The ambitions in the sector to start working in a data-driven way are great. "What corporations often encounter is that decisions are made based on gut feeling," Joost begins the conversation. "Where no data is used, or only to justify a decision made. In addition, making a decision often becomes more difficult because data sources are fragmented. Data resides in the CRM, ERP system or heads of employees, for example, so it takes a lot of time to get data in order and it is not really used."

Too many initiatives

According to Joost, working in a data-driven way is often a mouthful: "Initiatives are created to take it up, but then it gets bogged down in the amount of other work that a corporation has. All kinds of things run parallel to each other, so that although people think it is important, the delusion of the day prevails. After all, there is already so much on the corporation's plate that they simply don't get around to it."

No IT party

According to Joost, change management is just as important as the technology itself: "You often see that when people talk about data-driven work, it is quickly seen as an IT party. After all, they know everything about data, while it is something about and for the entire organization. IT can facilitate this, but it is certainly not an IT party. The realization that everyone is responsible for this - from management to the employees in the field who enter data - requires change management and that people take ownership. Because 'garbage in is garbage out' also applies to data-driven work; IT can do little to change that."

Space

To really get started with data-driven work, it is essential that people are given the space to take it on. "Data-driven working should not be something that employees do 'on the side'. It requires a cultural effort in addition to organizational and technical efforts. Management must take the lead in this, including setting a good example and giving team leaders the space and responsibility to do their part properly. If the roles are clear and properly assigned, this ultimately results in time savings and better decision-making. For example, at one corporation where we are currently rolling this out, we first defined a set of roles together and embedded them in the job profiles. For example, a team leader is assessed not only on operational results, but also on the role he or she plays in the data organization. That creates ownership, priority and mutual accountability."

Business must be leading

In doing so, technology should always follow the business, not the other way around, Joost emphasizes. "That means setting up the organization based on the work processes: describe what happens, who is involved and what data are created or used in the process. Technology should support that process, not dictate it. In practice, this means that corporations should look at where data actually comes in and how it can be used as efficiently as possible. For example, avoid entering customer information in three different places, but set it up so that one source is leading and other systems automatically refer back to it. That way you support the business at the right moments in the process."

From data to action

"From Valid, we support housing associations in taking steps around data-driven working and change management," Joost continues. "For this, we have the approach: from data to action. With this we first look at where a housing corporation stands in terms of data: what strategy do you have and what are the bottlenecks? This results in a maturity level that we discuss and can mirror against the ambition and strategy of the organization. Because, for example, the deployment of AI is a great goal, but if the basis is not right, it's not going to work."

"Then we support with setting up the data-driven organization so that corporations can really make decisions based on data. For example, by helping to unify definitions, standardize and combat data fragmentation. This requires the aforementioned culture change for everyone within the corporation. It shouldn't just mean extra work for them, they should benefit from it and gain confidence to make decisions based on data and not gut feeling. When that realization sets in, you can make strides to get data-driven."

Data-driven DNA

Data-driven work is only truly successful when it is no longer a separate project, but a natural part of daily work. "It's about data being seen in all layers of the organization as a tool to do work better," Joost concludes. "Not because it is imposed from above, but because employees intrinsically perceive that it helps them improve their processes. In this regard, success often starts with small, tangible examples. For example, at a corporation where we are now working, we provided insight into how often a home is inspected within two days of termination. The data was already there, but by making it visible you can steer in a targeted way and discover differences between neighborhoods. Then you notice that data really delivers value. That is the moment when data-driven work comes to life and when people feel: this is useful to me. That is the basis on which data-driven work becomes part of the DNA of the organization." organization - and with the threats of tomorrow.

This article was reprinted from CorporatieGids.nl. The original publication can be found here.

About Joost Wijdeven

Joost is senior business intelligence consultant at Valid. As a data architect, he is at home in building and setting up data platforms as well as creating reports and analytical solutions. Joost has in-depth experience in the corporate and commercial real estate environment. He helps organizations by effectively translating data issues into valuable information solutions.