It was a pleasure to sit down with Janet Gehrmann, co-founder of Scoop Analytics, about the evolution of business intelligence (BI) tools. As the web site of Scoop Analytics explains, the product “makes it easy to turn complex data into actionable insights and dynamic presentations, all in one accessible platform.”
Janet highlights the need for user-friendly BI tools that integrate multiple data sources into a single dashboard, addressing the gap left by Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Looker. We discuss the challenges of maintaining data accuracy, the importance of “a single source of truth,” and the present and future role of AI in analytics. Janet emphasizes the necessity of understanding data sources, minimizing friction, and ensuring data compliance. We also touch on the impact of AI on data analysis and the need for continuous improvement in marketing and sales strategies.
Discussion points include:
- The catalyst for starting Scoop Analytics, highlighting the need for a BI tool designed for business operations personnel.
- The impact of Google’s transition from Universal Analytics to GA4 and how it affected market demands for analytics tools.
- The evolution of business intelligence tools from large companies like MicroStrategy and Oracle to more user-friendly tools like Tableau, Looker, and Power BI.
- The challenges marketers face with data warehouses and the need for a “single source of truth” in analytics.
- The analogy of treating analytics like accounting documents, emphasizing the need for comprehensive data.
- The challenges of setting up systems properly and the importance of iterating and improving over time.
- The importance of data compliance and the challenges of tracking all touchpoints in the sales cycle.
- The challenges of relying too heavily on AI for data analysis and the need for human oversight.
- The need for a cost-benefit analysis when adding new data sources and the importance of minimizing friction for users.
- The need for continuous improvement and the importance of asking the right questions about data.