{"id":124,"date":"2022-04-04T15:53:48","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T15:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/chapter\/introduction-to-internal-data\/"},"modified":"2022-04-04T15:53:48","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T15:53:48","slug":"introduction-to-internal-data","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/esc-businesscomskills\/chapter\/introduction-to-internal-data\/","title":{"raw":"Introduction to Internal Data","rendered":"Introduction to Internal Data"},"content":{"raw":"\n

What you'll learn to do: Process information from internal sources<\/h2>\nBarron\u2019s Business dictionary defines internal data as:[footnote]All Business, \"Internal data<\/a>.\" Barrons Dictionary. Web. 12 June 2018.[\/footnote]\n
Information, facts and data available from within a company\u2019s information systems. Internal data is normally not accessible by outside parties without the company\u2019s express permission.<\/blockquote>\nWhile this definition seems straightforward, the complexity of gathering and analyzing these types of data can be more complicated than one might think. Processing data from internal sources requires patience, diligence and care.\n\nThere are two primary concerns:\n
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  1. The act of gathering information about your own organization is not without political and ethical considerations.<\/strong> When a person from one part of the organization seeks data about another--or about the enterprise as a whole--it can have implications for the well-being and security of people\u2019s circumstances. Think of a salesperson who is having their volume studied by an HR analyst or an accountant being questioned about how quickly their division processes invoices\u2014inquiry into organizational phenomena can be a charged event.<\/li>\n \t
  2. Data can be dynamic and often hard to find.<\/strong> Some data are relatively straightforward and can be captured in time, or the gathering and publishing of the data is mandated by an outside element. For example, studying Apple from Apple's 10-K<\/a> is straightforward; however, learning more about their culture from people who currently work there is far more complicated, as illustrated by this Business Insider UK article.<\/a> The reasons an organization can keep a close hold on the information about their culture is usually justified by the competitive landscape in which it operates.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nWhen you gather this information, you will use the term \"stakeholder.\"\n\nWhat is a stakeholder? A stakeholder is someone who has a particular interest in the organization; people who work in the organization are clear stakeholders as are customers, shareholders, suppliers and vendors.\n\nIn the following video, pay attention to the different types of stakeholders and why they are important to your project.\n\n