the future are important to the organization’s digital strategy and its underlying technology components .”

Stierwalt说：“以明确定义的策略运营的组织自然会将其数据用作关键资产，成为数据经纪人。” “关于组织的数据类型和数量，如何收集数据，在哪里存储，如何访问和使用数据，由谁负责以及将来在哪里投资数据的决定对于组织的数字战略至关重要。及其底层技术组件。”

The analysis process is often inconsistent with the company’s strategy, so it is not understood and used, Stierwalt said. “Data strategies enable companies to view their data as structured, comprehensive, and cross-domain value creation assets,” he said.

Stierwalt说，分析过程通常与公司的策略不一致，因此它未被理解和使用。 他说：“数据策略使公司能够将其数据视为结构化，综合性和跨域价值创造资产。”

Exclude business users from planning and discussion

将业务用户排除在计划和讨论之外

The analysis cannot be static, nor can it be imagined out of thin air. Input must be obtained from those who can use the findings and benefit. Data analysts, data scientists, and others in the data management team should also work directly with people in different business units to understand what is important to them and what data shows at a specific point in time.

这种分析不能是静态的，也不能凭空想象。 必须从可以使用调查结果和收益的人员那里获取意见。 数据分析师，数据科学家和数据管理团队中的其他人员也应直接与不同业务部门的人员合作，以了解对他们而言重要的内容以及在特定时间点显示的数据。

“Let the data owners meet regularly to discuss what they see in the data,” Phillips said. “When you can see data in many fields, a real breakthrough will appear.”

菲利普斯说：“让数据所有者定期开会讨论他们在数据中看到的内容。” “当您在许多领域看到数据时，就会出现真正的突破。”

For example, let sales users know which customers or potential customers are being called, and which orders are generated as a result. Financial users can better understand costs and visualize revenue trends. Operating users can better understand inventory, production, and machine capacity. Marketing users can learn about the latest trends and what activities have played a role.

例如，让销售用户知道正在呼叫哪些客户或潜在客户，以及由此生成了哪些订单。 财务用户可以更好地了解成本并可视化收入趋势。 操作用户可以更好地了解库存，生产和机器容量。 营销用户可以了解最新趋势以及哪些活动发挥了作用。

“Each group has many questions to answer,” Phillips said. “The real value lies in whether you can use data to find opportunities. For example, by providing data analysis to a group of users from different disciplines, they can all know which products and services are being sold, to whom and where, and how many products are still available. In inventory, which products need to be replenished, what is the sales profit, which items are the most profitable, and how to adjust marketing activities, etc.

菲利普斯说：“每个小组都有很多问题要回答。” “真正的价值在于您是否可以使用数据来寻找机会。 例如，通过向来自不同领域的一组用户提供数据分析，他们都可以知道哪些产品和服务被出售，向谁出售，向何处出售以及还有多少种产品可用。 在库存中，需要补充哪些产品，销售利润是多少，哪些项目最赚钱以及如何调整营销活动等。

“Then you will look for hot, profitable, and productive products and target the right customers,” Phillips said. “Or the data may tell us that we need to invest in capital” to increase production. “And involving cross-functional teams will also help ensure that you can solve real problems or see real opportunities.”

菲利普斯说：“然后，您将寻找热门，有利可图，生产效率高的产品，并针对合适的客户。” “或者数据可能告诉我们我们需要投资资本”以增加产量。 “让跨职能团队参与进来也将有助于确保您可以解决实际问题或看到实际机会。”

Ignore your analytical audience

忽略您的分析受众

“When conducting business analysis projects, you need to understand the audience-who they are and what data points they want to see,” said Robin Allen, a business software executive and former chief information officer at tax software provider Vertex.

“在进行业务分析项目时，您需要了解受众群体-他们是谁，以及他们希望看到哪些数据点，”税务软件提供商Vertex的前首席信息官，商业软件主管Robin Allen说。

“Because several people at different levels in the organization will make decisions based on data, it is necessary to tell an understandable story from their unique perspective based on their roles,” Allen said.

“由于组织中不同级别的几个人将根据数据做出决策，因此有必要根据自己的角色从独特的角度讲一个易于理解的故事，”艾伦说。

For example, an executive should not only see team-level metrics, but also need to see data that provides a more comprehensive view. “The story told by the data needs to be consistent, but it must also be easily understood by all stakeholders,” Allen said. “To do this, you first need to understand who will look at the data and what insights they will want to gain.”

