The COVID-19 pandemic, environmental concerns and social unrest have upended the established order. Across all industries, organisations have found that the need for flexibility, agility and adaptability has become more central to business strategy than ever before. For the past decade, firms have amassed data, invested in technologies and analytical talent, and clarified strategy, with the goal of better satisfying customers. But, for many companies, a strong, data-driven culture remains elusive. Without the right questions, the right approaches, and the right technology, data can give you insights – but not the outcomes that are the difference between leading and lagging. 

Strong data-driven organisations tend to have leaders who set expectations across the business that decisions must be anchored in data, ensuring new ideas and innovations are backed by solid evidence. Meanwhile, customers now expect digital experiences as personalised as the data they allow an organisation to have, meaning the ability to utilise data effectively at the point of contact is crucial to customer engagement. As machine learning and AI technologies become ever more central to customer interactions, organisations face increasing demands on the effective use and management of their data in order to provide satisfactory experiences. 

The right data analytics strategy can deliver deeper-level insights that drive higher-level outcomes. By combining domain expertise, human talent, and innovative technology, data-led businesses can turn data into insight, insight into outcomes, and outcomes into sustainable business advantage. 

This panel discussion, hosted by the Financial Times in partnership with EXL, addressed the potential of the data-driven organisation, and the importance of culture and leadership to ensure innovations are backed by data based evidence.

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