Assessing data maturity is like wondering if you have the appetite for data and information improvement! I have spent much time with many organisations either subtly or blatantly assessing their level of data and information maturity. Quite a thankless task in many ways, since you have to “ask” so many questions and people get rather edgy. They especially get edgy in a crowd – I see their eyes roll from side to side, that early panicked look settle on their faces and their mouths snap closed! For who wants to be the person in a group of colleagues who says “Oh our data/ information/ processes/ security/ privacy is an issue”?
So I went back to the office, totally frustrated and irritated at my failure to extract meaningful information that would drive my client along the right path! I didn’t even ask, rather I demanded the “app gurus” build me a self-assessment tool, one I could provide to clients without having to “be there” nagging them to answer me! They had to be able to do this in the comfort of their own office. I couldn’t be looking over their shoulder and nor could their colleagues.
I also asked my colleagues to help me set up a list of questions I wanted answered as well as identify the level of maturity each answer should generate. Problem solved – about 3 weeks later I had an app that worked and around 80 questions I needed answers to.
So what is next? Well, this is the fun part – that is persuading people to take the assessment that is quite long if you consider 80 possible questions.
FAQ’s
- Yes, your data is completely safe and secure. I am the only person with access to it outside of yourself
- Yes, you can do this assessment piece by piece. Just log back in when you have time
- No, there is no time limit, feel free to answer as you have availability
- Yes, as soon as you have completed all sections and answered all questions you will see your report – immediately
- Yes, I can aggregate your company’s assessment into one overall assessment
- Yes, you can take this assessment again in 6 months time; and again and again over however long you want
- No, I won’t share your information with anyone without your express written permission
- No, there is no charge for doing this assessment
What do I get out of it?
- Firstly I get to help my clients understand their maturity in a non-threatening, non-invasive way
- I also get some industry details that allow me to begin benchmarking you the client against other companies in your industry vertical
- I get to understand your maturity and how best I can help you on the journey to data and information excellence
- I get to send you a report detailing what I see in terms of your assessment and briefing you on some next steps
- If I am lucky, you want to see me to discuss further and I get to engage with you on this
- I am a “dataholic” so I get to play with new data!
Would you like to try the assessment and see for yourself? Click on the link, register by signing up and go wild: http://eventsspace.net/events/datamaturity. Please don’t forget to complete the post-assessment section to help me identify how to improve this! And email me at sue.geuens@epiuse.com if you have questions for me. I am looking forward to seeing your results!
