Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Data-Driven Decisions?

We often hear the term. Data-driven decisions or data-based decisions. What does it really mean?
 
According to WhatIs.com, data-driven decision management (DDDM) is an approach to business governance that focuses on gathering data and analyzing it to guide corporate decisions and policies. The data-driven approach is gaining popularity within businesses as the amount of data available increases in tandem with market pressures.
 
Data-driven decision management is usually undertaken as a means of gaining a competitive advantage. A study from the MIT Center for Digital Business found that organizations driven most by data-based decision making had 4% higher productivity rates and 6% higher profits.
 
The success of the data-driven approach is reliant upon the quality of the data gathered and the effectiveness of its analysis and interpretation. Errors can creep into data analytics processes at any stage of the endeavor and serious issues can result when they do.



The two links below offer two perspectives on data-driven decisions from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/business/24unboxed.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/opinion/brooks-what-data-cant-do.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130219&_r=0

What is your opinion on and experience with data-driven or data-based decision making?

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