Conf42 Internet of Things (IoT) 2024 - Online

- premiere 5PM GMT

Empowering Organizations with Data Portals: Unlocking Self-Service Analytics for Smarter Decisions

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Abstract

Discover how data portals revolutionize decision-making by enabling seamless, self-service analytics for everyone—no technical skills required. Learn to enhance collaboration, boost efficiency by 25%, and drive insights faster with centralized, accessible data.

Summary

Transcript

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Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, depending upon where you are and when you're watching this recording. Thank you for joining me today. My name is Robin Sarkar. I'm the director of analytics and digital at Enstal. I'm very excited today to discuss something that fuels our lives every single day, yet rarely gets the spotlight it deserves. Data. Think of data like water, it's everywhere, for survival, and yet too much of it can cause floods, while too little leaves us parched. The key is not just having data, but managing it wisely, turning it into something actionable and valuable. Today I'm here to talk about data portals. I know that name doesn't scream excitement, but trust me, by the end of this session, you will see how data portals can make your organization smarter, faster, and yes, even more profitable. So let's dive in. Here's what we'll cover today. First, I'll introduce data portals, what they are, why they matter. Next, we'll explore their key features. Then we'll discuss their key benefits. Spoiler alert. It means faster decisions, happier employees, and improved business outcomes. But let's be real, it's not all perfect. I'll also touch on common challenges organizations face when adopting data portals, and of course, the solutions to navigate them. Finally, we'll end with key takeaways and some thought provoking questions to help you reflect on how data portals could transform your organization. Sounds good? Let's get started. The world is drowning in data. Fun fact, by 2025, the global data sphere will hit 175 zettabytes. That's 175 trillion gigabytes. Imagine if every byte were a grain of rice. We would have enough to bury Mount Everest several times over. Yet, despite this abundance, many organizations struggle to harness the full value of their data. It's like having closet stuffed with clothes. But never being able to find your favorite shirt. That sounds familiar, right? This is where data portals comes in. Think of data portal as your super organized friend, Marie Kondo. Consolidating all your data into one place and making it easy. To find and use. It's not just storage. It's about turning chaos into clarity. Imagine a retail company with data spread across sales, inventory, customer support, and marketing systems. Without a data portal, pulling these pieces together for insight is time consuming and often inconsistent. With a data portal, this data is consolidating, and Allowing the company to quickly identify trends like customer purchasing behaviors, inventory shortages, or the success of marketing campaigns, all in real time. What sets data portals apart is their unique combination of features to address real world challenges. First, there is a centralized repository. Imagine all your data. Whether it's sales, customer feedback, or operational metrics consolidated in one place. If you're in the healthcare industry, patient records, lab results, or billing information are often scattered across the system. A data portal can centralize the sources, ensuring the healthcare providers have accurate up to date information at their fingertips, which directly improves patient care. Everything is in one place. And no more hunting through 10 different systems like you're in a treasure hunt. Self service analytics is a game changer for non technical users. Remember when you had to call data or IT team every time you needed a report? Those days are over. With intuitive dashboards, Even the least tech savvy person in the office can pull insights. It's like upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone. It just makes life easier. Third, we have data governance. As organization grows, so does the need to secure sensitive data and comply with regulations. Sounds boring, right? But it's crucial. It's like having a security guard for your data, making sure sensitive information doesn't fall into wrong hands. Then there is search and discovery. Advanced search capabilities means employees can find their data in seconds. Imagine an analyst looking for sales. data for specific region last quarter, they can simply search and access the relevant data set instantly. Finally, let's talk about collaboration tools. Imagine you're in marketing and you notice sales are up in one region but down another. Instead of sending 50 emails back and forth, you can share your insights directly in the portal. Tag your sales team and work on the solutions together. All right. Let's talk about the juicy part, the benefits. first up is, it enables faster decision making. Picture this, you're a product manager who needs to decide whether to continue producing a slow selling product. Without a data portal, they would spend weeks gathering the information, but with one, they can see sales trends, customer feedback, and inventory levels in minutes, and boom, a decision is being made. Next up is The improved data literacy. You know how most people free data like it's written in Hebrew data portals change that they make data accessible and easy to understand even for the non technical folks. For example, an HR manager could use a portal to track employee performance and employee engagement and more, engagement trends without needing a data scientist on speed dial. And by automating repetitive tasks like data extraction and cleaning, data portals allow IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives, boosting overall productivity. This doesn't just benefit IT, it creates a ripple effect across the organization. Collaboration is another big win. Let's say the marketing team wants to run a campaign targeting a specific audience. Instead of guessing, they can pull customer insights from the portal, share them with design team, and create a campaign backed by data. It's teamwork powered by technology. Here's the thing about data. It's only useful if you can access it quickly and easily. That's where data portals shine. First, they simplify data discovery. Instead