We know how valuable data can be for carving out a competitive advantage in increasingly dynamic marketplaces. But collecting and storing data is only one part of the equation, because its real value can’t be harnessed until everyone in your organisation is able to use it.

In fact, “95% of C-level executives believe that data is an integral part of forming their business strategy” according to our 2018 Global Data Management Benchmark Report. In that same study, it reported that more than half (52%) stated that data and analytics will be the key source of identifying business opportunities.  

How can we make decisions and create strategies for driving our organisation forward if only a privileged few employees have the access and capabilities required to derive analysis and insights?

The ideal data solutions will always be those that are designed around people. However, organisations frequently implement systems that are too technical for the people who need to use them for decision making.

There is a shift in attitudes that suggests organisations are beginning to understand the need for democratisation of their data. While the responsibility for data quality has long been with the IT department, the report indicates that 91% of C-level executives surveyed said they now believe the responsibility for data management should ultimately lie with business facing teams.

User experience is the key to democratising data

Like all of the most successful technologies we see today, when a system is easy to adopt and intuitive to use, employees begin to see data as an enabling force for their role. It’s unlikely that the majority of your employees are comfortable going through complex spreadsheets to access the insights they need. But if you provide them with easily accessible insights at key decision points, they’ll see the potential for making better decisions.

To get broad adoption of data management systems across your organisation, you need to consider solutions that provide greater agility, while being easy to use and quick to implement. A self-service model should also provide business users with the ability to visually identify a problem in the data, explore the detail, and make an informed judgement on the root cause in a seamless manner - all within the organisation, without the need for centralised resources or outsourced consultants.

By democratising data, you can create a culture in which people proactively leverage data to create new opportunities. To put the right technology in your people’s hands, you need to spread data ownership across your business, and align your data management systems with the people who use them every day. This all starts by finding the right technology with the capabilities to help you realise your future business goals.

Experian Data Management allows organisations to carry out enterprise wide Data Quality Management and Data Governance and brings a step-change in Data Management productivity thanks to its easy, interactive functionality. Experian Data Quality Management is quick, collaborative and transparent. It can be installed and providing valuable data insight within minutes, and is used by technical and non-technical staff, facilitating adoption across the organisation.

Alan Thornton
General Manager, Data Quality Southeast Asia