Top 5: trends in Datamanagement

The role of effective data management in organisations is becoming increasingly important. Data is transforming from being an overlooked aspect to a valuable source of information.

Many challenges that organisations face are related to datamanagement. To prevent or address these issues, proper data governance and management are crucial. But what should organisations focus on to be prepared for the future? In this blog, we review the key trends in data management.

1. Growing awareness of the importance of data management

Let’s be honest: how much attention did your organisation pay to data management until recently? It’s likely that it wasn’t clear who was actually responsible for the accuracy of the data, and the task of creating new data may have been left solely to the IT department. However, things have changed. More and more organisations now understand the significance of accurate data, partly due to the rise of analytics.

Analytics has become an essential concept for many organisations. However, when the input data is incorrect, the output will undoubtedly be unreliable. The realisation that effective data management is crucial for making informed business-critical decisions is increasingly resonating with many organisations.

2. Shifting ownership to the appropriate department

With the growing awareness of the importance of good data, organisations are increasingly considering data responsibility and ownership. Who is responsible for which data? Often, important data (such as product, supplier, and customer data) is created by the IT department simply because there is no readily available solution for employees to do it themselves.

Organisations are increasingly realising that data responsibility should lie with the department where it belongs. Employees should be equipped to easily and quickly create and maintain data themselves. They should not be dependent on third parties, such as the IT department. By having direct communication channels, you can quickly respond to market changes. Additionally, the likelihood of errors is reduced because data is entered by someone with specific knowledge.

3. First your processes, then your software

Many organisations still work with too many different programs and systems. In the past, it was often believed that purchasing a software package was the solution to a problem. That mindset is changing. It is becoming increasingly clear to organisations that software functions optimally only when it supports the business processes.

Your software is not the driving force, but your processes are. As an organisation, you must first have a clear understanding of your business processes. Where do you stand, where do you want to go, and what do you need to get there? How do you want to organise data management? That is the starting point. Based on that, you can explore which software will help support and streamline these processes.

4. Increasing focus on flexibility

The market is changing rapidly. What works today may be outdated tomorrow. Customers have become accustomed to flexibility. If your organisation cannot provide that flexibility, eager and rapidly adapting startups are ready to take over your customers and market share.

More and more organisations are realising the need for flexibility. There are more competitors on the horizon. To stay afloat, you must be able to respond quickly and effectively to what is happening around you. This is only possible if your processes are in order and your data management is accurate. Based on that, you can make fast and informed decisions and continue to serve your customers optimally even in a changing market.

5. Smarter workforce utilization

Do you have highly skilled employees performing manual, repetitive tasks? Not only is it a waste of the capabilities of your valuable workforce, but it is also likely detrimental to the continuity of your organisation. There is a high chance that your employees will seek more challenging roles outside of your organisation.

Organisations are increasingly recognising that manual, repetitive tasks can be automated. Smart software plays a crucial role in this process. By automating these tasks, you can redeploy your staff to more strategic positions. Instead of data entry, they can focus on data analysis and strategic processes. This allows your employees to provide more added value, while keeping them engaged and motivated. As a result, your employees are more likely to stay, which is of great value to your organisation in times of labour shortages.