“Data projects never change anything”
COO · Data and analytics
A COO who has seen data projects take a year without changing how anyone works is sceptical of another big programme, and has good reason to be. Don't propose one. Start with one decision: ask which weekly decision would change if they had the answer on Monday morning.
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.
What the buyer says
We've had data projects before. They took a year, and nobody changed how they work.
How to handle it
Listen
Hear "took a year" and "nobody changed". The scepticism is about long programmes that never reach the front line.
Acknowledge
Agree that long data programmes often fail to change behaviour, and that another one isn't what they need.
Explore
Ask which weekly decision would change if they had the answer on Monday morning: staffing, stock, pricing, scheduling. Ask who makes it, what they use today and what a better answer would be worth.
Respond
Propose starting with that one decision and the people who make it, with a short time to first value. Agree how you'd know it worked before expanding.
Say this
“That's fair. A year-long project that changes nothing isn't worth repeating.”
Say this
“Which weekly decision would change if you had the answer on Monday morning?”
Say this
“Who makes that decision today, and what do they use?”
Variations
- Head of Operations: “Our last data warehouse project is still not finished.”
- Managing Director: “I've seen plenty of dashboards. Show me something people actually use.”
Questions people ask
How do you respond when a COO says data projects never change anything?
Agree that long programmes often fail to change behaviour. Ask which weekly decision would improve with a better answer on Monday morning, then propose starting with that one decision and agreeing how to measure it.
Why do data projects fail to change how people work?
Often because they focus on building data platforms rather than on specific decisions and the people who make them. Starting with one decision tends to show value sooner.
More objections in Data and analytics
- “Moving would mean rebuilding everything”
- “Our budget is going on AI, not analytics”
- “We've just standardised on one BI platform”
- “People still make decisions in spreadsheets”
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.