Data Strategy

 Excel Training

Businesses run on Excel, because it's an amazingly powerful tool that most people already have installed. It frequently helps fill the gaps left by existing systems and overloaded internal IT teams.

Excel training is designed to get everyone on the same page in terms of how things should be done, so data is trustworthy and reliable, and you're not wasting time learning how to become a "power user" when that's not what most people need.

Topics covered may include:

• Auditability - so that you (and others) can go back into a spreadsheet and understand where data come from and what was done to it
• Necessary Functions - Excel offers many ways to do things, but there are some that everyone should know for reliable number calculations and text operations
• Error Handling & Suppression
• Analysis Tools - including interactive dashboards, static dashboards, and pivot tables
• Feature and Function Requests - sometimes you need to resolve a team dispute over which function to use, or people worry that they should start using a new function or feature that they're hearing out; we can include these in training for demo and discussion
• Workflow-specific Needs - for times when skills don't match workflow needs, but you know they could

Let's connect to discuss your training needs.

Training can be tailored to teams, indepdendent groups, and individuals.

 Data Literacy Training

Whether you need to understand where data comes from, how to collect it, how to select it for a data project, how to interpret it, or how to present and communicate it, you have a data literacy issue.

Data Training for Literacy can take two forms (or a mix of both):

• tailored training designed to get everyone on the same page about theory and what it looks like in practice to address these topics
• facilitated and interactive group discussions to tease out, articulate, and review data issues specifically related to a project you're considering or actively working on so that you can make informed decisions as you move forward with your project

Let's connect to discuss your data training needs.

 Custom Data Projects

You don't want to be a "data scientist".

You just want to be able to make data-informed decisions, or otherwise use data as part of your workflow.

Unfortunately, you don't have an internal IT or data team that you can call on to do this data work for you.

Rather than learning how to do it yourself, you want to work with someone who understands business and understands how to address your issues - using data.

Here are some of the projects we've worked on:

• An interactive dashboard ... so that they could examine employee capactiy and hiring needs
  An interactive dashboard - compiled from existing company data (e.g., error logs) and two weeks of employee task logs - to examine employee capacity and hiring needs. Options were given to splice through the data by error severity, task type, and other categories in order to assist with identifying training opportunities and other productivity roadblocks for existing employees, and bottlenecks that might indicate a need for new employees.
• Focus groups ... so that they could name and tweak their service for better market fit
  Focus group question creation and data analysis towards assisting with service naming and market fit. Participants were recruited using various methods, qualified using an online survey, and the focus group sessions were conducted over Zoom. The qualification survey, focus group videos/transcripts/chats, documents related to the client's service, and the client's brand identity checklist were used to inform the analysis.
• An Excel tool ... so that they could automatically filter, sort, split, highlight/annotate, and tally data for easier schedule management
  An Excel-based tool - using both Power Query and VBA - to parse and process large CSV files, which were regularly "dumped" from a database to a shared drive. Through an interface, users were given the ability to select any CSV source file and then click a button to have the CSV file automatically processed into new worksheets. An option was provided for automatically exporting data worksheets to their own individual workbooks. Users could modify the rules used to filter, sort, and highlight/annotate.

Here's how we can help you:

From ideation to execution - or anywhere in between - there are a number of ways we can help you address your business needs with a custom data project.

• Surveys - including questionnaires, feedback forms, interviews, focus groups - so that you can get the information you need
  • optimize your data collection opportunities
  • use the right tool for the job, including how you phrase and sequence questions
• Templates and Forms - so that you can have better process support and reporting
  • no more suffering through a free-for-all of whatever folks feel like submitting
  • collect usable data - in the format you need, with the data you need
  • consistent processing of data into your standardized weekly, monthly, or yearly reports
• Excel-based tools
  • interactive, exploratory dashboards - so that you can answer questions and explore your options - using one or more data sources, updatable at the push of a button
  • automate data manipulation tasks - so that you can get reliable results, quickly and using a tool already at your disposal
• Metrics - so that you can understand where you're at and measure progress
  • identify typical ranges (averages can only take you so far)
  • determine baselines
  • incorporate both quantitative (number) and qualitative (word) data together for more robust insights
• Visualization and Reports - so that you can communicate and persuade and inform next steps
  • select the right chart or format for both the type of data you're working and what you're hoping to communicate
  • summarize findings, both qualitative and quantitative, to tell your data story
• Get more out of what you already have
  • combine data from multiple silos so that you can get deeper insights and a bigger picture - silos can be part of a good data governance plan, but they don't have to hold back your analysis
  • review and revise data categorization - including client types, task types, error types, pricing buckets, contact segments/tags, etc. - so that you can expedite analysis & decision-making and optimize operations
  • review your existing data quality so that you can tweak as necessary to collect better data for better process support and insights

How this works:

There's probably a lot you want to do, and you know data can help. Here's our 3-step data project process:

1. Let's see if we're a good fit. Schedule a no-obligation conversation about your needs and what you're thinking about, and we can explore and define options together. (If you're not sure if Blou Designs is a fit for the type of project you have in mind, feel free to email before you schedule.)
2. As applicable, you'll receive a contract with the project scope, payment terms, and any other details (e.g., deadlines) we've agreed upon.
3. Once the contract is signed, we get to work.

Let's talk about what a right-sized solution looks like for your business problems and needs.

 [Online Course] Turning Data Dumps, Spreadsheets, and Form & Survey Data into Readable Documents

If you're trying to manually work through data to create documents or make decisions .... You're wasting HOURS....and probably making mistakes.

With this course - and a tool you probably already have - learn how to easily organize & format your data for review, discussion, presentation, and record keeping.

Learn more about Turning Data into Documents - for any professional who frequently handles data, but struggles to organize or review it efficiently