How data is key to understanding your scope

Thanks for taking the time to open and read my points of view, I’m extremely passionate about all the topics I blog about and even if you take one thing from this let me know. 

Throughout my 20+ years in the Extended Workforce industry, the need and use of data has evolved more than I could have imagined. Right back in 2003 the data you could extract from your workforce was extremely limited, naturally because the technology available was only just emerging. In todays world, with the right support and partners, you can have a vision of what you want and find a way to report on it (naturally as long as it’s GDPR compliant!).

I love data, it helps me learn, grow and ultimately provide solutions that I would have never thought of without solid analysis. I like to balance my gut feelings with robust data analysis to get me on the right path for making decision, or understand what I need to drive value in whatever I do. That also covers my personal hobbies such as running, without reflecting on my performance in previous months I would not be able to achieve personal goals I set myself. There is nothing better for me than looking back at the history to shape my future goals.

Anyway, enough about my own passions and more on how data is such a key aspect to understanding what you need and want from your Extended Workforce. In previous blogs I have mentioned how important the collection of data is to understand want you want to achieve and that if you have a lack of data you probably need to start creating a path to get it. If you are well versed in Extended Workforce management, then you should know that having the basic data essentials, as shown in my ‘Path to Data Success’ from a foundational perspective will seriously aid  reviewing your workforce needs.

This is not a full conclusive list, but will give you the basics to then dig further into what your needs can be. If you are missing any of these data points, I would strongly suggest seeing how you can get them. If you can’t get advice on how you can, you know where to find me!

Once you have all this wonderful data, you can then start to cross reference and start asking yourself critical questions which I have given examples for across the page.

A lot of businesses I’m supporting, and have in the past, overlook the cross reference of this foundational level data, thus not asking themselves the right questions to help identify a need. Taking focussed time to really analyse the basics and list out those questions you need to answer WILL start to shape where to go. My personal recommendation is to apply some more high-level question statements, as shown in ‘categorising your analysis under key business questions’ to pull out those more detailed unknowns.

 

You will be surprised that by just doing some very basic analysis, and asking yourself/the business the above examples, will start to tease out some needs that you feel need to be validated.

However, don’t underestimate the time and effort you should put into this, and ensure you pull in the right resources to review this data. If you don’t do a thorough job then I can tell you that you will miss needs that could add great value.

If you have a matured and tenured program to manage your Extended Workforce then all the above should be standard and common knowledge, in fact you should be at a level where you have data to analyse around much more specific elements.

Those matured programs, that I have experienced, successfully have their hands on more detailed data: 

(all by those seven foundational examples I mentioned in the ‘Path to Data Success’):

  • Time to source
  • Compliance and onboarding checks
  • Actual pay verse supplier invoiced costs
  • Diversity
  • Contract tenure
  • Performance tracking of supply chain and internal user population
  • Headcount trends

 

How many times in our life have we seen and heard that “data is key”, well it is but if you don’t analyse that data correctly then what’s the point of data? I have seen, and honestly done this myself in the past, businesses over pulling data that adds no value and just wastes time. Well I learnt my lessons and now ensure I use them to guide businesses to pull the right data and analyse in a way that will create a need and generate value.

These are just sippets of my knowledge, if you want solid experienced advice on:

What data should I be analysing?

How should I analyse my data?

How can I justify a need and add value?

Even if you need to validate your thoughts or need more thorough support to get your Extended Workforce on the right path. Its what I do and I am extremely passionate about, hope to speak with you soon!

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