Paul Smith: A Fresh Approach To Leadership & Management Development
5th March 2024
Success Stories
Success Story
ASOS: Data Fluency Powered By Bespoke Learning
"An end-to-end data journey" Nina Regan, Senior Business Learning Partner at ASOS
As a leading global fashion e-tailer, ASOS is powered by data - so ensuring that ASOSers in every team across the business are fully data fluent is critical to its mission to become the world’s number-one destination for fashion-loving 20-somethings.
That's where EFI Training came in: our Bespoke team developed a curriculum tailored specifically to the skills gaps and needs of over 60 ASOSers in the pilot programme. With the cohort encompassing learners from UK and international teams including Supply Chain, CRM, Finance, Marketing, Merchandising and more, a cross-functional approach was required to support a broad range of data operations.
KEY FACTS
6
key considerations in programme development
60+
learners from across ASOS
10
principles of the ASOS Data Citizen pledge
13
weeks to complete the programme
Our aims for the programme were firstly to identify ‘where are we now’. Using our skills gap analysis model, we collected information from all departments throughout the business to help determine where teams lacked confidence or understanding to use data in their roles. Once established, we used this to create a fully bespoke, cross-functional Data Fluency Pilot Programme comprising the key upskilling and training support ASOSers most needed. Then all that was left to do was implement the programme and lay a foundation for ongoing data fluency within ASOS.
This approach was primarily designed to achieve learning objectives, focussing on addressing data skills gaps with relevant, manageable and accessible content. It also supported other key objectives for ASOS, including implementing better-defined data governance, stewardship and cataloguing, and providing the necessary tools to set up data appropriately, approved by respective functions.
OBJECTIVES
1
Creating a programme for ASOS teams to become independent and enabled when handling data.
2
Empowering ASOSers with data skills, supporting the use of key learning in their day-to-day work.
3
Improving time efficiency, discovery of high-quality data, decision making and insightful communications.
HOW WE DID IT
DEVELOPING A bespoke CURRICULUM to work ACROSS ALL ASOS DEPARTMENTS
Before creating the ASOS Data Fluency Programme, several key considerations were essential:
- Identifying Skills Gaps: Conducting thorough research to define key gaps and utilising them to build the curriculum.
- Time Efficiency: Recognising that ASOSers are time-poor, the programme needs to be designed to be completed alongside their day-to-day responsibilities.
- Relevancy & Context: Assigning a chosen data project aligned with ASOS strategic pillars to ensure learning remains relevant, contextual and useful.
- Best-in-Class Sessions: Inviting EFI Training-approved experts, internal ASOS data champions and the Business Academy to deliver sessions of high quality content.
- Pilot Testing & Measurement: Starting with a pilot to test and measure impact, successes, and challenges, allowing for adjustments before wider implementation & final roll out.
- Base Standard for Everyone: Implementing 12 mandatory modules covering all aspects of the data analysis journey to ensure everyone reaches the same base standard.
We created a tailored programme that would be suitable for ASOSers in all areas of the business, catering to varying levels and roles. The learning curriculum is a 13-week programme consisting of 13 mandatory courses and 18 enriched sessions.
It is delivered into the business through a combination of online videos and interactive modules via the ASOS learning management system, Articulate. We also arranged a number of online and in-person delivery sessions and workshops to ensure a 360-degree approach. Most sessions are designed to be one hour or less, with more technical sessions totalling approximately two days in duration.
Participants are required to commit a minimum of one hour per week, with a maximum commitment of five hours per week. This ensured that the learning need was balanced against the business need, so that employees could complete the course within their working hours without negatively impacting their day-to-day role. Importantly, we secured support from both senior managers and direct line managers, which enabled a smooth and rewarding experience for learners.
To ensure that ASOSers fully embraced the benefits of understanding data and the impact good data management has across the business, we worked to improve the culture and language around data. By introducing the Data Citizen pledge, we laid out the foundations of data fluency, and the responsibilities that come with gaining the tools and skills to be a good Data Citizen.
As an ASOS Data Citizen, I pledge to:
1
Seek the meaning, understanding and context of data before using it.
2
Build my data literacy, awareness of common data concepts and methods of interpreting.
3
Engage with the data community and keep an eye on trending tech, data and AI topics.
4
Support my team, community and other data people to champion the use of data.
5
Strive to create value with data and share my insights with others.
6
Be mindful of the data I use, especially sensitive data, and the downstream implications of my actions.
7
Familiarise myself with the data and information policy, so I can stay compliant with relevant regulations, laws and ASOS ways of working.
8
Understand the data quality dimensions of the data I use and seek to provide trust in my data.
9
Hone my critical thinking skills to support ethical interpreting of data through visualisations.
10
Iterate and review the data products I create regularly to ensure they remain valuable and insightful.
making it relevant, engaging & rewarding
Each learner is tasked with selecting a data project related to their day-to-day responsibilities and within their sphere of investigation and influence, centred around the ASOS strategic pillars. Upon completion of the programme, they will attend a graduation event to present their findings.
Several measures have been implemented to make the programme as foolproof as possible and help employees apply their learnings to their day-to-day activities:
- Hub page: serves as a central repository of information
- Teams groups facilitate discussion, sharing of wins and challenges
- 8 superusers from various departments appointed to provide specialist support
- Dedicated tech support available through weekly drop-ins and Teams
- Opportunity to ask questions directly to trainers during learning sessions
- Weekly newsletter providing a roundup of activities and upcoming events
- Fortnightly sharing sessions to showcase work and support colleagues
- Monthly feedback touchpoint to share experiences and raise any issues
WHAT THEY SAY
With their retail experience, we were able to work with EFI Training to customise the data learning topics to be bespoke and most value-added for our ASOSers, using ASOS data and case studies to really bring the programme to life.
Nina Regan
Senior Business Learning Partner, ASOS
They strive to encourage our learners to excel, and I am proud to say we have achieved fantastic apprenticeship results over the past 5 years
Talent Development Team, Harrods