How Data Democratization Can Empower Your Team

Data is what your business runs on, but it can also hold your business back from success—especially if people lack access to what they need to carry out their duties. Data democratization is a solution that can help your business improve operations and make better decisions… but what is data democratization, and what can you learn from it?

Restricting access to information is nothing new, of course. Even the Library of Alexandria, with its impossible goal of collecting all the world’s knowledge, restricted its access. The widespread adoption of technology means that information doesn’t have to rot in some dusty old library anymore; instead, it can be shared with people faster than ever.

Understanding Data Democratization

An easy explanation of data democratization is making data accessible to your typical non-technical user within your business without asking for permission from the powers that be, like your IT department or a data analyst. Simply put, it’s about empowering your people to get work done using the right tools, in the right way, and (crucially) without getting in their way.

Now, we’re not advocating for unrestricted access to sensitive information—far from it, actually—but we are advocating for strong governance and security while ensuring relevant data is in an accessible and understandable format.

For example, your sales team could see which products are trending locally, and your marketing team could get a glimpse into customer behaviors in real-time. An operations manager could determine where the real bottlenecks are and take action to resolve them. This is all possible with readily accessible data.

How to Use Data Democratization

SMBs will find the agility offered by data democratization exceptionally helpful, which is why we want to make this information as available as possible to you. Large corporations might have analyst teams, but for SMBs, it’s all hands on deck. Here’s the process for making it happen:

• Organize your data: Data tends to find itself scattered all over spreadsheets and databases without really being centralized anywhere. You can take the first step by centralizing your information and making its location accessible.
• Find the right tools: These days, business intelligence tools and dashboards make data easy to navigate through intuitive interfaces, drag-and-drop report building, and clear visualizations.
• Cultivate a culture of sharing data: Data democratization is more than simple data and tools; it’s also ensuring your team is ready and empowered to use the data to answer their questions. Consider training them to use this data in the appropriate way.
• Make sure your data is clean: Your data won’t be useful to your team if it isn’t high-quality. Make sure that any data you store is accurate, consistent, and secure. We recommend you have some form of access control in place, as it’s crucial your team can access the data they need without putting everything else at risk in the process.

Don’t Let Data Hold Your Business Back

If you’re ready to open up a whole world of data democratization for your business, WatchPoint Solutions can help you get started. We have all the solutions you need to store, manage, maintain, and secure your data. Learn more by calling us at (848) 202-8860 today.