Data analytics in SMB
A guest comment from Guenter Mueller, managing director of dab:Mittelstand GmbH
In his posting of 2016-04-14 Stefan Wenig presented the newly created dab: Mittelstand GmbH as part of the dab corporate group, its basic motivation, where it aims to go and how it wants to get there. Establishing a separate company, I think, measures up to the challenges of SMB and the importance that attaches.
Seriously intended and sound data analytics are absolutely essential in a modern and future-oriented small- or medium-sized enterprise. Management should not await the next economic or business crisis before deciding to implement data analytics. Now is the time when results can usually be obtained without unwanted reverberations.
Taking all information sources however, I still see a very long path ahead until we realize across the board. If you look at implementation of data analytics in three phases, the picture is as follows:
Fig. 1 - Positioning data analytics
The colors indicate that SMB will still take a whole lot of convincing.
The effort involved in convincing requires that the subject is brought home to decisionmakers and is discussed in SMBs. If you do not have management that is convinced in terms of content and strategy, you cannot expect a sensible and allround satisfying solution to come out at the end.
In the coming weeks, to stimulate the necessary discussion, we intend to take up the subject of data analytics in small- and medium-sized business by articles on the following subjects:
- Why data analytics in SMB?
- Do data analytics disturb trust within an organization?
- Are there different methods?
- How meaningful is a management decision for data analytics?
- Are there constraints?
- How do I structure sustained data analytics?
- Analytics platform – how and what does it take?
- Analyzing results – standard or creative?
- How do I ensure sustainability?
- Economic factor for the business?
I will post thoughts on these subjects at www.dab-mittelstand.de. I would very much like to see the articles generating an intensive and stimulating exchange of thoughts and ideas. I look forward to hearing from you.
You can find contact details at the Internet site of dab:Mittelstand GmbH www.dab-mittelstand.de or reach me direct at guenter.mueller@dab-mittelstand.de.
Deggendorf , 2016-04-15
Guenter Mueller
Managing director
dab: Mittelstand GmbH