November 18, 2016
Companies today continue to struggle with data management. With 80% of businesses’ data remaining dark or untouched, it is more important than ever to ensure the data you are sharing is accurate and meaningful. One way businesses are working to share their data is through data visualization. On the surface, there are many visualization solutions that promise to instantly turn your disconnected data sets into something beautiful. But visualizing your data is about more than beautiful charts—it’s how those charts enable better decision-making or even help you take the next best action. Rethinking how you structure your data in Salesforce is vital for reporting, forecasting, and improving your ROI. If you want to successfully structure your data to deliver value, we have a few tips on how to do it.
Connections
Why do so many data visualizations fail to make an impact on companies’ analytics? They don’t focus on the connections between the data. Typical reporting favors simplicity and often overlooks the relationships between data sets. For example, when reviewing the data in your Salesforce environment, you might look at the behavior of your top-performing service agents to learn how to improve new agent training. Instead of analyzing a single action, compile a list of the knowledge resources, pages, and so on that they use to resolve cases. Specific, context-based analysis will reveal common themes that contribute to your agents’ success and you can use those insights to build out a data visualization to train others on faster case resolution.
Scope
Before you start a new data visualization project, think about the story you’re trying to tell. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers without understanding the context. The visualization is the end result, not the platform for analysis—analyze the data first and design the visuals second. Supplying numbers that look pretty without providing context is what leads to increasingly poor data quality and reporting.
You don’t have to visualize all your data. Reduce the scope of your analysis and focus on the results that highlight important differences. This will help you create a clearer visualization that isn’t overshadowed by superfluous data. For example, if you’re building a global sales chart, a small percentage increase in one region might be significant, but that number will be lost if your visualization focuses on your entire sales territory.
The best visualizations convey complex information clearly and easily, no matter the audience. Define your questions first and analyze the data second to create meaningful visualizations to educate customers or employees, or make a business case for a new project. Empower every part of your business by finding meaningful ways to share your data to help you achieve your business outcomes.
Want more tactics for leveraging your data in Salesforce? Check out these resources:
