Democratising Data by Breaking Down Silos |

Companies need to focus on breaking down silos – regardless of how difficult this task may be. This is an increasingly challenging task given the current data literacy divide that exists. In fact, reports from Gartner showcase that by 2020, more than half of organisations will lack sufficient AI and data literacy skills to achieve business value.

One of the most powerful tools in the business world is data. With capabilities to unleash some of the deepest insights when it comes to data analysis, businesses are set to reap the benefits if they learn to utilise their data in their day to day operations. The problem, however, is that data is still in the hands of the few – and not the many.

Whilst data in the hands of a few experts can be powerful, we must question whether this is enough to facilitate positive change. Think of it like this. Business users work with data each day, but are currently confined to basic reporting, reliant on making requests to the data scientists in the organisation when analysis and interpretation is required. This is because they are not equipped with the skills, knowledge or tools required to analyse the meaning of the data.

We need to move away from the existing elitist idea that companies are solely reliant on data scientists to really excel, because this simply isn’t sustainable for the workplace today. In fact, Gartner expects that by 2020, 80% of organisations will initiate deliberate competency development in the field of data literacy to overcome extreme deficiencies. The real value of data can be found when data is made available in a usable format – and crucially, is made accessible to employees across every business division and function.

You may ask why this is the case. Well, data silos cause businesses to be inefficient.