At Tractor Zoom, we're fortunate to partner with leaders in agricultural equipment and financing to help uncover opportunities where data can transform their business processes.

While we know one size doesn’t fit all, we’ve identified three attributes that consistently amplify the power of data within an ag business, and how companies of any size can implement them.

If you’re just starting to implement a data strategy or you’re working toward better adoption amongst your team, fostering a culture of curiosity is key.

We recommend first assessing how data is used in your business today and finding out what your team needs. It’s easier to foster productive curiosity if there is a well-defined challenge to overcome. Ask what decisions your team is making and what data they need to do so. Conduct interviews, send out surveys, and follow up to ensure your data strategy is understood and in alignment with your business strategy.

Then, stay curious. Continue asking questions: Is the data correct? Does it represent the scenario accurately? Is it actually helping you to accomplish your needs like you thought it would? If not, what’s missing?

 Leading by example and developing a process to listen to your team will encourage others to dig in, adapt, and pursue the right processes. After all, you can have the best technology, but if it doesn’t fit the needs and work style of your team, it isn’t worth the investment.

Time, money, staff, and other resources may always be tight, so we know it’s crucial to invest all of these appropriately, especially when you’re taking on new technology. Cloud-based solutions can be a great option that allows for scalability and flexibility in any size of business, and then can grow with you over time.

As you evaluate different data capture technologies and processes, keep in mind the 1-10-100 rule:

It costs $1 to clean your data before it enters your system, it would cost $10 to clean that same amount of data after it's already in your system, and it would cost you $100 to deal with the implications of that bad data if it remained in the system. 

Knowing this, you can enhance the data quality process on an affordable growth path that shows positive returns while ensuring the data you are working with is accurate, consistent, and reliable.

Turning data insights into action is the name of the game. In your organization, ensure you’re institutionalizing data-based decisions into a process that’s easy to use. Set up periodic feedback sessions to measure how quickly your team is able to digest and act on the information. Then make incremental adjustments to improve the process. 

While you’re fostering the culture of curiosity and continuous improvement, also look to other industries for examples of how businesses analyze data and implement the insights they gain.

A strong data strategy can help any size of business evolve as the market does, as technology advances, and as business practices change. Start building your data foundation with these three attributes and reach out to us to learn more about how your organization can magnify the power of your existing data with the Tractor Zoom database and Tractor Zoom Pro platform.