EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
CHRIS GORTON , EMEA
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT , SYNITI
We all know that data has the potential to be very valuable . But the reality is that IT leaders , and the organisations they work for , are facing serious challenges when it comes to managing and governing their data . As a result , they struggle to leverage their data ’ s true value and risk falling behind their competition .
objectives , how it supports decision-making and where poor data accuracy has the most impact . Then , drilling down into how accurate that priority data is now and how it is affecting business performance .
This is widespread . A recent survey by the UK and Ireland SAP user group found that just 7 % of the IT leaders questioned were very confident when it came to their organisation ’ s data quality and accessibility . Of course that has implications : 82 % of the same respondents said data management challenges will slow their organisation ’ s adoption of AI technologies for example , and 89 % reported that data silos stifled real-time decision-making .
But although data complexity is common , it doesn ’ t have to be inevitable . There are steps IT leaders – and their C-suite – can take to get to grips with their data .
Adopting a ‘ Data First ’ approach , that is prioritising data quality at the start of a transformation journey , and developing strategies and governance , is crucial . It means getting to know which data is businesscritical and which must be as accurate as possible . It ’ s also understanding how that data links to business
Next , setting meaningful goals will help to untangle data complexities . I say meaningful , because although some data does need to be 100 % accurate , it may not
Just 7 % of the IT leaders questioned were very confident when it came to their organisation ’ s data quality and accessibility .
be possible to guarantee that every single piece of data is correct at all times . So , it ’ s important to know the level of inaccuracy that can be tolerated .
Then , bring in the C-suite . The research found that data strategy still tends to sit with the IT team ( 62 %) with low C-suite ownership ( 3 %). This doesn ’ t make sense . Data and its governance ultimately impacts the bottom line , so the leadership team has to be involved . It ’ s not just about having senior buy-in , it also signals to the rest of the organisation that data and data governance are important .
Prioritising data is really the only way to overcome complexity challenges and properly start to benefit from its value .
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