Every organization aims to achieve peak levels of productivity and save money. Yet so many organizations use multiple point solutions that result in data silos. Data silos result in the exact opposite of productivity and cost-efficiency. Even worse, some companies don’t realize that data silos are to be blamed.
What are data silos you ask and exactly why do they occur? Keep reading to find out.
Data Silos Defined
A data silo describes a situation in which only one department within an organization can access a set of data. This kind of environment occurs for several reasons. Firstly, when an organization has departmental conflicts, and purposely withhold data from one another. Secondly, when an organization doesn’t establish an overarching vision, and different departments create their own. Lastly, when organizations employ solutions that are not comprehensive in nature, and are not applicable to various data environments.
Data Silos Ain’t Cheap!
These reasons may not seem like a big deal but consider this, organizations are shelling out precious funds to store the SAME data. They don’t know this because they haven’t established a collaborative environment and/or their solutions aren’t inclusive enough. So not only is your data redundant but it’s costing you money!
Get Rid of the Silo Mentality
Data silos also prevents people from one department from accessing the data of another. This is bad if the data from one department has a useful function in another. Furthermore, it indicates that your organization lacks transparency and teamwork. Two key qualities of successful organizations. If a problem were to arise in an organization, the lack of transparency means individual combing through each data silo. This is not only time consuming but the problem could worsen substantially because it is taking so long to get resolved. If the problem was security related, forget it, your organization could be done for.
Organizations must get rid of the silo mentality. Employing a comprehensive solution, though a step in the right direction, is not nearly enough. An organization must have a consistent vision from top to bottom. Management must also establish a collaborative work environment. If management sets the standard, everyone else will follow suite.
