Realistic capability.
WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED
Records that are complete and consistent A spreadsheet A few hours a month Curiosity
WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED
Specialist software Statistical training A dedicated person
WHAT MOST USEFUL ANALYSIS IS
Sorting, filtering, totalling and comparing.
Arithmetic, applied to good records.
WHAT TO LEARN, IN ORDER
How to organise data in a spreadsheet How to summarise it How to compare periods How to chart it simply
HOW LONG THAT TAKES
Days, not months.
WHAT PRODUCES MOST OF THE VALUE
Consistency. Reviewing the same figures monthly, over time.
WHAT TO AVOID
Buying a tool to solve a records problem Producing reports nobody reads Waiting until you can do it properly
THAT LAST POINT
Rough analysis done monthly beats perfect analysis never done.
WHERE TO START
One question, answered this month.
