3STEPSFOR BREAKING DOWNDATA & ANALYTIC SILOS

73% OF COMPANIES CONSIDER THEMSELVES ANALYTICALLY DRIVEN*

*2016 State of Enterprise Analytics, Dun & Bradstreet & TechValidate, 3/16

YET ONLY

38%SHARE INSIGHTS OUTSIDE OF THEIR

DEPARTMENT*

*2016 State of Enterprise Analytics, Dun & Bradstreet & TechValidate, 3/16

SILOS ARE BARRIERS TO GROWTHOne of the biggest challenges enterprises face is trying to gleam insights from data that’s trapped in the data silos that exist across business units and organizational functions.

Data and analytic silos tend to arise naturally in organizations because each department has different goals, priorities and responsibilities. Silos can also occur when departments compete with each other instead of working together toward common business goals.

Despite being viewed as a hindrance to effective business operations, they remain a common barrier to growth.

2/3EXPEREINCE SOME DEGREE OF SHADOW (OR ROGUE) DATA DEPOSITORIES

SILOS ARE ALL TOO COMMONUnfortunately, silos have made it hard to manage and analyze enterprise-wide data, making it difficult to identify the type of valuable opportunities that spark growth.

Breaking down silos enables accurate insights to be leveraged across the entire enterprise.

80%REPORT HIGH OR MODERATE DEGREES OF DATA SILOS

69%ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE, SINGLE CUSTOMER VIEW

*Big Data Insights and Opportunities, CompTIA, 9/14

COMMON OBSTACLES CAUSING SILOS3

MEASURING DIFFERENT THINGS1

HAVING DIFFERENT GOALS2

A RELUCTANCE TO SHARE3

Organizations must break down silos and connect disparate databases to form relationships. This is

not an easy process but one that is imperative to extracting real value out of data.

-Nipa Basu, Chief Analytics Officer, Dun & Bradstreet

STEPS TO BEGIN BREAKING DOWN DATA & ANALYTIC SILOS3

MARKETING

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CMO

FINANCE

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CFO

SUPPLY CHAIN

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CPO

Chances are your organizational structure is awfully similar to the depiction on the left –departmental silos with individual leaders operating independently of each other. It’s okay if this looks familiar. You’re not alone.

Organizational silos are typically resistant to change, operating to prevent access to the information they hold and working hard to protect its own interests and meet specific goals.

But don’t stress, there are solutions. It’s no easy task, but the following 3 steps should help you slowly eradicate these pesky silo walls.

Enterprise Analytics Today

MARKETING

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CMO

FINANCE

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CFO

SUPPLY CHAIN

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CPO

CAO

1Who’s Your Data (Leader)?

To begin making cracks in the silo walls, every enterprise needs to consider employing a single analytics leader that bridges the disparate departments together so they can take the analytics to that next level.

It’s still debatable who that crucial analytics leader is. Some believe it is the emerging Chief Analytics Officer but not all companies may be mature enough to support that role.

Ultimately, there should be someone who interacts with each of the organizational leaders. Whatever title you give that person, there's got to be somebody who can identify the analytics that’s driving compelling insights from the noise and understands how it can be used to drive value across the enterprise.

MARKETING

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CMO

FINANCE

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CFO

SUPPLY CHAIN

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CPO

CAO

2

It is important for everyone to be on the same page in how data is defined and collected. Each department’s definition of a “customer” and “prospect”, for example, may not always be the same, so be ready to discuss ways this can be made universal across the enterprise.

Without the benefit of a common master data dichotomy, data that is of value to one department may not be recognized by another and often discarded. What’s more, inconsistent naming conventions lead to duplicated records. As a result, the information and data output of these systems may render rich details but cannot accurately summarize future opportunities.

What’s more, there is a need for consistent analytics methodology and connecting the right approach to the right business problem. If the department creating prospect lists uses the most advanced method and creates the best list, but the department responsible for converting the leads uses primitive methodology – then the best prospecting list won’t help the company.

Speaking the same language will ensure richer insights are produced and shared.

Defining the Data

MARKETING

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CMO

FINANCE

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CFO

SUPPLY CHAIN

INFORMATION

INSIGHTS

CPO

CAO

3

When it comes to data, sharing is not always caring. Legacy platforms and unitary tools make it hard for departments to seamlessly talk to one another. That’s why organizations need to be open to using an open-source framework that offers the ability to integrate data from multiple sources across departments.

This will allow data to flow from one system to another, giving businesses the freedom to collaborate and share information that can inform future insights.

Open It Up

ELIMINATING SILOS LEADS TO BETTER BUSINESS OUTCOMES

IDENTIFYING INSIGHTS THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN

MISSED

ANALYZING WITH GREATER SPEED

FOR FASTER DECISIONS

BETTER RELATIONSHIPS

ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION

COST SAVINGS DUE TO

IMPROVED EFFICIENCY

BREAK DOWN THE WALLS…

UNLOCK NEW OPORTUNITIES

Once you are able to begin breaking down silos, you’re poised for sophisticated analysis that lets you identify untapped opportunities across the enterprise. Leveraging advanced analytics, you can better predict performance and look for triggers and insights that can forecast unforeseen needs.

Learn how our advanced analytics can enhance your enterprise-wide insights.