(non)Paralysis by Analysis

“If you challenge conventional wisdom, you will find ways to do things much better than they are currently done."
― Michael Lewis, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

Being a data nerd, I definitely do not side on being cautious when it comes to analysis. My belief is, "If it's there, let's use it to help inform our decisions". In the wonderful world of SOCIY, these decisions impact us and our YMCA Partners equally. This impact only becomes greater as the platform and our Partners grow. Therefore, we NEED to continue making sound data-driven decisions, even if it challenges conventional wisdom. Data helps us spot inefficiencies, make decisions, and with our YMCA Partners, it helps drive our platform Forward Together.

Here are a few areas of focus that we have been able to improve by good data analysis:

User Behavior / Site Structure

All SOCIY sites are built in a way that breathes "efficiency" - efficiency in both getting the user where they want and need to go, and displaying useful content to the user. Content is also made available in ways that increase SEO results. All of these areas have been enhanced by data analysis and the decisions made from this repeatable exercise.

Launch / Training Flow

This may be the most exciting and exhilarating part of the process to both us and our Partners. The relationship has begun and both sides are ready to get the process rolling. It is paramount that neither side gets bogged down by variables during this step. To ensure this doesn't happen, we have implemented practices that aid in continually moving the project forward. Taking a step back, finding any inefficiencies, and implementing a strategy based upon analysis, does the trick. The key is to continue asking the question, "Can we make this better and more efficient for us and our Partners?".

Maintenance Resources

The more YMCA Partners we have on the platform, the more maintenance requests we will receive. The internet is a living, breathing, ever-changing being. It is inevitable that our Partners will continue to submit maintenance requests in order to keep their sites looking and functioning at a top-notch level. Enter STATISTICS! Based upon historical data and analyzing trends, we have been able to align the appropriate development resources to effectively handle the bandwidth month-to-month.

All three of these areas play a large role toward our platform's progress. And many decisions made within these areas are backed by unbiased, numerical data. So, rather than catering to status quo because it may have worked in the past, we have chosen to rely on and continually make decisions based upon the data gathered.

"Paralysis by analysis" is definitely a thing, but we can't and won't be afraid to utilize the information available. And now, let's end with a quote.

“People in both fields operate with beliefs and biases. To the extent you can eliminate both and replace them with data, you gain a clear advantage.”
― Michael Lewis, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

Forward Together