One of your company’s most important resources is its data. The information your company collects can come from various sources such as research, work projects, and even feedback. No matter the source, this information is valuable because it can be used to shape future business strategies and project development. However, a common issue companies encounter is how to store and access all the information that is collected. A user research repository can be a useful way to organize data and make it accessible.
What is a User Research Repository?
A user research repository is, in the most simple terms, a central location for data collection. It can make use of many types of tools and software platforms, but the key purpose is to collect and share company data. A repository makes it easier for employees to record discoveries and new information on projects or research and make it accessible for others. This increases origination and makes information sharing more transparent.
Why This Is Important
A lot of companies don’t have a clearly defined system in place for information sharing. This can create issues with common day-to-day business activity, including the following.
- Data Siloing: data silos are a very well-known issue in the corporate world and were far more common before the internet and cloud computing became commonplace. Data silos still exist, however, and present many of the same issues. With information being stored in local databases (or on employee hardware) accessing it is very difficult. This results in situations where important choices are made without all the proper information.
- Old Information: company data and research is updated every day, sometimes every hour. Without a central location for information, these changes may not be known by the rest of the company. With a repository in place, changes are recorded in real-time and employees company-wide have access to the newest information.
- Things Are Hard To Find: disorganization wastes company resources such as time. Nearly every employee has a story about having to take valuable time trying to find a document or piece of information that was saved in some random folder. A repository gives you a starting point to look for information and, with search tools, this greatly speeds up the process by helping you find what you need.
- Cobbled Together Systems: without a central repository in place, employees will often implement their own systems to keep track of information and daily activity. This makes things a lot harder than they need to be because everyone will have their systems in place and often these are bare-bones and lacking in needed features. Having a central platform dedicated to the sharing of data saves work and can reduce frustration.
- Company Is Slow To React: in modern business, time is of the essence. When information is not easy to locate and is slow to be shared, this can harm your company’s ability to respond to challenges in the marketplace. To succeed and stand out from your competition, you need to react quickly and accurately.
Final Thoughts
Information is a highly valuable commodity in business and in many cases having better information can be a key driver in your success. Having systems and tools in place to make the sharing and collection of information easier and more streamlined can improve overall productivity and allow your employees to focus on important job duties.
