Data Isn't Decoration

It only matters when it changes the next decision. Data doesn't fix your problems — it fixes how your team thinks about problems.

Six ways plants turn data from decoration into decisions: stop dashboard theater (screens everywhere, decisions on paper), track what matters (three accurate metrics beat fifteen sloppy ones), close the loop (if the number moves, someone owns the response), catch hidden loss (small stops become invisible losses), challenge the baseline (green can mean the standard is stale), and fix the right problem (separate machine problems from training gaps).