Be A Data Hero: 4 Lessons from Indiana Jones
Written by: Morgan Dove
Navigating tombs of antiquity, traveling to the most exotic corners of the globe, jumping out of crashing airplanes with only a life-raft to break the fall and recovering priceless artifacts all to preserve historical legacy… Does this sound like your job?
It’s hard imagine that days spent behind a computer could possibly coincide with the many adventures of Indiana Jones, but it is possible. What if I told you that you could use data analytics to become the hero of your company (although maybe the swashbuckling kind)? By applying these four lessons taught by Indy and a little help from the HELM360 Business Analytics Suite, you’ll be Dr. Jones in no time!
- Determine your Business Performance Indicators
Henry JonesJr. was an archeology professor, paid to study ancient artifacts. Before he set out to find the Holy Grail, Indiana studied every book, manuscript, and journal he could on the subject. He knew about ancient civilizations, diverse languages and cultural etiquette. So, what can we learn?
Do your research. What Business Performance Indicators (“Holy Grails”) are important to you? What problem are you trying to solve? What does your company want to accomplish? Once you have decided on a BPI, drill-down to specifics. Start at the end and really understand the business needs before deciding to track everything.
- Use Your Sidekicks
Indiana always had a sidekick. His most memorable was his dear ol’ dad Henry Walton Jones Sr. who was an expert on Grail lore… a true asset to someone in search of the Holy Grail. Henry Sr. kept a Grail Diary, with over 282 pages of insights, drawings, maps and clues which Indiana used to find the Cup of Christ.
Successful business analytics starts with a forward-thinking strategy, and is best implemented by a C-level Champion. Why? Management priorities must reinforce functional goals. Priorities may change across departments, and enlisting the help of a senior executive can be very beneficial. They are hired to make decisions that will drive the company forward. By studying analytics (Grail Diaries) through visually rich dashboards, these administrators have the power to change the direction of the company. Businesses looking to take their data analytics to the next level may want to implement a service like the Kyligence intelligent data cloud into their operations to optimize their most valuable data.
- Find the Real Treasure
The Headpiece of Ra is an ancient Egyptian medallion made of gold and rubies; it’s no wonder this paragon was often the target of thieves. However, the medallion was actually a tool designed to reveal the location of the Ark of the Covenant… a much greater treasure!
Using the right analytic tools, such as the HELM360 Business Analytics Suite, can help your organization store, process, and see vast amounts of information. With its user-friendly plug-and-play architecture and inbuilt BPI’s it allows the ability to unearth desired metrics. Being able to visualize a universal data set, you’re sure to discover your Holy Grails and make decisions about what to do with them!
- Be Able to Deviate from the Plan
Indiana always had a plan, and his plans usually fell apart. I’m sure it was not in Dr. Jones’ plans to drink the blood of Kali and enter into the Black Sleep. However, he was able to come out of it and accomplish his goal- rescuing the Sankara stones.
Many executives have the ability to make excellent decisions based on instinct. When using data analytics, it’s necessary to deviate from trusting your gut, and instead rely on the facts. Too often organizations have had an end result in mind and tried to force data to give that result. Being able to rely on analytics and using them to drive the direction of the company is essential to success. Complacency is dangerous and it is also important to be able to change your BPI’s with the changing business environment.
The biggest takeaway is that IT infrastructure enables competitive advantage. Unlike Indiana who didn’t always know the potential snares that lay before him, the HELM360 Business Analytics Suite can help uncover the pitfalls of business operations and allow its consumers to determine how to work around these drawbacks before they become business interruptions.
Become the hero of your company, be like Indy.
Helm360 takes the guess work out of business analytics while significantly reducing costs and processing times of advanced reporting initiatives. Leveraging the most state-of-the-art technological advancements, Helm360 allows businesses to view data in real time. Our team of highly innovative, passionate, and intelligent people thrive on ingenuity and are committed to delivering exceptional solutions and services.