From Reporting to Statistical Analysis
By Eric Conderaerts, Product Manager
Ample has been written about the need to effectively derive usage data from an integrated library system and other applications. As libraries have implemented bigger systems, and have offered more services to more users, reporting capabilities have followed suit. Yet the question of usability and in-depth analysis has largely been side-tracked and often neglected. Beyond an "out of the box" solution, reporting must address the ease in which users can obtain data and gain, for example, a comprehensive, useful understanding of the in-and-outs of how services are being used, when and by whom. In other words, traditional reporting does not suffice, but must extend into true statistical analysis.
Analysis of course is a very broad term, so the question really becomes about usability, audience and, in the end, actionable insights. To put it somewhat differently: how easy is it to obtain useful information, who are the people that need to learn something from the data, and what are the actionable insights that stakeholders -such as library directors, marketing staff or circulation staff -ultimately gain? When we think of analysis and analytical tools, we must think of these questions. For a tool to be effective and useful, it must provide relevant answers about diverse trends to various people in the organization.
As we set out to develop V-insight, our browser based statistical analysis solution, we did not just keep these points in mind -we kept them in place as the cornerstone of the new application. If we take the first point -usability -users evidently require that information is available at their fingertips at the right time and in the right format. V-insight provides libraries with canned and customizable automated reports that are easily generated through "click and pick" functionality and visual dashboard reporting. Users can then export the data in a variety of formats for use in a variety of applications.
The second point relates to audience. As with any organization,
multiple stakeholders require comprehensive information to introduce or
improve services and offerings to various customers. If we think of the
library director, he or she will need to see key performance indicators
and understand overall trends, such as in-library visits over time and
the popularity -or lack thereof -of newly introduced services.
Circulation staff, on the other hand, requires a more "narrow" focus
-understanding borrower statistics and trends as these pertain to
circulation or access services in particular. And then there are
selectors who need to understand the popularity of certain genres,
material types etc. in order to make the appropriate purchasing
decisions. In addition, marketing staff must know which customers to
target for specific actions, based on information that is delivered
through a few simple clicks. With V-insight, the right people have
permission-based access to information that is relevant to their
specific role in the organization. The library can easily define users
or groups of users who can access data at a functional level (e.g.
circulation statistics), at a regional level (e.g. per branch) or
report level (e.g. report X, Y, Z).
At the end of the day, however, it is all about actionable insights. What does the data mean and how can it be applied to drive decisions and improve the services that the library offers? For the library, V-insight is a key factor in driving business performance. As trends are presented quickly in a clear and coherent way, according to customizable criteria, libraries can easily understand the performance of key service areas and align these with the user?s expectations and experiences.
It is in this that V-insight offers libraries a vital benefit: through comprehensive and usable statistical analysis, libraries immediately enjoy accurate data upon which to base decision making. A lot rests on the ability to do just that. As libraries seek to expand their service offerings and compete for funds in the process, true statistical analysis will support - and even make - whatever case is at hand.
Eric Conderaerts, Product Manager
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