A:360 | The Knowlton Group

In this podcast, we discuss how data and analytics can support tremendous process improvement and efficiency gains.

Today's A:360 discusses an idea known as "The Four R's". "The Four R's" is a digital marketing framework The Knowlton Group created to conceptualize analytics-driven digital marketing efforts that a modern consumer expects.

Today's A:360 discusses the importance of the "crawl, walk, run" progression when getting started with analytics.

Today's A:360 discusses why developing and nurturing a data-driven culture is as crucial to your analytics success as your technology implementation. Many fail to realize that analytics is as much an exercise in change management as it is in development and programming. In this podcast, I'll give my thoughts on why creating a strong data culture is so critical and some tips to develop one as you start out on the analytics journey.

Today's A:360 discusses why it is critical to boil analytics down to well-defined questions. A question is the fundamental building block of analytics. Well-defined questions can shape and simplify the delivery of analytics to an organization. For those business users who aren't quite sure what data they are looking for, helping them shape a question can be an excellent starting point.

Today's A:360 discusses a few suggested ways to measure the return on investment (ROI) for your analytics initiatives. A common question I receive is "how do we determine the effectiveness of our analytics efforts?". This podcast's intent is to present a few possible ways to answer that very question.

Today's A:360 discusses why it is highly recommended that most organizations take an iterative, phased approach to developing their analytics solution.

Today's A:360 answers the questions "what is a report inventory, and why does one matter?". A report inventory is integral to identifying opportunities for quick wins and short-term ROI for your analytics initiatives.

Today's A:360 discusses some of the common pushbacks that I often hear surrounding data, analytics, and becoming a data-driven organization. In this podcast, I'll dispell some of these common pushbacks and explain how you can overcome these misconceptions and challenges.

Today's A:360 discusses what the term big data really means. There are many interpretations and misconceptions about big data. In this podcast, we will provide a solid definition of big data and discuss what most people are referring to when they say the term "big data".

Today's A:360 discusses why BI software alone is not enough to accomplish your analytics objectives. BI tools are an integral (and necessary!) part of your analytics strategy. However, they alone will not solve all of your objectives for data and analytics. Learn why this true and how you can properly leverage these technologies.

Today's A:360 discusses the signficance of a data inventory when beginning your data and analytics program. From understanding what data sources and applications your organization possesses to understanding in what format each data source is stored, a data inventory is a critical first step towards building a sustainable analytics program.

Today's A:360 discusses why analytics requires a top-down approach. A top-down approach enables you to create a blueprint for your analytics program before getting started with development. Would you build a house without a blueprint? Of course not! Don't make that mistake when building out your analytics program.

Today's A:360 talks about analytics and "The Flywheel Effect". "The Flywheel Effect" comes from Jim Collins' book, Good to Great, and is an excellent metaphor for developing an analytics program at your organization.

Today's A:360 talks about how you can data into information. Data is simply raw numbers; information has meaning and explains the raw numbers. Understanding the difference between data and information is critical. Knowing how to turn data into information is even more valuable.

Today's "A:360" discusses why as many people as possible should learn SQL. SQL, Structured Query Language, is the primary language used to interact with a database and is a critical foundation for analytics knowledge. Between strong career earnings and self-sufficiency, SQL is a skill everyone should learn.

Today's "A:360" podcast answers the question "How do you know if you have the right KPIs?". I discuss three quick ways you can tell if you have the right KPIs, and what key points you should consider surround your key performance indicators.

Today's "A:360" podcast answers the question "What is an enterprise data strategy?". I describe what a data strategy is, what it must include, and some of the key points it needs to address. A well-defined enterprise data strategy will become the foundation of your analytics success and is of critical importance in your efforts to become a data-driven organization.

Today's "A:360" podcast answers the question "What is a data warehouse?". Learn what makes a data warehouse different from a "regular database" and what one could do for your organization.

A:360 Podcast #2 talks about KPIs and answers the question “What is a KPI?”. Learn what makes a KPI different from a standard metric and why they are so critical for your organization’s strategic success.