例如，高管不仅应该查看团队级别的指标，还需要查看提供更全面视图的数据。 艾伦说：“数据所讲述的故事必须是一致的，但所有利益相关者也必须易于理解。” “为此，您首先需要了解谁将查看数据以及他们希望获得什么见解。”

Stick to terminology instead of simplifying information

坚持术语而不是简化信息

One of the best ways to keep business users uninterested in analysis is to start throwing out terms that they cannot understand, or terms that are not relevant to them. Gautam Puranik, chief data officer and head of business strategy and analysis at car retailer CarMax, said this inconsistent communication style is the most common pitfall faced by data analysts when trying to pass value from analysis.

使业务用户对分析不感兴趣的最佳方法之一是开始抛出他们不理解的术语或与他们无关的术语。 汽车零售商CarMax的首席数据官兼业务战略与分析主管Gautam Puranik表示，这种不一致的沟通方式是数据分析师试图传递分析价值时最常见的陷阱。

This includes presentations full of complexity and terminology, which can make it difficult for users outside the professional field to understand. This also applies to the way the results are presented. For example, Puranik said that analysts usually cite results by detailed figures like 5.238%, rather than simplify it to 5.2% or even 5%.

这包括充满复杂性和术语的演示，这会使专业领域以外的用户难以理解。 这也适用于结果显示的方式。 例如，Puranik表示，分析师通常以详细数据来引用结果，例如5.238％，而不是将其简化为5.2％甚至5％。

“Unless decimals are very important from a decision-making perspective, you don’t have to always show the complexity of your work in order to show business value,” Puranik said. “Most of the time should not be spent talking about what you have done and how to do it. It should be spent discussing how it will support the data-driven decisions of the business.”

“除非小数从决策角度来看非常重要，否则不必为了显示业务价值而总是显示工作的复杂性，” Puranik说。 “绝大部分时间都不应花在谈论自己做了什么以及如何做。 应该花时间讨论它如何支持业务的数据驱动决策。”

This can only happen effectively if the data analysis team uses a language that everyone in the meeting room can understand (regardless of department or professional level). “The most effective information is often the simplest,” Puranik said.

仅当数据分析团队使用会议室中每个人都可以理解的语言(无论部门或专业水平如何)时，这种情况才会有效发生。 “最有效的信息通常是最简单的，” Puranik说。

Sometimes, using analogies can be helpful. In a recent speech, Puranik’s mission was to support product development by increasing investment in digital marketing. “At the time of the show, I described its relationship with the car,” he said. “Unless you fill the car with fuel, no matter how well the car is built, it will not be of much use to you. In other words, the two are indispensable. This resonates with everyone here, and I also Obtained the necessary approval to move forward.”

有时，使用类比可能会有所帮助。 在最近的一次演讲中，Puranik的使命是通过增加对数字营销的投资来支持产品开发。 他说：“在展览会上，我描述了它与汽车的关系。” “除非您给汽车加油，否则无论汽车的制造水平如何，它对您都没有太大用处。 换句话说，两者是必不可少的。 这引起了大家的共鸣，我也获得了前进的必要批准。”

Underestimate the power of pictures

低估图片的力量

When trying to gain quick insights, many people prefer to see pictures or graphical descriptions of concepts. So usually, it is a good method to visualize the data results.

当试图获得快速见解时，许多人喜欢看图片或概念的图形描述。 因此，通常，这是可视化数据结果的好方法。

“One picture can tell the whole story,” Phillips said. It can be a graph, Venn diagram, or other forms of visualization. For starters, I am still keen to use Microsoft Excel or even the drawing board to draw data. “Then turn to more advanced visualization products to provide deeper or more complex information for the research results, while maintaining its intelligibility.”

菲利普斯说：“一张照片可以讲述整个故事。” 它可以是图形，维恩图或其他形式的可视化。 首先，我仍然热衷于使用Microsoft Excel甚至绘图板来绘制数据。 “然后转向更高级的可视化产品，以为研究结果提供更深入或更复杂的信息，同时保持其清晰度。”

“To make visualizations friendly, you need to display real, large business issues in a concise and easy-to-understand manner,” Phillips said. “It takes skill, which is why you should start with someone who is good at this, and then let others learn from it.”

Phillips说：“为了使可视化变得友好，您需要以简洁易懂的方式显示实际的大型业务问题。” “这需要技巧，这就是为什么您应该从一个擅长此事的人开始，然后让其他人从中学习的原因。”

Business users may be more interested after seeing the output of data analysis in some form of visualization through data visualization tools, Phillips said. Many people want to be trained on their own or have their team trained so they can create their own visualizations without relying on data analysis or IT staff.

