How Organizations Struggle with Data Fluency - Data Fluency: Empowering Your Organization with Effective Data Communication - page 41

employers. Despite its success, the company wasn't sure how to explain the
connection between its model and the reduction in costs.
The company leadership wanted to use data to communicate with its custom-
ers as well as to measure internal performance. Without clear links between
its actions and health outcomes, it struggled to make its case even with a
growing volume of data.
Presentations to clients varied from telling anecdotes to deep-dive analyses, but
the company never quite demonstrated how its services led to financial impact.
Internally, the organization had not yet arrived at a common data language.
Different areas used different metrics to track performance, often focusing on
things that were easy to measure, like volume of calls or customer satisfaction
surveys. A focus was on activities rather than outcomes that affected costs.
It was obvious to us that this company was on a journey. Without a well-
understood market, it needed to learn to know itself, which then could be
expressed through its reporting, dashboards, and communications with clients.
seaRching foR undeRstanding and the data
fluency fRamewoRk
For organizations in the early learning stages, weaknesses in their data
fluency foundation have little to do with the skills of individuals or a system
to create effective data products. The newness of the business model itself
leads to an immature culture around data. There isn't shared understanding
of what data means and what matters most. Even with strong leadership
committed to use of data, people need to build a common awareness about
how the organization works and how the system can be measured.