This post is part of the Talk Data to Me series exploring relationships—the data and business intelligence type.
We’ve picked back up our Talk Data to Me series Q&A-style. We talked to a few of our valued customers that are data powers users for their association, and each of them had their own opinions to share about business intelligence. In Part 1, we talked to Erika Shea at Boston Society of Architects.
Next up…
Data Power User: Hala Hluchoweckyj, Systems Manager, Southern Gas Association
ACGI: Give it to me straight. Describe your working relationship with data.
HALA: My role is to support all aspects of our organization’s needs with regard to our association management system. This also includes providing management and support staff with reports and processes that can make their jobs more effective.
ACGI: Let’s talk about your organization. What are some business drivers that prompted your organization to invest in and make use of business intelligence?
HALA: In our very mobile environment, we needed a solution that staff at varying technical levels and locations could use easily to access the information they’d need, be it basic roster-type reports or other reporting metrics.
ACGI: How is your organization using data and analytics?
HALA: Beyond standard reporting for rosters and registration tracking, we monitor year-over-year results for events and memberships, track levels of engagement from our member companies, utilize custom distribution lists for e-communications to reach specific audiences more easily, and periodically audit how our e-communications are tracking for opens, click-thrus, etc. Having it all in one application certainly simplifies that information gathering process.
ACGI: What are some benefits you’ve realized from your use of business intelligence?
HALA: A valuable feature is report scheduling; our executive staff appreciates finding reports automatically delivered regularly via their email inbox. The ability to create custom distribution list queries for E-communications is a big time saver for staff and also helps minimize redundant communications of the past. I’d like to explore creating other levels of sophisticated reporting, such as multi-layered drill-thru reports, etc. as we have time in the future. In the meantime the ability to directly open an account thru ID links in a report are nice and can be useful. We’re not at a true BI level of use but hope to grow there someday.
ACGI: What are some challenges you’ve had to overcome?
HALA: It’s sometimes a challenge to understand why some of the data results, derived through Business Objects as well as a few standard reports, aren’t what’s expected. So it does require some understanding of the data relationships and sometimes query techniques to guarantee accurate results.
ACGI: What advice would you offer other association professionals who are thinking about investing in utilizing business intelligence?
HALA: Good business intelligence is really powerful, but it’s definitely an investment. You need to evaluate what your needs are first, now and in the future preferably, if you have staff that will be able to produce and utilize it properly, and whether that cost/benefit is appropriate for your organization.
Join the data conversation on Twitter @ACGISoftware, #TalkData2Me. We also welcome feedback and blog suggestions, so let us know if you have a story to contribute to the Talk Data to Me series! If you missed the first post of the series, The Layered Look—Stylin’ Your Data Wardrobe, check it out here. Look for Part 3 of our Q&A session coming soon!
