Phase Three: Deliver

The data needs of "information consumers" can be as different as their individual personalities. Some are emotionally attached to paper output of granular data. Others don’t have time to wade through detail to get to the bottom line. Some work remotely and need data delivered to them regardless of where they happen to be at the time. Others are responsible for delivering data to the executive floor.

More important than what data is required in the information consumer's eyes is what happens to that data once it is received. A report can be a valuable instrument for communicating data, but not if it is the first in many steps of data interpretation or number-crunching that the consumer must go through. If that report contains data about an entire division of the company, why should the consumer have to explore through all of the data to determine how their particular branch is performing? The effectiveness of many reports is hampered by a lack of context for the data they contain, either historically or relative to other metrics.

Today’s world of corporate governance demands validity, accuracy, and consistency in how data is reported and how it changes hands inside and outside of the company. Without assurance internally, to auditors, and to regulators that the results reported are correct, companies face significant penalties. It is a massive challenge, but it can be accomplished — and it starts with consistent processes of calculating, validating, and presenting the data. It is now necessary to use data as an armament to improve supply chain performance, resolve business conflict, and avoid litigation.

From the Stonebridge perspective, data is only as good as it is accessible. And even then, data is only as good as it is accurate. The final presentation of the data is the end game of much hard work, but the enterprise goal should be to do that “heavy lifting” once and then leverage it for multiple audiences. By reducing the opportunities for “wrong” answers being distributed to information consumers, trust can be established in both the technology and process used to get information in the hands of those who need it.

Stonebridge advocates the following best practices in Data Delivery:

• Standardize and consolidate data delivery platforms wherever possible.

• Look at the information consumption process, not just the report.

• One size or style does not fit all. Build the delivery on a foundation that helps to tailor information to suit the needs of the audience.

• Provide context to business metrics, such as historical performance, competitive performance, relationships to other functional areas.

• Don’t feel limited by the data available in-house. Technology can bring very valuable information into view at reasonable cost.

• Use the same platform and principles to deliver information to external parties (e.g., regulators, business partners, suppliers).

Return to the Stonebridge Approach.