The benefits of consistently collecting, analyzing, and acting on data are basically indisputable at this point in modern business evolution.
Teams that can get that data out in the open and use it to make business decisions, however, are the ones making waves in their industries.
The trouble is, collecting data within large enterprises — or even on medium-sized teams — can be a complicated undertaking. With multiple data collection points and no standardized system, survey chaos can quickly rear its ugly head.
Our team here at SurveyGizmo has seen this happen far too many times, so we’re proud to announce a new dashboard that will organize all your SurveyGizmo sub-accounts in one place, while also allowing administrators to maintain control over branding and billing.
Here’s why our new Master Control Dashboard should be at the top of your list of software upgrades this year.
How Data Drives Success
We readily admit to being survey and data nerds here at SurveyGizmo, but even we know that collecting data for the sake of data collection simply isn’t worth it.
If data remains hidden inside an account, it’s not worth the time and effort required to get it.
A 2016 study by Forbes Insights and SAS concludes that, “data-driven methods enhance revenue generation and enable cost reduction, as well as accelerate process efficiencies and quality improvements.”
This survey of 357 executives of large organizations also found that, “data-driven CX [customer experience] also enables organizations to better target and optimize for specific customers, as well as to deliver consistency and context across various channels.”
That’s a lot of benefits.
Run-Down of Data Benefits
So, let’s recap the up side of being data-driven:
- Enhanced revenue generation
- Cost reduction
- Accelerated process efficiencies
- Accelerated improvements to product quality
- Better customer targeting
- More likely to deliver consistently and contextually across multiple channels
Clearly, data-driven is the way to be.
But it’s not as simple as grabbing up all the information you can get your hands on.
Too many tools spread out across an organization creates survey chaos, and ultimately prevents you from acting on what you’ve learned.
Barriers to Becoming Data-Driven
This impressive list begs the question, “Why isn’t everybody doing this already?”
The answer: being truly data driven requires a systematic approach that makes data accessible to decision makers at the right time.
The Forbes/SAS study revealed that just under 50% of executives, “report that the majority of their relevant enterprise information is easily accessible.”
If data isn’t accessible, it isn’t actionable.
A lack of accessibility is one major hurdle; too many disparate tools and a lack of brand compliance are two other common issues we’re hoping to address.
The Perils of Survey Tool Creep
Most teams understand that they need to collect data, so oftentimes they grab whatever tool comes their way.
Maybe marketing uses on-site forms to put data into their marketing automation software, while sales uses another to keep their customer records updated in a CRM.
Customer service may collect feedback inside another system; outside research firms may use yet another set of advanced survey tools for their work.
Human resources doesn’t want to share their data with anyone, so they use a completely separate software.
None of these tools are connected, which means none of the data they collect can be viewed in aggregate. Sadly, no larger patterns that can drive business decisions emerge from the data.
Non-Branded Surveys Proliferate Rapidly
When this type of survey tool creep takes hold, it’s far too easy for various internal data collectors to release surveys that violate brand guidelines.
If those surveys are haphazard and low quality, they can do a lot of damage to an organization’s brand.
Not only that, but poorly designed surveys can pollute data, leading to decisions based on inaccurate information.
Executives and decision makers not only need to get real-time access to holistic data, they also need to know that unauthorized surveys aren’t compromising the integrity of data collection efforts.
Taming Survey Chaos With SurveyGizmo’s Dashboard
We’ve heard these problems from our customers, and we’re here to help.
The new Master Control Dashboard is available as an add-on for our Enterprise customers who want to get the benefits of data-driven decision making without the perils of tool creep or unbranded surveys.
Collecting Multiple Accounts in One Place
The main goal of this new dashboard is to give administrators a centralized repository for the sub-accounts they need to manage. They get a bird’s eye view of data collection activities, including inactive accounts.
Administrators can decide what kind of accounts each user needs, too.
If the marketing department needs more features and functionality than the customer service team, one can get a Professional account while the other gets Basic.
This ensures that you’re only paying for the account levels that you really need. You can also pre-pay for sub-accounts, or require the users starting those accounts to provide their own form of payment.
Keeping Data Collection on Brand
With the Master Control Dashboard, there’s no longer a danger of users getting carried away with fonts and colors in their surveys.
Administrators can restrict the images and colors available, and even require all surveys to use company-approved themes.
Maintaining Sub-Account Privacy
Finally, we understand that some sub-accounts will be collecting data that actually doesn’t need to be visible to an administrator.
For example, if your human resources team wants to collect employee feedback and reviews using their SurveyGizmo sub-account, they probably won’t be comfortable with an administrator seeing their activity.
We’ve included the option for individual sub-accounts to be marked as private, meaning that only users assigned to that particular account will be able to access its surveys and reports.
Breaking Down Barriers to Becoming Data Driven
Collecting insightful, actionable data across large teams and enterprise-level organizations can be challenging, but the benefits are undeniable.
We hope that our new dashboard will help you take the next steps toward empowering your decision makers with trustworthy, accessible survey data.
(p.s. The Master Control Dashboard is also a great tool for resellers and affiliates. You can learn more here!)