Editor’s Note: This excerpt was originally published in the Ask Our Experts section of PERFORMANCE Magazine Issue No. 26, 2023 – Data Analytics Edition. Islam Salahuddin, a business research analyst and data expert at The KPI Institute, answers, “How can organizations bridge the knowledge gap between data analysts and non-technical stakeholders and decision-makers?”

Bridging the gap between data teams and non-technical stakeholders should be a multi-way effort. 

From the technical side, data analysts first have to be aware of business needs and then adopt communication best practices. Insights should be delivered in the plain language of stakeholders, eliminating technical jargon and providing business context. Data storytelling techniques should be leveraged to ensure communication is engaging and persuasive.

From the side of stakeholders, having a high level of data literacy is key to avoiding communication gaps and insight misinterpretations that can lead to distorted decision-making.

Moreover, as hierarchical organizational gaps widen in larger businesses, having mediator roles can also be beneficial. These roles can be performed by experienced business analysts or specialized positions like data translators. Making room at the management tables for data-experienced managers and chief officers will bridge the gap more easily.

From a big-picture perspective, developing a wider data culture environment within an organization can eliminate such gaps on different levels. Business data maturity can only be achieved if business objectives are aligned with and then enabled by data uses, which highlights the importance of crafting a data strategy in alignment with the overall business strategy.

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The global data visualization market size hit USD 9.48 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 20.16 Billion by 2028. What is data visualization, and why is it so important?

Emergen Research attributes its optimistic forecast to the “generation of large data volumes and the rising need for multi-device access facilities.” It added that cloud computing and the need for fast decision-making, particularly during volatile times, are also accelerating the adoption of data visualization.

The rise of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) that help companies process data in 3D formats pushes the demand for cloud computing in data visualization, according to Emergen Research. These are further driving the market revenue growth.

The KPI Institute defines data visualization as “the visual representation of data, in order to better understand information and present it in a clear and effective manner.” Data visualization can help detect and analyze patterns, trends, and correlations.

According to the report “TDWI best practices report: Data visualization and discovery for better business decisions,” some of the benefits of data visualization are the improvement of operational efficiency, better response to business changes, identification of new business opportunities, and higher employee and partner productivity. 

Based on Emergen Research’s findings, the software segment revenue would increase steadily during the firm’s forecast period. Moreover, the standalone visualization software segment revenue is soaring due to the need to produce useful information from huge volumes of data. Such data usually comes nowadays from social media and other online platforms. “Use of data visualization software such as Oracle, tableau, and SAP made this approach feasible,” the forecast report states.

Developing and designing a visual representation is not a walk in the park. To communicate data visually and effectively, you need the right tools, knowledge, and expert guidance. 

The KPI Institute’s Certified Data Visualization Professional course teaches participants how to create better and more relevant reports and present intelligible data sets to decision-makers. If you would like to improve the visual communication within your organization, secure your slot on 21 – 25 February 2022 (EMEA: 09:00 – 13:00 GST and ASEAN: 13:00 – 17:00 GMT +8) by signing up here.