How data storytelling can drive change for OEMs

Companies have more data than ever before. But do your people use it to influence decisions, not just report stats? Most orgs invest millions in analytics and dashboards…but when it comes time to communicate insights, the story gets lost in translation. That’s because data storytelling isn’t only about charts and clarity. It’s about moving people to act. The Fortune 500 companies we train help their teams bridge this gap— from analysts who uncover insights, to leaders who use those insights to inspire change across the enterprise. We’ve identified three distinct levels every team must master on their data storytelling journey: Stage 1: Explore Teams at this stage analyze data accurately, identify patterns, and visualize them. Many stop there. Their data informs, but doesn’t influence. Stage 2: Explain Here, people start connecting dots. They explain the “so what,” shaping insights, guiding decisions through clear, story-structured data recommendations. Stage 3: Inspire This is where storytelling transforms leadership. Data becomes a catalyst for strategic alignment, cultural shifts, and enterprise-wide transformation. Most organizations have brilliant analysts… …only a few have true data storytellers who can lead transformation from insight to action. If you want to see the skills that build on each stage and develop your teams, ping me and/or download our free Skills Roadmap for Data Storytelling (link in the comments). It’s a practical self-assessment tool that shows: - The capabilities your people need at each stage - The mindset shifts that turn analysts into advisors and advisors into leaders - The exact communication and storytelling skills that drive organizational change Your data can drive incredible outcomes... …if your people communicate the right stories to drive transformation. #datastorytelling #businessstorytelling #leadershipcommunication

Most organizations think data is a project. It’s not. Data is a 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲, or it’s useless. After decades helping businesses turn raw numbers into strategy, I’ve seen the same mistakes repeatedly: • Companies collect mountains of data… but leadership still makes gut-based decisions. • BI teams build dashboards and reports that impress internally, yet rarely influence outcomes. • Waiting for “perfect data” or “perfect models” leads to paralysis. Bold decisions don’t wait. • Scattering effort across hundreds of KPIs dilutes impact. Focus on the handful that 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. The question every leader should ask: 𝘋𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰? If not, it’s noise. Stop building reports. Start building decisions. Data isn’t numbers. Data is 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. . #DataWithFred . #DataDriven #Leadership #BusinessIntelligence #DecisionMaking #DataStrategy

What if your analytics capabilities could be exponentially enhanced without adding more resources? AI-powered analytics tools are reshaping the landscape of business intelligence, but are we leveraging them effectively enough? Many organizations still rely heavily on outdated manual reporting processes. This bottleneck not only slows decision-making but also leads to analyst burnout. One company I worked with in the retail sector struggled with week-long report generation cycles. After implementing an AI analytics tool, they reduced this to real-time insights. The result? Informed leadership decisions that improved margins by 15% within the first quarter. Yet, the challenges remain—cross-team misalignment continues to hinder data-led initiatives. Data engineers need to work hand-in-hand with analysts and business leaders to establish clear, shared objectives and KPIs. Otherwise, we risk building solutions that don’t resonate with the actual needs of the business. Is your team facing similar hurdles with analytics? Let’s discuss how intentional collaboration and innovative tools can help unlock greater data value! #DataAnalytics #BusinessIntelligence #AIanalytics #CloudTechnology #Leadership #DataEngineering #AnalyticsTools #DataStrategy Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated post. Can make mistakes.

When Data Tells a Story: The Art of Business Analytics in Decision Making We often say, “Data never lies.” But in reality, data doesn’t speak — until an analyst gives it a voice. Every dashboard, every number, and every trend hides a story waiting to be told. And that story can change the direction of an entire business. In the world of Business Analytics, it’s never just about crunching numbers — it’s about uncovering insights that move people, inspire strategies, and drive impact. I’ve learned that great analysts don’t just analyze data — they translate complexity into clarity and make leaders see what others miss. That’s the true power of analytics: 1. Turning information into intuition. 2. Turning trends into transformation. 3. Turning numbers into narratives that fuel growth. Because when data tells a story — decision-making becomes an art. What’s one insight you’ve discovered lately that changed the way you look at your work? #BusinessAnalytics #DataDriven #Strategy #Leadership #Big4 #DataStorytelling #DecisionMaking #Innovation #DigitalTransformation

