Cross-Platform Data Management Is Non-Negotiable

A continuously increasing volume of data has long been a reality. This means that tasks such as the fragmentation and decentralisation of data are becoming standard for companies. The cloud can help here by helping to overcome several challenges at once.

Over the past decade, organisations have focused on moving their infrastructure to the cloud and modernising analytics, databases, data warehouses, and data lakes. The goal: is flexible and agile working that is also cost-efficient. Although 80 percent of companies plan to accelerate their digital transformation, 70 per cent have not met the goals associated with the change. This emerges from an analysis by the World Economic Forum.

Because digital transformation differs significantly from digital modernization, it’s about delivering a superior customer experience built on a cloud-native and data-driven, AI-centric approach.

Data is growing exponentially and is spatially distributed more than ever. A recent survey by Unisphere Research found that 72 percent of administrators manage a growing number of databases. Almost 70 per cent of administrators have to manage different platforms – practically a third, even three or more. This high volume of data and the fragmentation and decentralisation of the data itself is the new normal. A cloud-first approach determines this. Also, companies need to embrace a multi-hybrid world.

Cloud-first means that companies should consistently implement and use data and applications in the cloud-first. The multi-cloud environment consists of various private and public clouds. Companies that continue to rely solely on on-premise solutions face several challenges. This includes the scattered and fragmented data storage across multiple platforms, disconnected clouds and slide systems. Organisations also have to cope with other tasks, such as providing users with the correct data to respond to customer needs.

Data As Corporate Capital

Data is the most critical asset of any company. Data fragmentation and storage in data silos pose massive obstacles to efficient and successful work. To use the full potential of all data and thereby provide new and differentiated experiences for customers, employees and partners, companies need a cloud that specialises in data management because only such a cloud enables data-based innovations to be implemented on any platform or in any cloud – for employees throughout the company.

Ultimately, companies connect data and consumers, driving the transition from digital modernization to digital transformation. Effective data management supports organisations in offering customers new products and services and developing innovative models for their approach and operations. This ensures the best customer experience.

So what are the advantages of cross-platform data management in this context?

Cloud-Native Working At Scale

Enterprises can flexibly scale their computing power with a single cloud-native platform that enables data, app and API integration and data management at scale. Other advantages: Data can be integrated and processed regardless of its form and latency. This enables data democratisation that ensures real-time insights.

Establish And Use Data As An Information Carrier

Organisations that process petabytes of data every day in a highly fragmented and dispersed data landscape need a metadata-driven storage system. Ideally, this is based on artificial intelligence or machine learning. This enables intelligent decisions to be made in real-time, based on detailed insights. Thanks to AI and ML capabilities, processes and analyses can be automated – and get insights from large amounts of data in minutes, not months. The result is a significant increase in productivity.

Enterprise-Scale Data Management On Any Cloud, On Any Platform

A single cloud-native platform makes it possible to make data available to every user, independent of department and location, regardless of data type and source. They can be visualised and analysed. And also enable collaboration across different areas. The result: companies can connect, access, use and manage data wherever it resides – be it in the cloud, in cloud-to-on-premise environments or on-premises -to on-premise environments.

Agile Innovation Is Gaining Momentum

Today’s fast-paced business world requires a high degree of agility to meet dynamic and continuously changing requirements. Companies are more agile with low-code or no-code cloud data management: They can move seamlessly from planning to implementation. In addition, dynamic business requirements and needs that change during the process can be reacted to in real-time – and at no additional cost. In addition, users gain access to trusted data, enabling them to make informed decisions based on insights. Thanks to this digital transformation, companies can better serve their customers – because the transformation processes extend from the customer experience(CX) to e-commerce and from economic transformation to supply chain management.

For example, Unilever transformed its master data area and implemented a new solution. Automation, improved controls and (close) collaboration between departments and the IT team simplified the supplier’s consumer goods supply chain.

Over the past year, Unilever has reduced the time it takes to onboard suppliers from five weeks to days with its new self-service portal. In addition, the portal was launched in 90 countries within 90 days. This helped to minimise production delays and be flexible in responding to customer demands during the pandemic.

Confidentiality And Data Protection As Standard

Data protection has a top priority. High standards for data security and data governance ensure user confidence in data quality and safety. In addition, a corresponding data management system protects the information by minimising risks and ensuring compliance with legal regulations.

Healthcare provider Eli Lilly and Company needed to unify its data governance across the organisation and democratise its data to ensure its widespread use. The company used an intelligent framework to store and access governance activities and data assets centrally. It also launched an enterprise backbone initiative using cloud storage technologies to reduce the number of disparate data lakes and data warehouses.

In summary: The digital transformation is accelerating worldwide. Companies have recognized this and adjusted their data management strategy accordingly. To remain competitive and make the best possible business decisions, they must use their data as a strategic asset and store, manage and evaluate it intelligently—the solution: is cross-platform data management. Not only do employees have access to data and benefit from appropriately informed insights, but customers can trust the organisation to handle their data as securely as possible.