Making the packaging world add up

By Sandy Dhesi, Commercial Manager

Almost everything we do generates data.

This data should build our problem-solving muscles and enhance our ability to improve things!

Digital technology is now so pervasive that it’s very hard to escape its influence, and with that growth comes fear. But whatever the news has told you about data and technology, think again.

This data revolution could be the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Organisations harnessing data’s power to transform their business will be the market leaders. You can be sure that your competitors will be looking for insights into their data to drive them ahead and that the disruptors in your sector will be data-driven. If used correctly, data can transform your business and make you the market leader.

Ecoveritas will work with you to grow your data mastery and get more value out of your environmental data. We’re in the business of making sure managers can better understand and communicate data and analytics to seize business opportunities and increase competitiveness in an increasingly data-driven world.

Using data technology to invoke positive change

The digital revolution has proven challenging for many businesses.

Data touches everything, from our biggest hates (online advertising) to our greatest loves (our pets), and if we can embrace the revolution (even the ads), we could all live vastly improved lives.

Once viewed as the solution, technology is frequently the problem driving business online but failing to exploit the data to drive operations and value.

Whether combating inequality, creating jobs, advancing the frontiers of knowledge or protecting us from coronavirus –the best is yet to come.

We are living through a data explosion, as vast amounts of information about all aspects of human behaviour have become more and more accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.

Catching the wave of this data revolution can propel you very quickly towards being a data-led organisation. Our team of experts is on hand to give actionable advice and unleash the transformational power of data.

The critical starting point

There is a big focus on data analysis by businesses these days. It is indispensable and helps boil down decision-making to a science. This, in turn, lets organisations streamline their processes, increase their efficiency, and reduce their operating costs.

For this reason, data analysts are in high demand. While technical skills are needed for the job, a salient focus is placed on what soft skills the incumbent data analysts possess. Many data analysts do not adequately acquire these soft skills and fail to realise their full potential.

At Ecoveritas, we love numbers. But maybe not for the reason you would think. Many of our team’s backgrounds, before venturing into environmental data collection and analysis range, from the studies of classical languages, geography, physics, biology, radiation protection, economics, teaching, retail and foster caring. How on earth did many of us then spend the next 10+ years in the packaging industry and producer responsibility specifically? Because the patterns of numbers and environmental data points are a language in itself! It is about learning the language of your data and becoming the “data whisperer”.

What is your data telling you? What actions do you need to take? What strategies are the best bets? So last year, we decided to build our analytics tool Ecoview, based on our environmental data pool. We wanted to make the data come alive in pre-built dashboards so that our customers can accelerate and make powerful changes through their data. And now, anyone can click on their data and understand the big-picture, but at the same time, they can see how their data is created, managed, manipulated, stored, and—most importantly—how it’s used. You can manage the regulatory and reputational risks and use the data to prioritise the right environmental initiatives.

Technology requires human communication to make data impactful. The key here is how to make sense of data and intelligently explore or question findings. The most impactful work that a highly successful data analyst does comprises non-technical skills, including being able to construct the problem, understand the business context, ask the right questions, find creative solutions, create visualisations, and present the findings.

So, while many companies have amassed huge amounts of data and automated dashboards, they can ultimately be overwhelming.

Part of the problem is that data companies have long made a sharp distinction between data and insight – and promise to deliver the latter rather than the former. This has given the impression that insight should drop out of the sky in neat, multicoloured rows. They also think that the tools they buy should make it easy. Most don’t. Ours do.

READ MORE: The best thinking is rethinking. 2023 will see a key manifesto ushered in with Extended Producer Responsibility presenting a radically different philosophy of environmentalism.

Granularity is the goal

We’re a great place to start for anyone striving to make the world a better place.

Successful implementation of data solutions to tackle climate change will be determined by how organisations can collect, analyse, manage, and act upon their data in a timely fashion. These new challenges will require the use of brand-new data sets which have never been analysed in this way or collected for this use. It is a tough ask for many.

Data ingestion, storage and processing represent yet another initial hurdle. These are not traditional data sets which have been used in other reporting. In many cases, they will contain internal and external data sets, so the lion’s share of the headache will come when attempting to make it into something useful and meaningful.

There must be greater clarity on the source of recycled materials and the environmental and social impact of the methods by which these materials were created, collected, and sorted. Therefore, filling the data gap and helping businesses understand their impact are core services of Ecoveritas. From light touch right through to holding your hand throughout the process, we apply big data and deep tech to drive efficiency, traceability, and transparency across your supply chain.

Applications work best if they can speak to one another, feeding data from one place to the next to create a whole-of-system overview at a glance.

Data-driven organisations have been shown to have greater success. Insight also increases the more specific you get with data.

Data has massive potential for all businesses when used correctly, from small organisations to tech giants and huge multinationals, but this resource is too often not fully utilised. A robust, data-driven approach that harnesses the power of data can revolutionise your business.

It could be time to equip your business with the tools and strategies needed to thrive in the digital economy. Now is the right time to review how your business could transform its decisions and drive greater success.

Ecoveritas’ tailored solutions are designed to affect every part of your business positively.

READ MORE: A handy guide to all things Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Find out what you need to know, including why it’s important, whether it applies to you, timelines, what to do and much more.