

Telling a story with data can drive an audience from point A (where they are) to point B - and this is where that ‘a-ha’ moment can occur. These roles are critical because stories beat data points - and business decisions are not made on logic alone. "When insights are packaged as a data story, businesses are able to influence both the logical and emotional side of a potential customer’s brain" They also need to develop the story surrounding the data and the business problem by using not only numbers, but visualization, and a compelling and engaging narrative - all at the same time. They have to be able to speak the language of the business while understanding the technology side as well. The people aspect is absolutely paramount to drive a successful business intelligence/analytics function, and often these people are hard to find. It involves using the often complex and disparate data within an organization to provide actionable recommendations that can change the course of the business -influencing new product introductions, competitive analysis, customer behavior, workforce productivity, etc.ĭata storytelling can be successful in an organization based on four main components: people, processes, platforms, and data. What is data storytelling and why is it so important? Data storytelling is the process and ability to translate data into simple, business-oriented terms to influence or impact a business decision or action. All too often, this last mile is overlooked. But successful companies, however, can’t stop there with their analytics-how the data is translated, by way of data storytelling and insights generation, is the last mile that will separate businesses from their competitors. Gone are the days when reporting was fully manual in nature, and data took a long time to collect and sift through- platforms in the cloud allow for faster, better and more accurate information.


Due to this innovation, organizations are able to collect data and better understand end customers, accelerate new business pipelines, and drive more efficient and effective selling strategies.

Technology and innovation have propelled organizations, and their data, into new realms - companies have started, expanded, and advanced their business intelligence and data-centric teams in order to drive better decision making and strategic planning. Heather Fitzgerald, SVP - Distribution Intelligence & Salesforce - JACKSON
