March 12, 2026
“Understanding the data of the business is understanding the business itself.”
— Participant, Turning Data into Decisions Workshop.
Led by Dr. Anteneh Ayanso, Professor of Information Systems and Founding Director of the Centre for Business Analytics at the Goodman School of Business, this intensive, in-person two-day workshop brought team members from the City of St. Catharines together.
The Turning Data into Decisions: Critical Thinking, Tools & Technology for Municipal Impact Workshop aimed to transform how they think about data and moved beyond spreadsheets and into strategy.
Across February 26 and March 6, participants engaged in both theory and hands-on application with practical, individual work in Excel designed to create practical skills in their workplaces. Throughout these immersive sessions, participants gained the skills to:
- Build dynamic, decision-ready dashboards in Excel
- Identify trends and performance patterns that influence business outcomes
- Transform raw data into clear, compelling insight
- Develop actionable, evidence-based strategies
- Strengthen data-driven decision-making using practical analytical tools
More than learning tools, participants developed the ability to think critically about data and to question it, interpret it and connect it to strategic priorities. Reading data is not enough. We must extract insight from it, challenge assumptions and use it to drive measurable impact.
By the end of the program, participants received a certificate recognizing their training in data-driven decision-making and commitment to ongoing learning and development. But more importantly, they left with strengthened critical thinking skills, enhanced technical proficiency and the confidence to transform everyday data into strategic action. Congratulations to all the participants and the City of St. Catharines!
At Goodman Group, we don’t just teach tools.
We build decision-makers and strategic leaders.
This is GG Style.
