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ACTION FROM DATA - Why Exception Reports are Important

January 31, 2020

In a business meeting not long ago, a senior manager of a medium-sized company was saying how tough it can be to make meaningful use of the data his organization is collecting.

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“We have data fatigue. There’s so much it’s hard to know what to act on. I want my data analyzed and refined so we can quickly spot exceptions to the norm. The exceptions are telling … they reveal what needs attention and where we need to act.” Like a fire alarm, an exception report identifies the squeaky wheel that needs attention.

It’s not a rare or new complaint. Many companies are drowning in so much data that they are hiring groups of full-time people to decide how to best deliver data and insights to improve efficiency. Those people comb the data and recommend actions based on exceptions to the norm versus tolerable thresholds.

Automated exception reports do the the same thing without having to hire new people. Well-designed reports inform and even dictate specific actions that help people to become more productive without making them work any harder. Done right it might even help people to work less, or to make work more fulfilling. In a tight labor market this benefit is priceless.

At the end of the day, it's not about providing access to more data, but rather it's about being able to act more swiftly and confidently. With the right data, in the right format, at the right time there is less hesitation to act.

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What exactly is an exception report? (Thank you for asking.) It's a custom alert or mobile responsive page or image that lets you know that something is different than what you were expecting. For example, if a truck leaves the yard in the morning with 10 tools and returns with 7, then an exception report is triggered that clearly displays that 3 tools are missing from that truck. Behind the simple image are the details for those who need them and no one's time is wasted reviewing data on trucks that had all 10 tools come back.

Originally developed for use in finance and accounting, exception reporting is now being embraced in industries of all kinds and by companies of all sizes.

It's about showing nothing more and nothing less... like an analog watch.

Recon Dynamics – which provides wireless IoT (Internet of Things) technology and reporting services – spotted the need for exception reporting early on and created its reports to quickly reflect what matters most to clients.

For example, on a bucket truck, if clipping in is a reliable way to prevent injury or death, then we don't need to review all of the data captured about compliant workers, we just need to be made aware of the exceptions so that we can direct training or supervision to those at risk.

Recon Dynamics is constantly working to create algorithms that tailor its reports to the particular needs of new clients and industries. These reports are co-created over weeks and months through partnerships with the people who will benefit from information and insights delivered more quickly on the top level without sacrificing depth or detail on the back end.

Says Mark Thomas, the company’s Chief Business Officer, “Our exception reports filter the data collected for anything that's unusual. It allows crews to cut to the chase. The reports inform actions that companies can take to drive their own version of KPI's at any and every level.

Recon’s approach appeals to decision makers in a wide variety of industries – construction, manufacturing, electric utilities, tree care, railroads, farming, shipping, mining and others. By giving managers and directors a clear and meaningful plan of action based on granular data collected, data specific to KPI's becomes about improving the rate of progress while reducing the effort required.

It's about working smarter and it quickly pays for itself.

About Recon Dynamics

Recon's action-from-data service starts with patented motion-based sensors that not only track assets, they reveal actual usage and automatically transfer clear, actionable data to any device without scanning. Construction companies, electric utilities, the tree care industry and many others benefit from our systems. With a proven track record of improving efficiency, safety, and the bottom line, we'd love to hear how we can help you.

Care to learn more? Just let us know.


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