A successful data culture is the key for companies to derive the greatest possible benefit from the constantly growing amount of data. The trend towards making decisions based on data is unstoppable. But how do managers manage to empower their teams to use data effectively?
A vibrant data culture: the fuel for corporate success
Data culture is more than just a buzzword – it is the basis for data-driven decision-making. When all departments in a company use data to improve work processes and decision-making, an atmosphere is created in which competent handling of data is standard practice.
Why is this so important? Data is fuel for business success: 76 percent of participants in the BARC Data Culture Survey 22 stated that their company strives for a data culture. And 75 percent of managers see data culture as the most important competence.
The decisive role of managers
An established data culture is not only a success factor for the company, but also a way to promote innovation and motivate employees. Managers play a central role here by acting as trailblazers and actively supporting change. They must clearly communicate the benefits of a data culture, establish clear guidelines for data protection and data quality and offer targeted training and regular communication on progress. Clear responsibility for data culture is crucial, as 31% of companies with a weak data culture do not have a dedicated department or person with this responsibility.
Challenges and solutions
The path to a successful data culture is littered with hurdles. Managers have to face various challenges:
- Resistance to change: A transition to a data culture can be met with resistance. Managers must clearly communicate the benefits and offer training to involve their employees in the change process.
- Lack of data governance: Guidelines and standards for handling data are crucial. If these are missing, data quality will be reduced in the worst case. This leads to wrong decisions. This is where data cleansing and validation methods and regular audits are needed.
- Concerns regarding data protection: Data protection and data access are often in conflict. Clear guidelines and security measures must be introduced in order to gain the trust of employees.
- Lack of resources and support: Without the necessary resources, building a data culture can fail. Companies must provide targeted training and demonstrate the business benefits in economic metrics to gain the support of their executives
Best practices for a strong data culture
To effectively establish a data culture, companies can rely on the following best practices:
Critical thinking: Promoting critical thinking and ethical standards is crucial. Data and AI solutions will become tools of everyday life everywhere. Therefore, human intelligence remains the most important skill in dealing with technology.
Measuring and planning: Data culture can only be built up step by step. Companies should measure and evaluate data-driven behavior in order to assess progress. The stronger the data culture, the more omnipresent data-driven decision-making becomes.
Establishment of key roles: Companies should create special functions or roles for employees who link the data strategy with the corporate strategy and act as central multipliers to promote the data culture among employees.
The development of a strong data culture requires clear leadership, clear guidelines and the commitment of the entire organization. Managers play a crucial role in successfully shaping the change to a data-driven culture.
Building a strong data culture: our strategic approach
At statworx, we specialize in establishing robust data cultures in companies. Our strategy is based on proven frameworks, best practices and our extensive experience to lay the foundations for a successful data culture in your organization.
- Data Culture Strategy: Working hand in hand with our clients’ teams, we develop the strategic roadmap required to foster a thriving data culture. This includes building the foundational structures that are essential to maximizing the potential of your company’s data.
- Data culture training: We focus on empowering your workforce with the skills and knowledge to operate in the data and AI space. Our training programs aim to equip employees with the skills that are essential for building a strong data culture. This enables companies to realize the full potential of data and artificial intelligence.
- Change management and support: Embedding a data culture requires sustained change management efforts. We work with client teams to establish long-term change programs aimed at initiating and consolidating a robust data culture within the organization. Our goal is to ensure that the transformation remains embedded in the DNA of the organization to ensure continued success.
With our comprehensive range of services, we strive to lead companies into a future where data becomes a strategic asset that unlocks new opportunities and enables informed decision-making at all levels. We have written about this in detail in our white paper “Data culture as a management task in companies“ (currently only available in German), which also contains a data culture checklist. Our services relating to data culture can be found on our Data Culture topic page.