How to measure success in your data and analytics programs.
- Dave Findlay
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 12
In data and analytics, it’s common to hear things like:
“This project will increase sales.”
“This dashboard will reduce churn.”
“This platform will drive efficiency.”
Maybe. But maybe not.
We don’t control market timing.
We don’t control competitor behaviour.
We don’t control what someone posts online.
Trying to directly tie a data initiative to a business KPI is tempting, but often misleading. You can support outcomes. You can influence them. But you can’t control them.
So what can you measure?
At Fuse, we take a different approach.
We don’t try to own the outcome.
We try to own the conditions that make outcomes possible.
That means asking:
Can we make it easier for people to get the data they need?
Can we increase their confidence in what they see?
Can we reduce the time and effort it takes to act?
If the people using the tools are more effective, the business results will follow.
What That Looks Like in Practice
In a recent engagement, we built a new sales analytics data product on Snowflake that focused on usability, trust, and speed.
Here’s what we measured:
A 60% improvement in ease of accessing data
A 23% increase in confidence in data quality
A 16% increase in usefulness of insights
3 to 5 hours saved per person, per week
Those are real, tangible gains. And they’re a direct reflection of how we made life better for the people doing the work.
And what happened as a result?
Because the data was easier to access, more trusted, and made insights easier to discover, the client identified a major enterprise customer who was significantly underpaying compared to the market average.
That insight led to early negotiations — and an 85% increase in contract value on renewal.
Did the data project drive revenue? No.
It gave professionals the information they needed, to use their skills, to drive revenue.
The Real Job of a Data Team
You don’t move the KPI.
You help the people who do.
Success doesn’t come from tools. It comes from what people do with them — and whether they’re set up to succeed.
So instead of asking, “Will this initiative drive revenue?”
Try asking, “Will this make someone’s job easier, faster, or more effective?”
Because that’s where the real impact lives.
At Fuse, we believe in making data strategies real.
If you're ready to build for real impact, let’s talk.