菲利普斯说，在通过数据可视化工具以某种形式的可视化看到数据分析的输出之后，业务用户可能会更感兴趣。 许多人希望自己接受培训或训练他们的团队，以便他们可以创建自己的可视化而不依赖数据分析或IT人员。

The use of data visualization, especially when it comes to senior management, can actually help drive the future development of these tools. “When a senior executive starts to tell a clear story with graphs and charts, the company will make a more profitable decision, which will bring changes to the company,” Phillips said. “It is now much easier to invest in analytical tools, training, and talent.”

数据可视化的使用，尤其是涉及高级管理人员时，实际上可以帮助推动这些工具的未来发展。 菲利普斯说：“当高级主管开始用图表讲清楚故事时，公司将做出更有利可图的决定，这将给公司带来改变。” “现在，在分析工具，培训和人才上进行投资要容易得多。”

One-sidedness instead of understanding

单面而不是理解

Just as you need to simplify your language, you also need to simplify your presentation materials, such as slides, Puranik said. “The title of any slide should briefly summarize the content of the page,” he said. “Although the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” still makes sense, the chart should start with a clear summary of the findings.

正如您需要简化语言一样，您还需要简化演示文稿材料，例如幻灯片，Puranik说。 他说：“任何幻灯片的标题都应简要概述页面的内容。” “尽管“一幅图片值得一千个单词”一词仍然有意义，但图表应以对结果的清晰总结开头。

The charts should also be kept clean and easy to understand. There should be no more than two charts per slide, and no more than 10 in total. “Remember, you are not writing suspense novels; don’t let your audience guess what is the most important point,” Puranik said.

图表还应保持清洁且易于理解。 每张幻灯片不应超过两个图表，并且总数不得超过10个图表。 “请记住，您不是在写悬疑小说； 不要让听众猜测最重要的一点。” Puranik说。

Can’t think like a business

不能像企业一样思考

In some cases, data analysis professionals may need to break away from the daily tasks that are important to business users. They may need to restructure their thinking in order to better understand the needs of users in terms of data and analysis.

在某些情况下，数据分析专业人员可能需要摆脱对业务用户重要的日常任务。 他们可能需要重新组织思想，以便更好地了解用户在数据和分析方面的需求。

“Take yourself as a business leader, not just an analyst,” Puranik said. “Imagine if you own a company and you are using data to make decisions. What will you learn from the work you do?”

“让自己成为业务领导者，而不仅仅是分析师，” Puranik说。 “想象一下，如果您拥有一家公司，并且您正在使用数据进行决策。 您将从所做的工作中学到什么？”

Identify the recommendations supported by the institute and communicate them clearly to everyone, Puranik said. “Data analysis is a tool, not a result; you should know how to make your findings result-oriented?” he said. “The organizations that most successfully use data analytics to deliver business value are those that believe that data analytics is a core capability, not just an important capability.”

普兰尼克说，找出研究所支持的建议，并将其清楚地传达给所有人。 “数据分析是一种工具，而不是结果； 您应该知道如何使结果以结果为导向吗？” 他说。 “最成功地使用数据分析来提供业务价值的组织是那些相信数据分析是一项核心能力，而不仅仅是一项重要能力的组织。”

When preparing a presentation for a group of business users, first get feedback from the manager and mentor to help the business audience fine-tune the presentation.

在为一组业务用户准备演示文稿时，首先要获得经理和指导者的反馈，以帮助业务受众微调演示文稿。

“When I first graduated from graduate school, I had the opportunity to use predictive models and analysis to drive business impact,” Puranik said. “As you can imagine, I am very excited about the prospect of driving a company to achieve real change.” He spent a few days making a report full of complex diagrams and detailed notes.

“当我刚从研究生院毕业时，我就有机会使用预测模型和分析来推动业务影响，” Puranik说。 “可以想象，我对推动公司实现真正变革的前景感到非常兴奋。” 他花了几天时间编写了一份包含复杂图表和详细注释的报告。

“After showing to business partners, I am very happy, I am proud of my work and believe that I am doing well,” Puranik said. A few days later, my boss told me that although this is indeed a good job, I need to strengthen my communication skills. The boss said that only about 2% of the people in the room understood what he was talking about, and another 80% did not understand at all.

“向商业伙伴展示之后，我感到非常高兴，我为自己的工作感到自豪，并相信我做得很好，” Puranik说。 几天后，老板告诉我，尽管这确实是一项好工作，但我仍需要加强沟通技巧。 老板说，房间里只有大约2％的人知道他在说什么，另外80％的人根本听不懂。