How to define an impactful data initiative
- Dave Findlay
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
At Fuse Data, we use a four-part process to move from strategy to action:
Define – What are we solving, why does it matter, and how will we know if it worked?
Align – How does this fit with other priorities? What should we do first?
Design – What will the solution look like? How do we make it usable and trusted?
Deliver – Build, validate, and iterate with the business fully in the loop.
This post focuses on the first stage: Define.
It’s where we turn raw feedback into a clear, shared understanding of the opportunity and the goals that we're building toward.
Define: What are we solving, and why does it matter?
Discovery gives you raw material, but raw insight doesn’t move anything on its own. You need to shape it.
Once you've run a few stakeholder interviews or working sessions, you’re usually left with a big wall of sticky notes. Requests, frustrations, goals, ideas — all valid, but not all equally important. And definitely not a roadmap.
This is where a lot of teams stall. The “we heard you” stage. And then… nothing.
So how do you take that raw input and turn it into something the business can actually say yes to?
Step 1: Pattern what you’re hearing
Start by organizing what came out of discovery using simple UX research frameworks like:
Affinity mapping: Group similar notes and observations to reveal recurring themes
Jobs-to-be-Done: Reframe what users are asking for in terms of the job they’re trying to accomplish
Pain-Gain mapping: Capture where the biggest friction lives — and where solving it would deliver real value
This isn’t just for clarity. It gives you language the business recognizes, and a more honest view of what matters most.
Step 2: Frame candidate opportunities
Now take your themes and begin to shape them into initiative candidates.
For each one, ask:
What is the specific problem we’re solving?
Who is the audience, and what do they need?
What will success look like for them?
How might we enable or accelerate that outcome?
Use framing tools like:
How Might We… statements
Problem/Opportunity/Impact frameworks
Or even just a simple one-liner: “We believe that [doing X] for [this group] will result in [this outcome].” This is actually my favourite and its harder than you think to get a group to agree on one sentence!!
The goal here isn’t to list everything you heard. It’s to focus.
Step 3: Prioritize (gently)
You don’t need to create a rigid prioritization matrix, but a light-touch framework helps.
We often use a modified RICE model:
Reach: How many people or decisions will this affect?
Impact: How much could this improve trust, efficiency, or clarity?
Confidence: How clear is the need? Can we deliver this?
Effort: What will it take to get something usable in front of people?
This helps separate high-value, high-urgency initiatives from interesting-but-not-now ideas.
Step 4: Shape into an initiative brief
At Fuse, we create a one-page initiative brief that includes:
The core problem or opportunity
Who it’s for
What success looks like
Initial solution direction (if known)
Risks or assumptions
What we’ll validate or prototype first
What's the RACI for our build and who owns the solution once its built
It’s not formal documentation. It’s a working agreement between data and the business.
And it creates alignment before we go anywhere near the technology stack.
Final Thought
Discovery without direction leads to drift. But when you shape insight into a clear, co-created initiative, things start to move.
And importantly: the business feels heard.
That’s how you build trust. That’s how you make strategy real.
Next week, we’ll move to step two: Align. This is where we look across the opportunities surfaced and decide what to prioritize and when to act.
At Fuse, we believe a great data strategy only matters if it leads to action.
If you’re ready to move from planning to execution — and build solutions your team will actually use — let’s talk.
