Thanks to the current economic climate, making business decisions is harder—and slower—than ever. Businesses are scrutinizing everything from staffing and efficiency to asset deployment and IT costs. The importance of data-driven decisions cannot be ignored. And yet, the sheer volume of data makes it difficult for many organizations to derive timely, actionable insights.

So what are the best ways to use data in an uncertain economy?

Data Clymer recently brought together a trio of data experts to discuss their recommendations. Jason Moffett, Data Clymer’s VP of Delivery, was joined by Lalitha Krishnamoorthy, CEO and Co-Founder of OpenTeams Global, and Molly Sandbo, Director of Product Marketing at Matillion. Together, the group explored challenges in today’s environment and offered insights on how to get the most out of your data in 2023.

Check out the highlights below, or watch the full on-demand discussion at your convenience.

Watch Now: How to Use Data in an Uncertain Economy

How to Use Data to Thrive in an Uncertain Economy

Growing Businesses, Shrinking Resources

The conversation kicked off with a heated discussion about resourcing, retention, and the challenge of finding technical expertise. Lalitha posited that an even bigger challenge is keeping IT costs low while growing their businesses.

She also noted that while a lot of organizations are jumping on the AI bandwagon, it’s important to invest in a robust data strategy and information architecture first. “There is a code of IA before AI,” she explained. So step back and look at your holistic data strategy and architecture before doing anything else. Make sure your data is clean and usable, and start understanding how you can use data to derive real-time or near real-time insights.

Priority 1: Clean Up Your Data

The panelists agreed that data quality and reliability must be the top priority for businesses. Jason emphasized that data quality starts at the source. He recommends auditing your processes to make sure they are efficient and have good quality data coming out of them. “You can do a lot of great things at the transformation layer, but without good quality data, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle,” he said.

To maximize efficiency, Jason recommends using tools like Matillion that are an “all-in-one” option and can do many different things for your team. To improve reliability, look at low-cost, low-implementation tools like Monte Carlo, Metaplane, and Kensu to help monitor data flow and continue to build trust in your organization’s data.

Priority 2: Get Data Into Everyone’s Hands

Data is not just for the data team; it needs to get into the hands of the people across the organization—especially the business functions where it can make a real impact. With that in mind, prioritize accessibility. Find champions and empower them to answer their own questions with the data.

The panel also discussed the power of an agile approach to make progress on data initiatives. Instead of trying to boil the ocean, start small and build from there.

Priority 3: Use Data to Understand Your Customers

Customer experience is the #1 digital transformation priority. So it’s no surprise that all three panelists cited “customer 360” as a top use case for organizations seeking to drive value from business data.

A customer 360 combines disparate data from multiple sources to create a holistic 360-degree customer view. The ultimate goal is to increase revenue through better experiences, knowing when to cross-sell, upsell, and intervene when customer churn is at risk.

Molly shared the example of Daikin, a leading manufacturer of HVAC and indoor heating and cooling systems. She explained how Matillion helped Daikin integrate and standardize customer data across its entire organization, gathering data from five different systems to build a unified data source that can be accessed by Daikin’s master data management tool.

Jason gave examples of NFL teams like the Vikings and Raiders, who worked with Data Clymer to create a Fan 360 to identify what marketing moves the needle for their fans. Alongside customer 360, Jason mentioned marketing analytics and the growing need for marketers to better understand customers for segmentation, personalization, and optimization of strategies, tactics, and ROI.

Related: Modern Marketing Analytics: The Essential Guide

Lalitha noted that for many of the fintech organizations she works with, a customer 360 is just a starting point. The real power play is when you’re able to take owned data and third-party data, tie it all together, and offer truly personalized products and services.

Related: Financial Services Analytics Solution

Top Recommendations to Use Data in an Uncertain Economy

Throughout the webinar, the panelists discussed actionable recommendations and strategies to help organizations get the most of their data in 2023.

Here are a few of their top recommendations.

1: Look at ROI First.

In today’s uncertain economy, it’s crucial to look at ROI before you even start your data initiative. Look at the business outcomes you are trying to drive. Help executives understand what the results will be and how you’ll use your goldmine of data to drive business forward.

Related Infographic: The ROI of Data

2: Assess Your Data Team.

Your data team will be your powerhouse for the year. The panelists recommended focusing on building or hiring a strong data team of data engineers, data scientists, data architects, and open source experts.

And don’t forget to focus on diversity. With the advent of COVID and remote work, your best talent could be anywhere. Consider a global team with a variety of backgrounds, genders, and perspectives to drive innovation.

Related: Women in Data: Meet the Founder Who Is Inspiring Women Everywhere

3: Build a Solid Data Strategy.

Solidify your data strategy and assess whether you’re using the right tech stack and tools. Evaluate your information architecture to build a strong foundation before jumping into initiatives like AI.

Related: Checklist: What You Need to Build a Data-Driven Approach

4: Focus on Strong Data Engineering Processes.

Focus on data engineering practices to transform the data into a usable format. Make sure you’re being productive and use tools like CI/CD to ensure data quality within the company.

5: Drive Data Democratization.

Leverage data across the business and use it to help various teams meet shared goals and objectives. Focus on democratization and self-service so your data can be used to help drive your entire company forward.

Related: Data-Driven Culture Change: Where To Start?

Using Data to Thrive in 2023 and Beyond

No matter what happens with the economy, one thing is certain: we can’t underestimate the value of data for modern businesses. Some even say data is the “new oil” of the digital economy.

But like oil, data has no value if you leave it sitting around. Now’s the time to harness and refine your data, then use the insights you derive to fuel your business.

Ready to Continue Your Data Journey?

If you are struggling with how to best accelerate your data journey, our team at Data Clymer can help. Our team of experienced data consultants has helped hundreds of organizations advance their data strategies and operationalize their data to better understand their customers and their business. Contact us to request a free consultation.

About the Speakers

Jason Moffett

Jason Moffett, VP of Delivery, Data Clymer

Jason helps define and execute Data Clymer’s strategic vision and leads a team of data engineers, data analysts, and engagement managers to deliver an end-to-end data project lifecycle that helps customers establish a thriving, data-driven culture.

Lalitha

Lalitha Krishnamoorthy, Co-Founder and CEO, OpenTeams Global

Dr. Lalitha Krishnamoorthy is a seasoned technologist with over 20 years of experience. She is the co-founder and CEO of OpenTeams Global and holds a PhD in Neuro-Symbolic Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence with several invention patents.

Molly

Molly Sandbo, Director of Product Marketing, Matillion

Prior to Matillion, Molly worked in product marketing for Domo, where she focused on go-to-market strategies for their core platform, industry verticals, and new customer sales initiatives.

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