In business and education you need to see measurable results. In education, it is a bit more challenging to identify successes in learning. There are many variables that make up the equation. In the construction business you can look at economic trends and building starts. Both industries look at large amounts of data and try to find the important pieces that will help identify success. Data is a big challenge, especially as we gather more data about everything!
I am working on several “learning” projects at PlyGem. I love that Lee includes me in many different stages of her product and organization. One project I am working on is to help the sales force identify good leads and opportunities using a construction database. This database is a bit overwhelming and NOT user friendly. I am overwhelmed at times because I do not understand the construction lingo. The reps are overwhelmed because there is so much data and you need to spend time verifying what is “good” data.
Well, I enjoy a good challenge and this is a good challenge. I had a conference call with the sales team to identify the biggest challenges they see with this database and what an ideal experience would be. Are they able to get the specific info they need or is it too broad? Is the data worthwhile? How can I help make it a usable resource for the team? I had several action items from this meeting so I spent a bit more time digging thru the reports and data. (I”m also brushing up on my Excel skills as well.)
I called the database company’s support team to help me with some of the nuances of the system. I didn’t get much help. I guess they customer support team was more of a “how to fix the program” instead oft “how can I create searches to use all the data in your database”. UGH.
My next stop was to call the sales rep to see if they had someone who could help me with my questions. I was then referred to the person who really knows how to use the program. I was invited to a Webex session — but not until NEXT WEEK! So, I will make sure I have all my questions ready.
The saga continues. I want to get this information to the sales team soon, but I do not have all the answers to my questions. I want to help them get the information so they can do their job, not spend hours figuring out a database. I love that I am learning so much… about everything!
My biggest reward came during the introductions on the sales conference call. They all said they appreciate me and that I will be spending time getting this information for them. Appreciation is all it takes sometimes!!!