What roles and responsibilities do data visualization agencies manage?
Data visualization agencies turn raw data into meaningful insights to help businesses make excellent decisions. Their roles do not just end at creating graphs and infographics. Data visualization agencies also have to understand data structures, design user-friendly interactive dashboards, and make sure that the information presented is accurate and engaging. Here are some of the roles and responsibilities they perform:
- Data Analysis and Interpretation: Agencies examine and process large datasets to find trends and actionable insights and intuition that are important for business intelligence and decision-making.
- Dashboard Design: Data visualization agencies create engaging dashboards with the help of data visualization tools like Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, and Qlik. This helps businesses track real-time metrics.
- Data Cleaning, Organization, and Preparation: Data visualization agencies clean up raw data, arrange it, and prepare it for visualization. This makes data integration easy.
- Custom Data Visualization Development: Agencies help to build personalized graphs, reports, and infographics. Personalization depends on the request of the client and the industry involved, such as healthcare, e-commerce, and supply chain.
- Visual Analytics and Data Storytelling Methods: Business data are usually complicated, and this makes it difficult for stakeholders to understand them. However, agencies use visual analytics and storytelling methods to make complicated data easier for stakeholders to understand.
- Integration with Business Intelligence (BI) Tools: Data visualization agencies integrate visualizations into analytics platforms such as Microsoft, AWS, and CRM systems for better optimization and automation.
- Performance Enhancement: They handle performance enhancement to ensure that dashboards and reports load quickly and tremendously, even with big data and large datasets.
- Partnership with Data Science and Engineering Team: Data visualization agencies work with data scientists and data engineers to ensure that machine learning models and artificial intelligence-driven insights are effectively visualized.
- Training: Agencies usually provide training on software development tools like Python, SQL, and ETL processes to improve user experience with analytics platforms.
- Compliance and Data Security: They ensure that data management practices meet regional compliance standards, such as GDPR in Europe or security standards in Poland and beyond.
What should I include in my project brief before contacting a data visualization company?
A well-prepared project brief ensures that data visualization companies clearly get a full grasp of what you need and can adequately provide custom data visualization solutions. Here is what a well-prepared brief should contain:
- What You Aim to Achieve: Mention your goals and objectives with the data visualization project, such as improving CRM analytics or optimizing the data warehouse.
- Target Audience: Let the company know who will be making use of the dashboards and visual analytics, whether it is the executives or marketing teams.
- Data Sources: List the types of data sources you have and their origin, such as Excel, SQL databases, IoT devices, or cloud platforms like AWS and Amazon Redshift.
- Visualization Needs: Outline the various types of charts, graphs, and interactive dashboards you need.
- Interactivity Needs: Specify whether you want the deliverable personalised so that users can filter or maneuver real-time data.
- Tools of Choice: Mention the tools you prefer to be used for the visualization process, like Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, and Qlik.
- Data Size and Complexity: Highlight the size of your datasets and any complexities that the visualization company should be aware of, like data warehouse integration.
- Branding and Design Standards: If your company has a preference for a design style, let the data visualization service provider know about it. This would help to enhance user experience.
- Integration Needs: Be sure to explain if the visualization needs to be merged with existing business intelligence tools, analytics platforms, or even supply chain optimization software.
- Budget and Project Deadline: Be sure to include your budget for the project and when you expect to receive the final deliverable.
What questions should I ask a data visualization company before hiring it?
Before you hire a data visualization company, it is important to ask the following questions:
- What is your level of knowledge in my sector? Each industry has peculiar data challenges that may affect its data visualization needs. Thus, find out if the company has requisite knowledge in your specific industry, such as healthcare, e-commerce, and supply chain.
- Can you provide previous work and case studies? Review previous works and case studies, as this helps you assess the data visualization company's knowledge in visual analytics and data-driven decisions.
- What tools and technologies do you use? You should find out the tools and technologies they use. This would help you know if the tools are compatible with your analytics tools and data platforms.
- How do you handle data security and compliance? For businesses that handle sensitive information, it is important to know how the firm handles data security in real time.
- What is your data cleaning and preparation process? Find out the means the company uses to handle ETL processes and complex data.
- Can you integrate your visualization into our existing systems? The integration of visualization outcomes into existing systems ensures a smooth transition with Microsoft Power BI, AWS, SQL databases, or other BI tools.
- What Personalization level do you provide? Some data visualization firms provide businesses with fully personalized solutions. Others may not provide full personalization but rather use pre-built analytics platforms.
- Do you offer continuous support? Businesses may need continuous data visualization support. It is, therefore, important to find out if the firm provides long-term data analytics services.
- How do you determine the success of a data visualization project? You should look out for how the firm defines success for a data visualization project. This would help ensure that the firm focuses on the right metrics.
- What is your pricing and project deadline? The idea is to employ the services of an experienced data visualization firm that offers high-quality data analytics services at an affordable rate. Knowing the price model and the project deadline will help you set realistic expectations.
Should I choose a local data visualization company or consider outsourcing internationally?
Choosing between a local data visualization company and outsourcing internationally depends on factors such as budget, expertise, and collaboration preferences. Here are the pros of each option:
Pros of Choosing a Local Data Visualization Company:
- Easier Communication: Physical meetings and real-time collaboration are easier when working with a local data visualization company.
- Similar Time Zone: Working in the same time zone eliminates unnecessary delays in decision-making and data analysis.
- Better Knowledge of Local Business Environment: Local agencies may know better about industry-specific requirements for businesses within your region than an international counterpart and are more likely to meet compliance requirements.
- Fosters Stronger Relationship: Face-to-face communication helps to establish trust and meaningful collaboration.
Pros of Outsourcing to Another Region:
- Cost Savings: Costs may be reduced for businesses when they outsource to data visualization service firms in regions with lower labor costs.
- Access to Global Talent: Some of the best talent in business intelligence, machine learning, AI and data analytics may be located outside your region.
- Extensibility and Flexibility: Outsourced teams can scale up or down depending on the needs of the project.
- Round-the-Clock Work Cycle: Different time zones can enable continuous progress on data visualization solutions.
- Diversity: Exposure to global trends and visual analytics insights can enhance data-driven decision-making approaches.