The right sequence.
WHAT PEOPLE DO
Buy a tool, connect data, build a dashboard, and look at it occasionally.
WHAT THAT PRODUCES
Charts nobody acts on.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Start with a question you would act on.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD QUESTION
Specific Answerable with data you have or could get Something you would do differently depending on the answer
THAT LAST TEST
The important one.
If the answer changes nothing, the question is not worth answering.
EXAMPLES OF GOOD QUESTIONS
Which products make the most profit, not the most revenue? Which customers have not bought in six months? What does it cost to acquire a customer from each source? Which jobs took longer than quoted?
EXAMPLES OF POOR QUESTIONS
How is the business doing? What do the numbers say?
WHY POOR
Too vague to answer or act on.
WHAT TO DO WITH A QUESTION
Establish what data would answer it, then get that data.
