Why Managing Ops Data is so Damn Hard... , With Kristen Kelly

Dec 4, 2024

Kristen Kelly, Director of Operations at Parakeeto with 20 years of agency experience, shares her passion for operational leadership. She discusses the challenges of integrating complex data sets and the harsh realities of fragmented reporting systems. Kristen highlights the misconception that automation can solve all data issues and the need for human oversight. They also tackle the importance of aligning metrics across teams for better decision-making and the financial implications of effective data management.

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Episode notes

Intro

00:00 • 2min

Navigating the Complexities of Operations Management

01:57 • 2min

Navigating the Complexities of Agency Data Management

03:41 • 2min

Navigating Operational Data Challenges

05:45 • 12min

Navigating the Complexity of Operational Data Management

17:59 • 2min

Aligning Teams for Effective Decision-Making

20:16 • 15min

Navigating the Costs of Operational Data Management

35:42 • 2min

Points of Interest

00:01 – 00:43 – Welcome and Introduction: Marcel introduces Kristen Kelly, Parakeeto's newest team member, highlighting her quick ramp-up and prior involvement with the company.
00:44 – 01:40 – Kristen's Background: Kristen shares her 20 years of agency experience, spanning six agencies, with a focus on account/project management and operations.
01:41 – 02:50 – The Role of Operations: Kristen reflects on falling in love with operations at a startup agency, emphasizing its analytical and leadership demands.
02:51 – 03:48 – Challenges of Operations: Marcel describes the ambiguous and multifaceted nature of operations roles, with operators often stepping in to resolve the business's weak areas.
03:49 – 05:07 – The Complexity of Data Integration: Marcel explains how operators are often tasked with merging financial, operational, and new business data into a cohesive system, highlighting its challenges.
05:08 – 06:50 – Leadership Misconceptions: Kristen discusses the disconnect between leadership's expectations of seamless reporting and the reality of fragmented systems and messy data.
06:51 – 09:05 – The Fallacy of Perfect Automation: Marcel outlines the unrealistic expectations of fully automated reporting systems and the need for human oversight in data management.
09:06 – 11:45 – Interconnected Metrics: Marcel explores the challenges of creating accurate and consistent metrics like utilization, requiring alignment across various systems.
11:46 – 13:12 – The Realities of Data Pipelines: Marcel highlights the need for structured data pipelines and dedicated resources, drawing parallels to enterprise-level operations.
13:13 – 15:01 – The Role of Finance: The discussion shifts to the differing scopes of tax accounting, financial reporting, and management accounting, emphasizing the latter’s importance for decision-making.
15:02 – 18:52 – Aligning Cadences and Processes: Kristen and Marcel address how agencies can harmonize data reporting cadences with operational and leadership rhythms for better insights.
18:53 – 25:04 – Lessons from Kristen’s Journey: Kristen reflects on her previous challenges in tackling operations without external support, estimating the significant costs of trial-and-error approaches.
25:05 – 35:40 – The Parakeeto Framework: The episode concludes with a deep dive into Parakeeto's three-pronged framework—data, metrics, and processes—and its ability to simplify and enhance agency operations.

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