One often-overlooked resource that could be a game-changer for your business is your historical project data. Many organizations have a treasure trove of project information tucked away, waiting to be tapped into. With the help of analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), this data can become a vital asset for your future projects. Here are three compelling ways to leverage your historical project data:
Now, let's talk about the practical steps to transform your old project data into a valuable asset. It all starts with acquiring your historical project data. Ideally, your organization already has all this data neatly stored in a single repository, but if not, consider creating a consolidated dataset for analysis. One of the initial challenges you might encounter is data quality issues due to a lack of data governance.
The next step is to clean this dataset, making the data ready for analysis. It's advisable to work on a copy of your original dataset to ensure the original data remains untouched. During the cleaning process, you may come across gaps in your project data where assumptions cannot be made. If you can't confidently fill in these gaps, consider removing those projects from your analysis. This initial data wrangling is crucial to converting raw data into a usable form.
With your cleaned historical project data in hand, the next step is to explore the data and uncover trends through exploratory data analysis (EDA). During this phase, you'll identify which projects to pursue and even spot high-performing teams if you have information about the teams involved. To make these insights more tangible, you can create data visualizations, allowing you and your team to grasp and understand the information embedded in your historical project data. Remember to maintain transparency by communicating the assumptions made and noting any projects removed due to data quality issues.
As your exploratory data analysis unfolds, you may find yourself moving into either descriptive or predictive analytics, often with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Descriptive analytics helps you understand what happened in the past, while predictive analytics opens up the exciting possibility of forecasting future project outcomes. Imagine predicting whether a future project will be completed on time, assessing the likelihood of specific risks, or determining the optimal delivery team – all based on your historical project data.
In a world where data drives decisions and innovation, your historical project data is a valuable asset waiting to be harnessed. It's a tool that can guide your business towards more successful endeavors, smarter investments, and a competitive edge. By embarking on this journey of data exploration, your business stands to gain insights that can reshape its trajectory. Don't let your historical project data gather dust - turn it into your next strategic advantage! Ready to transform your data into a powerful asset? Contact Didataly today and let us help you unlock the full potential of your historical project data.
Chris Getter
Owner of Didataly. I help startups and small businesses grow using analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). I have 16 years of Business Analysis experience in the Financial Services industry, hold a MBA, a Master's degree in New Product Management, and a Master's Certification in Business Analytics from Milwaukee School of Engineering.
ABOUT
Helping startups and small businesses stop guessing and start growing with data.
© Didataly LLC