Most Organizations Already Have What They Need
The common assumption in conversations about business data is that the problem is access. That companies need more data, better tools, or larger analytics teams.
Sergio P. Mendes disagrees. His view, developed over nearly two decades working in finance, pricing, and revenue strategy, is that most organizations already have more data than they know what to do with. The problem is not availability. It is the ability to filter, interpret, and act on the information that is already present.
Mendes serves as Vice President of Commercial Finance and Revenue Management in New York. His work spans financial planning, revenue modeling, S&OP facilitation, and trade spending analysis. He has held senior finance and analytics roles at Pernod Ricard USA, Diageo Spirits, and Southern Wines and Spirits, and was recognized with the Customer Solutions Award for best in class at the 2013 National Sales Conference.
A 30-Day Plan for Better Data Literacy
Mendes has developed a simple standard that professionals and teams can adopt over 30 days without requiring new technology or significant process change.
Week 1: Identify the decisions, not the data. Before pulling a report, write down the decision it is meant to inform. If you cannot state the decision clearly, the report will not help. Spend this week clarifying what questions your data is actually being used to answer.
Week 2: Reduce, do not add. For one week, commit to presenting fewer data points in every internal communication. Force yourself to identify the two or three numbers that matter most for the conversation at hand. Practice leaving the rest out.
Week 3: Test for understanding. After presenting data or analysis, ask whether the audience can state the implication in their own words. If they cannot, the presentation did not work, regardless of its accuracy. Adjust and repeat.
Week 4: Build a decision log. Track the decisions your team made this month, what data informed them, and what happened. Review the log at the end of the week. Over time, this practice reveals which data consistently drives better outcomes and which data is simply filling space.
The Standard, Stated Simply
Data literacy is not about reading charts. It is about knowing which numbers matter, being able to explain why they matter, and connecting them to a specific decision. That skill can be practiced. It does not require advanced technical training. It requires discipline and the willingness to simplify.
Start This Week
Choose one internal meeting where data is typically presented. Before the meeting, identify the one question the data should answer. Present only what is needed to answer that question. Notice what changes in the conversation.
About Sergio P. Mendes
Sergio P. Mendes is the Vice President of Commercial Finance and Revenue Management, based in Norwalk, Connecticut. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Sacred Heart University and an MBA from Southern Connecticut State University. He has spent nearly twenty years leading finance, pricing, and commercial strategy functions at major organizations. He writes and speaks on data-driven financial leadership and is based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Learn more at Sergio Mendes.
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City: Norwalk
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Website: https://www.sergio-mendes.com/
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