Training all levels of your business to understand and use data is the new standard. 

While AI has stolen the spotlight when it comes to business efficiency and automation topics over the last few years, a subtle shift has been taking place alongside its adoption. As more operations embrace tools like generative AI to increase their business output, the people surrounding the technology are faced with a new challenge of maximizing returns from their new advantage. 

In the case of data and analytics, generative AI is increasing speed to insights at an unprecedented level –making data literacy an essential addition to today’s business culture. 

Earlier this year, Google released its Data and AI Trends Report 2024 that cites nearly two-thirds of data decision-makers expect a democratization of access to insights in 2024, and as much as 84% of its research respondents believe that GenAI will help their organization access insights faster.

"It's almost impossible to overstate how significantly GenAI has changed the technological landscape," the Google report said. "In the case of business intelligence (BI), as tools become more accessible, even non-technical team members will be able to benefit from these insights; driving productivity and disseminating knowledge faster than ever before. That means better data literacy across your organization, smarter decisions being made, and ultimately greater success in the market."

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What is Data Literacy? 

Data Literacy is a critical trend shaping the future of data analytics. The need for organizations and their employees at all levels to ask questions, seek patterns, and challenge assumptions when they look at data is the new standard for a data-driven business.   

Naturally, organizations with access to enormous volumes of business data can only deliver better business outcomes if they are able to extract meaningful and actionable insights from it. Their business growth is dependent on their employees ability to use the data more efficiently and effectively. 

Organizations that are on the forefront of embracing data literacy across their business are working toward future proofing their position in their market. Jordan Morrow, known as the "Godfather of Data Literacy", wrote the book Be Data Literate: The Data Literacy Skills Everyone Needs To Succeed about how to bridge the gap between knowing that you have data and knowing what to do with it. The book posits that it is not enough for a business to have the best data if those using it don't understand the right questions to ask or how to use the information generated to make decisions.

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How to Foster Data Literacy in Business 

Data-driven businesses are increasingly deploying activities and tools that their non-technical employees can use to understand and interpret data directly to enable better decision making. Some organizations are even deploying data literacy training to strengthen their business users abilities to work with data in meaningful ways.    

For example, data literacy training for employees can encompass foundational skill development to understand data sources, data collection methods, or data quality criteria. Additional areas could include data analytics tool specific training, role-based learning for executives about how to interpret data and use insights for decision making, data workshops, online courses, practice data storytelling, and more. 

Data literacy will empower business teams to investigate their company data directly and collaborate alongside their data team rather than operating in a silo. Seek AI is one recent technology example of generative AI that can encourage data literacy by automating and simplifying the process of extracting insights to the extent that every employee in an organization can work with data in meaningful ways.  

The more data literacy is embedded within your business culture, the better equipped your employees will be to use data analytics more effectively for driving better outcomes.