Making quick and informed decisions is crucial to stay ahead in today's fast-paced, data-driven world. As we generate vast amounts of data, transforming it into actionable insights has never been more important than now. However, how do we turn all that information into something meaningful?

Enter data visualisation—your secret weapon for transforming large and complex datasets into clear and actionable insights. 

What is data visualisation and why does it matter?

Simply put, data visualisation is the graphical representation of data and information. By using visual elements such as charts, graphs, and maps, individuals and organisations can interpret and understand patterns and trends from their complex and large datasets. These visuals make it easier to notice important insights and changes that could be hidden in a sea of raw data.

By simplifying data using visuals, individuals and organisations can make data-driven decisions quickly and effectively. Whether it's assessing the performance of businesses, understanding the behaviours of customers, or anticipating future trends, data visualisation empowers businesses to make informed decisions with clarity and confidence. Md. Taimur Islam, Data Science Manager at Banglalink, states, "Visualisation deciphers the hidden code of data, transforming complexity into clarity."

How data visualisation impacts decision-making in business

Data visualisation has become a game-changer for organisations, drastically changing how companies approach the decision-making process. Here's how.

Clear insights and swift decision-making: Md. Abu Saleh Ovi, Principal Data Engineer at local fintech company NEXT Ventures, points out, "Visualisations simplify complex data which enables faster and more informed decisions." Whether you're analysing sales trends or assessing marketing campaign performance, visualisations allow important metrics to be understood at a glance, enabling quicker and more informed decisions.

Identifying trends and patterns: Atiqul Islam Chowdhury, Senior Data Analyst at NEXT Ventures, highlights, "In my experience, data visualisation has been key to effective decision-making. It clarifies complex information, making it easier to understand trends and patterns. Visuals facilitate faster comprehension, enabling quicker reactions to market changes." Spotting these trends and patterns in raw data could take hours of analysis, but with visual tools, people can identify critical trends instantly in real-time.

Improved collaborative understanding: One of the most valuable aspects of data visualisation is that it simplifies the communication of complex ideas. Ovi states, "Non-technical stakeholders can understand and engage with data-driven insights. Visuals are more impactful than raw numbers, making it easier to convey insights across teams." A simple visual can convey what could take paragraphs of text to explain, making it easier for both technical and non-technical stakeholders to grasp.

Decisions based on real-time insights: With the help of real-time dashboards, organisations can respond timely to changing circumstances. Dashboards allow for quick responses to changes in the market, making sure that companies are always informed and ready to adjust as needed.

How to build your data visualisation foundation

For those who are new to data visualisation, getting started might feel overwhelming. However, by following a few simple steps, you can easily incorporate this skill into your workflow:

Get comfortable with SQL: Ovi suggests, "SQL is the backbone of data analytics and visualisation. Before jumping into tools, ensure you have a strong grasp of SQL queries, data extraction, and database management." A solid understanding of querying data and managing databases will set you up for success when you begin to use visualisation tools.

Build simple projects: Start with small datasets that are easy to understand and analyse. Atiqul recommends, "Focus on clear and concise visualisations, avoiding unnecessary complexity. Share your initial efforts with colleagues and gather feedback to refine your approach. Continuously explore new techniques and tools to expand your data visualisation skills." By choosing to build simple projects, you'll gain confidence and slowly refine your skills before taking on larger and more intricate datasets.

Focus on storytelling: Data visualisation is more than just creating charts and graphs; it's about telling a meaningful story. Taimur emphasises, "Focus on clarity over complexity. Learn the basics of storytelling with data before diving into advanced tools."

Explore and test out different tools: There is no one-size-fits-all tool when it comes to data visualisation tools, so you need to experiment with different tools. Tools like Tableau Public, Google Looker Studio, Microsoft Power BI, and Metabase are great for beginners. For those who are comfortable with coding, Python libraries like Matplotlib and Plotly provide greater flexibility and more customisation options.

Prioritise accurate and clean data: Before diving into visualisations, clean and prepare your data. Accurate data is the key to generating reliable insights, and investing time to clean your data will ensure better visualisations and more effective decisions.

From data to action

The real strength of data visualisation lies in its ability to uncover actionable insights. Atiqul shared an example from his work: a dashboard designed to help his organisation easily identify customer profiles. By pulling data from various sources, the dashboard allows the team to swiftly assess customer behaviour and their profiles to make informed decisions.

Similarly, Taimur described how a customer usage monitoring dashboard revealed a decline in data and voice usage, which was linked to a price increase in data and voice packages. By visualising historical trends, the root cause was identified, and that led to the introduction of flexible bundling options to improve customer retention.

As such, data visualisation is a game-changer for businesses aiming to succeed in a data-driven world. By transforming large and complex datasets into clear and actionable insights, it empowers organisations to make faster, better, and more informed choices.