Our brain processes images 60,000x more quickly than it does text, making every picture worth 60,000 words. As further proof of our strong inclination to process images, studies show 90% of the information transmitted to our brain is visual.

That we are a highly visual lot helps to explain why we relate with visual more readily than with textual information. It also reinforces the importance of data visualization – an extremely valuable tool in analytics – for organizations with a mandate to preserve and oversee their communications data for compliance purposes.

Analytics enables regulated organizations to drill down to relevant electronic communications; examine them within their original, meaningful contexts; and generate business intelligence that can influence how they handle a wide range of matters – from information governance and risk management to policy development and decision-making.

Data visualization tool

The use of data visualization as an adjunct to analytics has increased over the years, driven by the need to present huge volumes of complex information in a clear, simple, and cohesive manner, and the exigency of extracting actionable insights more efficiently and precisely.

In place of traditional spreadsheets and text-based reports, data visualization presents information using graphs, maps, diagrams, and charts – many of which are highly interactive and engaging – making them easier to read and analyze.

With a data visualization tool like relationship mapping, organizations can systematically analyze an employee group’s conversation for its component parts. The participants in the chat? Check. Their business relationships and network? Check. The top message senders and topic trends? Check. The number and frequency of messages exchanged? Check.

Further, data visualization facilitates tracking conversation flows – down to lulls, spikes, and dropouts in group chats. With anomaly detection algorithms, it can also help detect exceptions and risks. Thanks to graphical timelines, for instance, a compliance officer in an investment firm can quickly zero in on a specific time period and determine which desks in what regions were communicating about what topics through what channels.

All told, data visualization simplifies sifting and analyzing massive data volumes – and developing assumptions, and perhaps even conclusions, based upon them. This is invaluable whether a company is engaged in knowledge management, employee behavior monitoring, eDiscovery, trade reconstruction, or regulatory audit.