How To Change Data Into Actionable Decisions

This article was originally published in Forbes.

There’s no doubt that data is a driving force for every business in the age of digital transformation, but few stop to ask: Are we measuring what matters or just what’s easy to measure? “More activity” on a consumer app might sound like a win for any startup or global tech giant, until you realize the most used functionality is customer support. The hard truth: Not all data deserves a dashboard.

Too many data points create an opportunity for lines to be drawn between cause and effect that aren’t really there, creating more noise than insight. While many have reached the point of asking “What do we do differently?” when looking at subpar reports, more time should be spent determining what data points are truly actionable.

In a world overflowing with metrics, the teams that win are the ones that can look at a data point and say: Here’s what to do, here’s how fast to test it and here’s how we’ll know it worked.

Why Actionability Matters

We’re past the era of insight-for-insight’s sake. Data should direct action, not just show what happened. Data should tell a story and, wherever possible, connect with other data to reveal why something changed, not just that it did.

Yet in most organizations, data sits unused or misinterpreted because it lacks context, ownership or clarity. According to Forrester, "between 60% and 73% of all data within an enterprise goes unused for analytics," a staggering signal of untapped potential. Dashboards become scoreboards instead of control panels. That’s a problem—and a massive opportunity.

With analytics tools rapidly adopting AI and automation, moving from metrics to motion is now a competitive advantage. For companies wondering what to do with the hours saved by automation, KPI tuning is a strong start.

Introducing The Weekly Actionability Audit

Here’s a simple fix: Ask better questions more often. KPIs shouldn’t change weekly, but an audit of performance drivers for employees and the business as a whole shouldn’t wait for the annual retreat.

The following 12 questions can be used weekly over a quarter, one per week, applied across your most used reports, KPIs and dashboards. By the end of the quarter, you’ll know if the metrics you monitor are actionable and truly key to business performance. Some questions work across all data points; others fit best with a single KPI.

The 12 Questions That Make Data Actionable

1. What decision does this data help us make in the next 30 days?

If a metric doesn’t guide a near-term decision, it’s probably just interesting, not useful. Many organizations struggle here, with 77% of business leaders saying the dashboards and charts they receive do not directly inform their decisions.

Example: “Bounce Rate” might look bad, but if it’s not tied to a decision, it’s not actionable.

2. If this number changes by 10%, what actually happens to the business?

This forces you to tie metrics to tangible outcomes.

Example: If a 10% drop in customer acquisition cost (CAC) directly improves profit margins, that’s an actionable insight.

3. Who is responsible for acting on this metric?

If no one owns it, nothing gets done. Ownership turns metrics into momentum. According to Gallup, "only 21% of employees strongly agree they have performance metrics that are within their control."

Example: If churn is climbing and no one owns retention, that number won’t move.

4. What’s missing from this data that could change how we interpret it?

This question pushes teams to examine assumptions and surface blind spots.

Example: A spike in site traffic could be great, or meaningless, depending on quality.

5. Could we automate action based on this number?

This will test how reliable and predictable the data is.

Example: “Leads untouched for 7 days” should trigger follow-ups automatically.

6. Can we trust this data to be accurate and current?

If you’re doubting the data, you won’t act.

Example: Conflicting MQL numbers across tools kill confidence.

7. Have we run a test or made a change based on this metric?

If data doesn’t lead to experiments, it’s not driving growth.

Example: Open rates tracked for months without any subject line tests equals wasted insight.

8. Does this metric still fit our current strategy?

Priorities evolve, and your KPIs should, too. It’s critical to realign metrics with strategy: "Only 26% of senior managers strongly agree that their key performance indicators are aligned with their organization’s strategic objectives."

Example: “Free trial signups” may be irrelevant if you’ve shifted to an enterprise sales model.

9. What would happen if we stopped tracking this for a month?

This is a good test of importance. If nothing breaks, it might not matter.

10. Is this data updated often enough to guide our decisions?

Freshness drives relevance.

Example: Budget pacing requires daily data, not monthly.

11. Can we break this down by customer, channel or campaign?

Segmentation makes action possible.

Example: Knowing your ROAS by platform lets you reallocate spend. A blended view doesn’t.

12. What did we actually change last quarter because of this data?

The ultimate audit: Did this data change anything?

Example: If NPS dropped but no action followed, it wasn’t driving value.

From Measurement To Movement

These 12 questions provide a framework for turning measurement into momentum. Gartner reports that 65% of organizations use data "primarily to validate pre-made decisions," showing that many still treat dashboards as rearview mirrors.

To drive results, data must shape decisions in real time. That means prioritizing clarity, ownership and follow-through. When actionability becomes the standard for every metric, teams move faster, test smarter and stay aligned on what matters. The value isn’t in having more data; it’s in building a culture that knows how to act on it.

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