3 Ways User-friendly Data Tools Can Help your Team

Compiling and analyzing data has traditionally been perceived as a complex and “fearful” task, but modern data tools have made this process much easier.  

By introducing user-friendly data tools, such as the data analytics and visualization solution that is Astrato, data teams and the wider business at large, can begin to see the benefits of using data, helping them to overcome their fears. 

To showcase what a difference using user-friendly software can make, we at Astrato have outlined 3 of the biggest benefits of using user-friendly data tools throughout your business. So, whether you’re a team leader trying to convince your team to embrace change, or a senior manager attempting to secure funding for a new, more effective, Cloud-based analytics solution, here are three ways that user-friendly data tools can help your business to achieve its goals.

Better & Faster Analysis

At Astrato we pride ourselves on creating innovative and industry-leading solutions. User-friendly data tools such as ours allow for better and faster insights at lower costs.

It is no secret that data is potentially a business’s greatest asset, yet what many fail to understand is that it’s not only the quantity of data that is important but also the quality of said data and the speed at which it can be utilized that is of real value. 

The Astrato platform, for instance, has writeback capabilities that allow data teams to edit and adjust data on the fly quickly. The writeback feature is particularly user-friendly as it allows data teams to modify data in one central location, rather than diving out of their analytics solution to modify a particular piece of data. As a result of being able to edit and adjust data on the fly, data teams can save time and produce faster analytics.

However, while writeback is indeed game-changing, perhaps the most user-friendly feature that businesses can’t live without is live data. Live data, such as that compiled by Snowflake’s Data Cloud, allows for real-time insights and live data querying that fundamentally changes the way data analysis and business intelligence are done. 

Applicable across a wide range of industries, real-time insights give you direct access to your data as it currently exists, giving your business the power to create its own narrative and stay one step ahead of the competition.

Ease of Use 

As the term suggests, being ‘user-friendly’ should mean that it is easy to use. In the past, data analysis was often conducted by external businesses and teams, consisting mostly of specialized data scientists. These dedicated and highly skilled analysts would painstakingly comb through company databases and even non-digital archives, in order to compile their data analysis. Thankfully, a lot has changed since then, and so too has the world of data analysis.

Modern business intelligence no longer requires dedicated, external scientists. Instead, data analytics is easier to understand, more user-friendly than ever, and can even be done using smart, and intuitive visualized data dashboards such as Astrato Workbooks.

In addition to using easy-to-understand data dashboards, some data analytics solutions, such as Astrato, are also fully Cloud-based, allowing your team to access data wherever they are. 

Cloud-based data analytics solutions have several advantages over local installations. The first major benefit comes in the form of costs. 

Many local solutions are complex and resource-intensive, which further adds to their overall cost. Businesses will need to invest heavily to procure servers as well as buy and maintain hardware and the required security software (both at a workstation and server level) to ensure that their data is kept secure. In addition, local solutions also come with a far higher risk factor as depending on the size of your company, having a permanent data analysis team might not always be cost-effective. 

However, while you could, in theory, contract a data team as and when needed, they’ll have to learn your bespoke system and data structure before they’re even able to conduct any analysis, costing your business valuable time and money. Using a Cloud-based analytics solution meanwhile allows your business to have a more fluid data team that can easily adapt to the onboarding process of a widely-used product such as Astrato. 

Data Tools Save You Time

In addition to onboarding, Cloud-based solutions can save your company a considerable amount of money, as the only thing you need to get started is an internet connection. Provided you have a stable internet connection. The rest is all taken care of by the analytics provider.

Another key benefit of the Cloud is, of course, the setup speed. With data analytics in the Cloud, the setup is virtually instant. Setting up your analytics for the first time or adding new team members can all be done in minutes. Meanwhile, using a local solution, you might run into a series of problems regarding the setup and access, especially if your IT team does not operate in-house.

Lastly, one of the final benefits of Cloud analytics is the ability to say goodbye to bottlenecks from legacy systems. Using a Cloud solution enables your business to take advantage of the most up-to-date hardware for a fraction of the cost of buying said hardware locally. Additionally, the secure, always-connected, online nature of the Cloud makes it safer and easier for data teams to collaborate and share data across departments. 

Regardless of whether you are an anti or pro-remote working executive, using Cloud-based data tools enables remote and hybrid working solutions to thrive. Cloud-based analytics means that data teams no longer have to sit within an office together, which depending on the size of your team, could also vastly reduce your business energy costs.

Reliable Results 

User-friendly data tools such as Astrato can help businesses make correct and confident decisions that are backed up by reliable data. Harnessing the power of live data, data teams can look at data as it arrives, as opposed to simply relying on historical data that might be days, months, weeks or even years old. 

In practice, this means that a data team can isolate data to certain periods and help to create a more accurate, up-to-date picture of the situation at hand. 

If we look at the Retail industry, for example, data analysts can use tracking data on their websites or apps to accurately see what types of products customers are shopping and searching for at any given time. Using this data, data teams can present their findings to the relevant management or product teams, who can then begin pivoting and making products to cater to current market trends and demands.

Confident Decision-Making, Powered by Astrato

As highlighted above, data analysis and the use of data can have a significant impact on business as a whole. 

When used correctly, live data querying provides real-time insights that often prove invaluable when it comes to helping C-suite executives make confident and business-critical decisions. 

Interested in what Astrato can offer your business? Why not book a demo and try Astrato for yourself today?