This year, we’re stepping things up when it comes to reporting at Made Open.
We’ve always collected a lot of data across our platforms, things like how they’re performing and how people are engaging. Every month, we bring together over 100 data feeds into a consolidated report for each client. Then, each quarter, we go a bit further and use tools like TOMS and GVE to translate key engagement data into a Social Value report.
Collecting the data hasn’t been our main challenge. Making it easy to understand, and getting it out quickly enough to be useful, has.
To do that, we’ve spent a lot of time turning raw data into clear, meaningful reports. But it takes time, and by the time reports reach our clients, they’re not always as up to date as we’d like.
That’s starting to change.
With the help of AI, we can now produce monthly reports much faster; in fact, almost as soon as the data is ready. Our aim is to move to weekly, then daily, and eventually real-time reporting.
For our Enterprise clients, we’ll be introducing a reporting dashboard where they can explore their data themselves. It’ll feel familiar (similar to Google Analytics) with the ability to view performance, create charts and download content for presentations.
Looking further ahead, we’ll also help our clients run their own reports; for example, looking at engagement in a specific neighbourhood or thematic.
It’s all about making things easier and putting more control in our clients’ hands.
Longer term, we’re aiming for something much bigger.
As Kathryn touched on in her blog about prevention, we’re aiming to better understand how our platforms are making a real difference, particularly in areas like prevention and early intervention.
Right now, we use proxies to estimate Social Value. That’s helpful, but it’s not the full picture. What we really want to understand is real-world impact - things like reducing avoidable GP visits or hospital admissions, reducing loneliness or improving mental health and wellbeing. That sort of thing.
That will take time, and it’s something we’ll need to work on together with our clients and partners.
That said, one thing is already clear: community participation and engagement really do matter.
They might not always be the first thing commissioners focus on, but they do play a role in prevention. The challenge isn’t whether they make a difference - it’s proving it.
In the meantime, we’re focused on making reporting as useful as possible:
- Clear monthly reports
- Easy month-on-month comparisons
- Year-to-date summaries
- Regular Social Value updates
All of this is about helping clients understand what’s happening on their platforms, and giving them the tools to show the value they’re creating.