Data-driven: such a buzzword, or a journey for maturity? 🤔 Being data-driven isn’t just about having dashboards or KPIs everywhere. It’s about how productive and effective a company can be in generating insights that truly guide decisions. It raises questions like: Should we adopt a centralized or decentralized model? Is the company culturally ready for decentralization? Is the data strategy clear and well communicated? Are production standards defined and understood? Do people know where to find data and how to use it responsibly? Is data ownership clear, and are we avoiding duplicated efforts? What makes a data team a great team? Becoming data-driven isn’t a one-time transformation. It’s a journey toward maturity. It’s about creating an environment where data is treated as a shared, trusted product and where teams have both the autonomy and responsibility to use it to drive measurable outcomes. 👉 How would you describe a truly data-driven organization in your context? #DataCulture #DataStrategy #Analytics #Leadership #DecisionMaking #DataMesh #DataProducts #Data

Managers think they need better reports. But what they really need… is better data understanding. I’ve seen this happen countless times. A team spends weeks fixing dashboards tweaking visuals, building new KPIs, or chasing perfect metrics. But deep down, The problem was never the report itself. It was the understanding behind the numbers. When data is misunderstood, insights become misaligned. And when insights are misaligned, decisions go wrong beautifully formatted, but fundamentally flawed. Better data doesn’t always mean more data. It means understanding what data means, how it’s defined, and how it connects to business outcomes. That’s where data management and governance come in not as compliance checkboxes, but as enablers of confidence, context, and clarity. Because when leaders understand data, they stop chasing reports… and start leading with insight. At MDIS, our pathways are built to close this gap turning managers into informed data leaders. #DataCulture #Leadership Have you ever seen a decision go wrong because the data was misunderstood?

Your data team could be your secret recipe... If they had the right leadership! Here’s the reality: You’ve invested in tools, talent, and tech, but your data team is still stuck in the weeds, drowning in requests, reacting to problems, and struggling to be heard where it matters. Sound familiar? The issue isn’t their skills. It’s that no one’s showing them how to lead. Without the right guidance, even the brightest data minds end up: . Buried in execution instead of driving strategy. . Speaking "data" while the business speaks "results." . Fighting fires instead of predicting them. You didn’t build this team to just keep up. You built it to get ahead. The fix? Leadership that turns data from a cost center into a growth engine. That’s what I do.. I help data leaders: ✔️ Shift from order-takers to strategists, so they’re solving problems before they happen. ✔️ Align data with business goals, so every project moves the needle. ✔️ Build influence, so their insights don’t just land in reports, they land in decisions. Here’s the question: What if your data team didn’t just support your goals—but accelerated them? Let’s talk about how to make that happen. DM me or comment below, I’ll share how we can unlock your team’s full potential. #DataLeadership #FutureOfData #LeadWithData #DataDrivenDecisions #UnlockPotential #FromDataToImpact #FutureOfData #DataDrivenLeadership #LeadTheChange #TrustYourVision Data is Life consulting

Data is telling a story. So, get better at storytelling. Too often, leaders open a report and immediately look for what is red. They search for what is off target, ask for a quick explanation, and move on. It can appear like delegation or even be masked as trust, but often it is something else entirely. Sometimes it reflects an unwillingness to sit with what the data is really saying. Slow down. Reporting does more than flag problems. It reveals alignment, habits, and culture. As someone who delivers reporting, I have the responsibility to tell the story behind the KPI dashboard. The question is not simply “What is the data showing?” It is “What is it showing about us?” Numbers alone do not create understanding. Leaders do.

🎯 Decision stress bogging you down? Let's unveil how Business Intelligence might be the relief you’ve been yearning for! Imagine playing chess, except your pieces move entirely based on instinct. It’s chaotic. Now, swap instinct with insightful data. That’s what BI does for business leaders! Here's a myth buster: BI isn’t just for tech giants. Even small businesses can leverage it for significant gains. • Spotting Trends and Patterns: Consider it like viewing a city's skyline from above. BI reveals the bigger picture, unveiling what’s hot and what’s not. Example? A clothing retailer discovered a rising demand for eco-friendly products and adjusted their inventory accordingly. • Enhanced Customer Experience: Tailored customer interactions based on deep insights can be likened to a personal concierge service. BI tools help design personalized experiences boosting loyalty and retention. When John, an e-commerce entrepreneur, personalized his email campaigns using BI data, the engagement rates skyrocketed. Customers felt seen and valued. Here's a path forward with BI: 1. Embrace Data Culture: Cultivate an environment where decisions driven by data are the norm, not the exception. 2. Engage with Experts: Whether it's hiring a BI consultant or training internally, ensure you have proficient hands steering the ship. 3. Iterate and Learn: BI is continuous. Analyze your decisions' outcomes and recalibrate strategies if necessary. 💬 Have BI tools shifted your decision-making paradigm? Share your experiences and insights below! #BI #DataAnalytics #Leadership #FutureofWork #TechStrategy