Do We Still Need To Develop A Data Culture?

Data culture is a trend that has become a major competitive differentiator for many businesses. This strategy can be adopted in the most varied processes, helping them to be more precise and to bring more results to the company.

However, many organizations still need to pay more attention to the benefits of implementing this mindset.

The time is coming when a company that does not invest in data culture will be left behind! Find out why to adopt this concept in your business.

Data: The Gift Of Companies

Many inventions that have emerged and become popular in recent decades have come from science fiction works, such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. They opened up a universe of opportunities in different ways for personal and professional life and society.  

Among these technological advances is the possibility of collecting a huge amount of information (also called big data) and organizing it, discovering patterns of behavior and new chances. All this allowed this data to be used strategically by organizations of all segments and sizes. 

Several companies have established themselves in the market by giving special attention to data. Google, for example, became a giant by collecting information and understanding the behavior of people who did searches in its search engine, thus managing to offer content closer to their desires and winning the preference of millions of people worldwide.

The same logic is used by other large companies, such as Amazon and Netflix, which analyze user interactions with the content and products offered and, based on this data, suggest similar items to retain the attention and loyalty of countless customers. 

But it is not just technology multinationals that can benefit from data in their business strategies: even smaller companies, from all segments that operate only in the national market, manage to increase their competitive advantage by incorporating this information in their day-to-day. 

Through the strategic use of data, it is possible to:

• Develop products and services that satisfy the target audience more;
• Make marketing and sales campaigns more assertive;
• Offer better customer service;
• Optimize internal processes;
• Reduce costs;
• Avoid spending on strategies that do not bring the desired results;
• Strengthen people and HR management ;
• Carry out more effective actions;
• Increase your competitive advantage.

This data trend is no longer something for the future of companies. Still, it is already present in the reality of thousands of organizations—and those who ignore this movement will end up being left behind. 

Data Culture: What Is It And How To Do It?

One of the elements that form an organization is its culture: the set of values ​​helps guide the actions of employees and managers to achieve strategic objectives and consolidate the company’s identity in the market. 

Big companies like Google and Apple have a culture of innovation in their DNA, so they are recognized worldwide for this characteristic. That is why its efforts and strategies are focused on this value, which is also worked on and awakened in its employees. And data is part of this context, helping to discover opportunities and patterns to innovate in your products, services, processes, and relationships.

Including data mentality in the organizational culture is a way to strengthen its use in the company’s processes, guiding all employees to take advantage of the potential of this concept and achieve the desired benefits.

More than investing in technology, adopting a data culture is a strategy that transforms different sectors and processes within an organization. 

First, it is necessary to include the data in the organization’s strategic plan, defining the important metrics to be monitored and the information that will not make a difference or will not bring improvements to the company. This step should include the internal processes and sectors that can benefit from cultural change.

And the source of this data must be the same for everyone, avoiding misalignment between plans. In this sense, managing information and data models will make a difference in the strategies and results achieved. 

Another important point is to invest in the most appropriate platforms and tools to collect and organize information. Some solutions can extract the most complex and innovative data from the object or behavior studied, guiding company and sector strategies. 

However, it is not enough to use the correct tools; it is necessary to train employees to know how to interpret and draw conclusions and business opportunities in the face of a huge amount of numbers, transforming the information into concrete actions that benefit the organization. Otherwise, all collection and organization efforts, in addition to investments, will be in vain. 

Therefore, training can play a key role in educating, awakening, and maintaining a data culture in the company’s daily life. In this way, it will be easier to achieve the benefits of this mindset. 

And the relationship between people management strategies and data culture is even closer than it seems. 

Data And HR: A Successful Partnership

As we have seen, the strategic use of data is becoming essential for companies in today’s market. Those who need to realize the benefits of adopting this mindset will end up being left behind.

While this tool can improve the organization’s strategies, each sector can take advantage of its benefits in its plans and actions. Marketing, for example, can collect information from the target audience to better understand their behavior, pains, and desires, setting up more efficient campaigns that attract the right customers to the product or service offered. 

But one of the areas that can most benefit from the use of data is HR. For example, training can be more personalized by taking advantage of the e-learning analytics tool. At the same time, the recruitment and selection process becomes more accurate by comparing the skills needed for the position and those of the candidates.

Also Read: Data-Driven Culture: Why Adopt It In Your Company?