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2022 is nearly over. The Starbucks cups are red again, Christmas songs have been on the radio for over a month already, and Lizzie from Marketing has already watched ‘Elf’ twelve times…
But Christmas time has come around again to brighten the dark months, and put some sparkle at the end of another year! So, here’s the Amplifi Christmas guide to getting the festive season right.
Manage, centralise, organise, and categorise. The four secret ingredients to a stress-free Christmas. First things first, what do you need to source and how will you source it? Are you opting for turkey from the butcher or the supermarket? Are you bulk buying Christmas presents online and what about those lovely tree decorations sold at the Garden Centre?
Start by gathering all the information you need before you start ordering everything online. Just like a data management system brings together data from different systems, software and databases, take some inspiration and streamline your shopping lists to match; keep it all written down in one place, and add the relevant retailer URLs and any important Xmas delivery information. Doing so will help keep track of everything you need to know by bringing the data together into a master document that – if necessary - several people can consult. Then, once you’re ready, start ordering. Chances are you’re making life harder (and more expensive) for yourself by Christmas shopping in dribs and drabs and not sharing the load.
Tip: With online shopping at our fingertips, and the choice of eCommerce brands who are upping their digital services to match their competition, why not streamline your Christmas Day plans (once you’ve organised what you need and by when) and arrange a couple of big online orders? That way, it’s all done and dusted in one fell swoop and booked way in advance of the big day.
Sorted your Christmas shopping but struggling to do the same with your data management? Our Master Data Management service will help, book a free consultation with one of our data management advisors today.
Not sure what to buy your sister’s kids this year? Chances are, they have outgrown everything they were interested in last year. What about your far away relative? And what about you, what do you want from Father Christmas? Gift shopping is never easy and somehow, it doesn’t get easier year-on-year. Which is why you need to PIM(p) your Christmas list – see what we did there? Product information management helps businesses organise their product information to ensure a single source of the truth. So, once you’ve done your research and worked out what you need to buy (and request) make sure all your gifting plans are kept together in one clear, concise list. By implementing a successful Christmas list PIM strategy, you can:
Tip: Keep your Christmas list in one place – whether that’s notes in your phone or a sheet of paper stuck to the fridge (as long as it doesn’t reveal any surprises) – and ensure everyone is working from a single, source of the truth. This way it’s easily distributed with various family members.
Got your shopping list locked down and in one secure place? Why not implement the same strategy for your data with our Product Information Management services?
When it comes to the big day itself, you can’t just shove a turkey in the oven. You need to check it fits in the oven (we’ve all been there), calculate the cooking times - at 20 mins per kilo, plus 90 mins, you may need to use your bathroom scales - get all the ingredients, put it in to brine 12 hours before cooking and work out whether you’ll need any help stuffing or even carving the thing. Managing how people and programmes (aka your kitchen helpers and oven) engage with the Christmas day feast is a lot like data governance. You need to think about the processes that will govern the food – how it’s prepared, cooked and eaten.
Tip: When it comes to turkey governance. Much like data governance – it's all in the three Ps. Preparation, process, and people. If the three Ps work together seamlessly, you’ll be cooking the best turkey of your life.
If you’ve ticked all the boxes on the turkey governance front, but need a pragmatic, step-by-step approach to data governance, our Data Governance as a Service will help you put an end to bad habits and getting everyone working towards the same data goals.
Remember last year, you had to turn the tree around to hide the lights that needed replacing? Well, you still put them back in storage on 1st January, with one string of lights even missing several bulbs. Out of sight, out of mind, right? So, don’t wait until Christmas Eve to hang out the lights - instead, get it all out now and do a thorough audit. After all, if your lights don’t offer the festive delights you’re after, you’ll only be left disappointed.
In business, data quality management checks that data is clean, consistent, accessible, reliable and in the right format before you start to do anything with it. Ensuring data is fit for purpose is the first step to achieving better business outcomes. Do your own quality check on lights and other decorations while there’s still plenty of time.
Tip: Don't make do – nobody wants broken lights hung around their Christmas tree – we want all singing and dancing, flashing, multi-coloured lights that work. And hiding the broken ones will only make the problem worse. The answer? Maintenance – look after your lights and they’ll look after the Christmas cheer. You can apply this approach to your data too.
Broken lights fixed and flashing in sync? Make your data do the same with our Data Quality Services and have confidence in your data.
So, you’ve drawn Derek from Accounts in the work secret Santa draw. Problem is, working at a super flexible company (you can see just how flexible Amplifi is here!), you’ve barely said 10 words to Derek – how do you know what to buy him? By turning to his closest work ally, Terry, that’s how. (Yes, you’ll be breaking the secret Santa rules but it’s okay, after the year we’ve had we think this kind of rule breaking is allowed!) Speak to Terry to find out whether Derek’s still golf mad or finally off his thorough no-sugar diet. In other words: ask for help. And it’s the same with looking after your data. Just like people, data changes all the time, and any data-driven business must learn how to adapt accordingly by working with data support specialists.
Tip: There’s never been a more appropriate time to reach out and ask for help – so don’t hold back.
Have you finally got Derek’s present in the bag but finding data changes difficult to keep up with? This is where our Data Support Services will help, our support and enhancement services connect data and people to make sure you consistently reach your commercial objectives with data.
At Amplifi, we understand that there have been 101 things to get sorted this year, and perhaps your data difficulties have been hiding in a box all year - having had a snowballing list of other priorities to contend with first - much like your Christmas decorations. But once they see the light of day, you’ll know it’s time for a change.
Make data your number one priority in 2023 with Amplifi. You can get in touch directly here, or download one of our favourite guides ‘Mixology: How making the perfect cocktail compares to Master Data Management' to find out how mixing cocktails and managing data match up, below.
