Quantitative and Qualitative Data.  

Quantitative data never tells the whole story. Quantitative data is easier to collect and analyse and thus we tend to give it a far greater importance in our business. The accounting industry makes it easy for us to get a raft of quantitative data on the performance of the business. But quantitative data has its limitations. Quantitative data can be affected by a number of variables that are not found within the numbers.

Qualitative data though completes the story. But collecting and analysing qualitative data is a much harder process, and thus often is neglected in the management of the business. Qualitative data involves the making of a judgment. Yes qualitative data can be influenced by who is asking the question, how the question is asked etc. But together with the quantitative data, qualitative completes the story.

For example to make a good product decision we need to know what is being sold, to whom, at what margin, this is the quantitative data. But we also need to know why some products are selling more than others. This question of answering the why takes a qualitative analysis of our customer’s decision, and often this involves judgment calls. But it is this qualitative data that will complete the story about the reason why a product or service is selling more than another.

The quantitative information may imply, a pricing or a market need, but the qualitative data, ie. actually asking the customer, may indicate that there’s something altogether different that is going on.

We need to have both qualitative and quantitative measures in a business. We need to have the judgment calls as much as we need to have the cold hard factual financial analysis. The blend of qualitative and quantitative data will give us the tools to lead and manage a business.



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Focal Point

We make countless decisions in our business and life each day. In making a decision it is very important how we frame the decision. If we frame a decision in terms of what may be lost it usually causes us to take greater risks. However if a problem is framed in terms of potential gains then we are careful.