Build a data-driven culture in 8 steps
Building a data-driven culture can be challenging, as it involves managing organizational change and updating internal processes. The entire process impacts every employee. By following these 8 steps, data leaders can be well on their way to building a data-driven culture that supports data products.
Unlock the value of data products
From discovery to governance, learn the steps to building data products that drive business decisions and create value.
A step-by-step approach to data product creation
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1| Secure leadership commitment
Top leaders have an essential role in creating a data-driven culture by setting the organization's direction. Good news: management/leadership is confident in data product investments delivering value. Ninety percent agree, according to the 2024 KPMG Data Products Survey.
Action items:
- Secure leadership buy-in on plans to pursue data products
- Ask leaders to be spokespersons for a data culture campaign
- Communicate data’s importance in meetings with leaders
2| Ensure data accessibility
Make data accessible and user-friendly for all employees to create a company-wide movement toward data-driven decision-making. Lack of adoption, like poor data quality, serves as a barrier to realizing value.
Action items:
- Develop user-friendly tools and platforms for easy data access and analysis
- Ensure data is accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Over time, that builds trust
- Employ internal influencers to spread the word about access to data products
3| Implement data governance
Companies that focus on data governance and quality stand higher in their ability to build trust in the data produced by data products. Data leaders that champion data governance reflect a high degree of data product readiness.
Action items:
- Define data standards, roles, and responsibilities for data management
- Regularly review and refine data governance practices
- Clear up data ownership with clearly articulated governance
4| Provide training and education
Ongoing training and education combined with communications are vital for ensuring data literacy across the organization. Greater awareness and know-how equip employees to use data products to make informed decisions and drive business outcomes.
Action items:
- Offer diverse training programs, including workshops, online courses, and user training
- Reward fast learners with rewards like digital badges, so they can tout their achievements
- Build and execute a communications program to get the word out to employees
5| Foster cross-functional collaboration
Collaboration on data ownership across departments ensures that insights and learnings are shared. Organizations with distributed data ownership excel, while those with centralized ownership fall behind.
Action items:
- Encourage a collaborative model where business functions take ownership of data
- Hold regular cross-functional meetings and use data-sharing platforms
- Create competition between different departments by tracking/reporting on usage
6| Offer incentives and recognition
Spotlight data product users who use the tools effectively and encourage others. According to KPMG, “the data product owner can drive the culture change needed to nurture data as an evolving value driver.”
Action items:
- Create incentive programs that reward employees for exceptional uses of data products
- Publicly recognize and reward employees who demonstrate data-driven decision-making skills
- Single out leaders who share how data plays a pivotal role in business decisions
7| Empower employees and grant autonomy
The data product owner, with leadership support, drives culture change, transforms data use, and fosters meaningful organizational change. It’s a task that requires instilling employees with autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Action items:
- Provide employees with the autonomy to act on data insights
- Offer a roadmap for employees to master their use of data products
- Communicate the purpose—using data for faster, smarter decisions
8| Embrace continuous improvement
Harnessing the power of data embraces continuous improvement through the never-ending adoption of new technology and strategies. The day a data product launches is significant, but every day forward is also open for advancements.
Action items:
- Encourage continuous improvement by establishing feedback loops
- Assess new technologies regularly for upgrading data products
- Audit the data products program on a quarterly schedule
By implementing these 8 steps for building a data-driven culture, data leaders can enhance their reputation for generating results with data products that deliver value for the organization.
Unlocking value with data products
Five steps data executives can take to build high-value data products and increase competitive advantage. Find out how by reading Unlocking Value with Data Products. Download and read the full report by completing the form below.
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Matteo Colombo
Principal, KPMG Global Leader for Cloud, Data, AI , KPMG US
Danielle Beringer
Principal, Advisory, Lighthouse, KPMG US
Matteo Colombo
Principal, KPMG Global Leader for Cloud, Data, AI , KPMG US
Danielle Beringer
Principal, Advisory, Lighthouse, KPMG US