The transformative power of data.

In the digital age, whether we like it or not, everything we do, where we go, what we eat, and who we talk to all adds to the data that powers both business and the world with live in. From scheduling flights based on travel data, through to developing flavors of ice-cream based on consumer habits, data is a powerful tool for making informed decisions.

But the power of data does not lie in its mere existence – data is only useful if we gather the right information, collect it consistently, and interpret it correctly. That’s our passion and our competitive edge at @Catapult Print, because data analytics is enabling us to operate a lean and agile business, and provide information to our customers that helps them to do the same.

Follow the facts

When asked about the factors behind their success, lots of successful leaders will respond that following their gut instincts has been instrumental in helping them make the right choices.

Instincts are important, because they are driven by passion, and passion is critical to serving customers. But in an era where, so long as we invest in the right systems and processes, we can have a huge array of data at our fingertips, we shouldn’t be using a finger in the air to understand the commercial climate; we should be following the facts.

Data has been – and remains – a core tool for maintaining and refining our business at Catapult. We have invested in systems that track and monitor every job, from first order through to delivery, as well as every machine. All the information we could ever need is available to us in real time, and we don’t just gather it, we interrogate it, study it and use it to model insights into what we need to do next to support both our customers and our objectives.

Data isn’t a Magic 8 Ball that predicts the future with a set number of stock answers and an option to shake again if you don’t get the response you want. It’s a full landscape of information that can reveal the past, present, and future by showing you what’s gone well and not so well, giving you an overview of where you’re at, and helping you base decisions about what happens next on verifiable evidence of what’s gone before.

It doesn’t override gut instinct, but it does enable you to qualify and question your instincts, giving you clarity on decisions and why you’re making them, and enabling you to focus on the areas of greatest challenge or opportunity, rather than staying in your comfort zone.

A springboard for collaboration

One of the challenges of leadership is taking people with you as you drive growth and implement change. A good leader is able to tackle this by inspiring others and helping them understand the why that lies behind the what and when. If we throw data into the mix, it’s much easier to win hearts and minds and gain buy-in across the business, because the rationale is indisputable.

That’s an important way in which we use our at Catapult – to motivate, plan and inspire our team. We don’t use data as a tool to set unattainable targets or worry people that Big Brother is watching them; instead we use it to inform the team and enable them to feel part of our shared efforts to improve, exceed expectations, and succeed.

Added value for customers

Catapult customers benefit from the efficiencies, planning and cost reduction our data-enabled approach delivers at Catapult, that goes without saying. But the way we operate is not the only advantage that our data gives our customers.

Thanks to the data available from our machines, Catapult customers can access vital information at any time, selecting the information that is useful to them from their personalized Crystal dashboard, so that they can use it to inform their own decisions and planning. And we’ve recently introduced the Crystal+ app too, giving customers the potential to access all the management information they need on the go, from the cell phone in their pocket.

We know from talking to our customers just how valuable they find that functionality, because it helps them to gain insights into their own operations, allows them to track sales and procurement trends, and gives them increased visibility on their label stocks and forecasting.

Joining the dots

Whatever your leadership style may be, part of the role of a leader is to out the right resources in place and leverage those resources for the benefit of their business, their team and their customers. We’ve done that with data at Catapult, and the success we’ve achieved in delivering industry redefining short lead times and low costs indicates how effectively we’ve used our data not only to our advantage but to our customers’ benefit too.