There are three key elements to a strong analytics setup. Whatever your system, workflow or software you need this needs to be in place. The essence is simple:

1. State⌗

Your data will not tell you what you need to know. You will have to instruct it. When you look out the window, you can tell what the weather is like. Your data should at first glance indicate how you are doing. Are your performing well right now?

Make sure you have easy access to your most important metrics.

2. Direction⌗

Can you tell if you’re going in the right direction? How far do you have left?

Map out the key indicators over time. Let them tell you the story.

3. The ability ask your data the right questions⌗

Not every question you get from product development or management can easily be answered. In most cases your rows and columns tell you nothing. But perhaps the answer is swimming somewhere in your ocean of data. But how do you find it?

You need to ask your data the questions. It does not have be anything fancy. You don’t need a machine learning algorithm. You don’t need an AI. What you do need is a way to extract meaning from your data. Pulling data and pasting them into Sheets pivot table may be fine. As long as you know how to communicate with your data to find the answer you need.

State, direction and the ability ask your data the right questions, will give you the backbone you need - no matter the tool, the organization or the matter at hand.