On Wednesday 8th March, Digital Pathfinders hosted a workshop for North of Tyne based businesses to explore the practicalities of data and how to implement a successful data strategy. The workshop took place at Project North Easts Enterprise Hub on Westgate Rd, Newcastle.

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What is Data?

Data is simply a collection of facts and statistics used for reference or analysis. There are many different types of data collected by businesses and can be used in many different ways.

Data collection is the process of gathering data for use in business decision-making, strategic planning, research and other purposes. Effective data collection provides the information that's needed to answer questions, analyse business performance or other outcomes, and predict future trends and scenarios for your business.

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Tips for implementing a basic data strategy:

Gain an understanding of the data landscape, assess current data maturity, identify risk and opportunities

Engage stakeholders (business owners, data specialists, senior managers), find out what their issues are and what their ambitions are

Establish a working group with defined roles and responsibilities to deliver a data strategy and a roadmap with SLT buy-in

Publish the roadmap detailing what will be done, by when and how the benefits to your business will be measured and communicated

About the Workshop

Lead by our very own Nathan Rowland, we discussed some general assumptions of data, and what data meant to the businesses in the room. We explored different categories of data and how to collect it. The session was very interactive with each business being given the opportunity to give their own ideas around data and how they use it. We also looked how data could and should be used, and a foundation on how to implement a successful data strategy in your own business.

What the attendees thought:

Sally Adams from Connected Voice said:

“Less is more! Generally improved my knowledge of data and how to develop a clear strategy to get buy-in and achieve goals.

Digital Pathfinders is a fantastic resource for organisations. This training was a great introduction to data strategy and I now feel more confident in my knowledge of what we do or don't need to collect, and how data can support our organisation's objectives. Nathan and Amanda are clearly very knowledgeable and delivered a great session today!”

Conclusion

This workshop was a basic introduction to data, what it means to your business and how to manage it. It also provided a basic foundation for implementing a successful strategy.

If you need more help with managing your data and implementing a more defined strategy in your business, get in touch with our team at Digital Pathfinders for support. We’ll be hosting a series of other workshops across the year. Take a look at our website or contact Amanda Potts – amanda.potts@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com for more details.

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