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Are you controlling your data, or is your data controlling you?

Businesses from startups to enterprises all collect large amounts of data, but all too often it's unorganized and not beneficial to the company. Aggregating this information in a productive way will save future business headaches. 

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Currently, companies are losing the battle with their data, not realizing that the collection, collaboration, and implementation of their data is the life force of their business structure.

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Without correctly understanding how to apply your data, your brand will soon be forgotten among those that grasp the concept.

Enterprise Architecture to the rescue. Enterprise architecture gives you a conceptual outline that establishes the structure and operation of your organization. If you understand the intent of enterprise architecture and your data, you will unveil the key to a successful business transformation.

 

Effectiveness

How effective is your current operating structure?

 

In an article from Harvard Business Review

 

• 72% of survey participants report that they have yet to forge a data culture

• 69% report that they have not created a data-driven organization

• 53% state that they are not yet treating data as a business asset

• 52% admit that they are not competing on data and analytics

 

Why collect data at all if you’re not going to use it? You are failing your customers, shareholders, and employees.

Your customers are speaking to you, and the answers to their questions are in the data you're not using.

 

Efficiency

Are you transforming the right things?

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Your current and future objectives can be determined quickly with the right enterprise architecture.

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With a couple of mouse clicks, your business intelligence software can give you a visual representation of the KPIs entered into the system. With proper setup, you will receive the answers to your crucial questions. 

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As artificial intelligence continues to develop, it is a must that you replace systems where manual entry is required. Time is wasted manually entering information that can be collected, sorted, and presented back in moments if done automatically.

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Each department within your company has their own KPIs to track. How streamlined would your business be if all your departmental data was speaking to each other. Saving time gives you the much-needed edge over your competition.

 

Agility

Can your business transform faster with less?

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Develop your architecture in such a way that it’s not obsolete in a couple of years.

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Sometimes that means removing people, programs, or any cog that is slowing down the machine. 

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As big data becomes more agile and robust as time progresses, your current architecture needs to adapt. Future proof your processes, programs and staff as much as possible allowing adaptability to whatever comes. 

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The importance of understanding your data is key in computing trends to create time and cost-saving standards across your business.

 

Durability

Being effective, efficient and agile in the future with respect to transformation.

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Look ahead at future trends to determine if any part of your business needs changing today. By staying efficient, agile and effective, you cannot be satisfied with today’s results.

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Continually check what is coming down the pipeline so your business can make quick adjustments and resume business as usual. Any unplanned interruptions should not derail your objectives if your architecture is sound.

 

Conclusion

Enterprise Architecture is the key to transforming your business while staying ahead of the learning curve.

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Data equates to money. Are you throwing money away as you fumble around with your data analyzation? Analyze each step of your architecture from collecting, storing, and analyzing the data to see where the improvement lies.

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The future is not certain, but you can come close to predicting the future of your business. Are you up to the task?