of digging through 10 folders or sending panicked attacks, panicked emails to IT, you can find what you need in seconds. They also democratize data. That's a fancy way of saying they make data accessible to everyone, not just data nerds. A junior employee in customer service Identifies a recurring complaint pattern using the portal. They share it with their manager, who then brings it up in a strategy meeting. Suddenly, the junior employee is the office hero. Then there is data quality and consistency. When all teams draw the data from same single source. Source of truth, discrepancy and errors are significantly reduced. So finally, let's talk about real time access. In today's fast paced world, waiting for outdated report is like trying to run a marathon in flip flops. It just doesn't work. Real time data helps companies respond to changes instantly. For example, If a retailer notices a spike in demand for a product, they can restock quickly, avoiding missed sales opportunities. Data portals don't just make your life easier, they transform how businesses operate. Let's start with faster decisions. With all your data in one place, decision making becomes quick and confident. Imagine a CEO needing to decide whether to expand into New market, instead of relying on gut feelings, they have a portal filled with market analysis, customer demographics, and competitor insights. It enables them to make the decision faster and quicker. Now let's discuss data driven culture. Data portals make it easier for organizations to foster a culture of data driven decision making. Companies that embrace the culture outperform their competitors financially by 49 percent and are 178 percent more likely to achieve long term success. Why? Because their decisions are based on facts, not hunches. And all we know is that facts don't lie. Finally, customer insights. Data portals help you understand your customers better. For example, Fitness company could use one to identify which classes are most popular, then adjust their schedule to meet demand. The result, happier customer means happier retention rates. The benefits of data portals don't just improve process. They create ripple effects across the entire organization. Let's dive into some real world impacts. Let's talk about customer acquisition and retention. Did you know? Do you know that companies leveraging data portals are 23 times more likely to acquire customers and six times more likely to retain them? It's like having a crystal ball for customer behavior. For example, a telecom company using a data portal might notice younger employees, or sorry, younger customers prefer online support over phone calls. By enhancing online support, they make their customers happier. Isn't that the goal? Next, let's discuss profitability. Data driven organizations are 19 times more likely to achieve above average profitability. Picture a manufacturing company using real time data to optimize production schedules and reduce waste. Every decision becomes a little smarter and the savings add up quickly. And then there is operational optimization. Companies report a 30 percent boost in efficiency thanks to data portals. Imagine a supply chain manager tracking inventory and forecasting demand in real time. By proactively addressing potential bottlenecks, they save time, money, and a lot of headaches. Smooth operations aren't just a dream, they're achievable. Ultimately, these improvements make organizations more agile, competitive, and ready to tackle the future. Data portals aren't just tools, they are game changers. Of course, data portals isn't all smooth sailing. Every great tool comes with its challenges. First up, Data security. It's a biggie with 67 percent of organizations citing it as a top concern. It's clear this issue keeps many I. T. Professionals up at night. Think about it. Single breach can cost millions of dollars and it also has a reputational impact on the organization. Next is user adoption. As change is hard. We all know someone who still refuses to use an online calendar. Only 20 percent of employees feel confident in their data literacy skills. Then there's data quality. It's like garbage in and garbage out. Poor quality data is like using GPS without dated maps. You're not going to end up any end up anywhere where you want to be. Finally, there's also an issue of scalability. As your organization grows, so will your data needs. Now that we have outlined challenges, let's talk solutions. Every obstacle is just an opportunity in disguise, right? we discussed about data security. it's best to implement a zero trust model. This means every user and device Assessing your data must be verified. No exceptions. Add encryption and regular audits to the mix and you've got a security system Fort Knox would let me. For user adoption, training is key, but don't make it boring. Tailoring the training to different roles. For example, HR team learns to track employee engagement trends while marketing explores campaign performance dashboards. Everyone feels empowered and no one feels left out. Data quality can be tackled with automated data cleansing tools that spot and fix errors before they reach the portal. Combine that with clear data governance policies, you will ensure your data remains accurate and actionable. Finally, there's scalability. Cloud based solutions are a no brainer. Imagine you're a retailer launching a hot new product. A cloud based portal lets you handle the surge in data seamlessly, ensuring you don't miss a single sale. This solution proves that with the right approach, data portals can overcome any hurdle. Finally, we're coming to end of it. We've covered a lot today. Let's take a moment to recap the key points. Data portals are transformative tools that centralize data, improve accessibility, and empower organizations to make smarter decisions. From features like self service analytics to their ability to drive profitability and efficiency, they're changing the game for business everywhere. We discuss the challenges like security concerns of user adoption. But with tailored training, robust governance and scalable solutions, these obstacles are entirely manageable. So before we wrap up, let's take a moment to reflect. If this were a live session, I would invite your questions. So here's my question to you. How can your organization leverage a data portal to foster collaboration, drive better outcomes, and create a truly data driven culture? Thank you for your time and attention. And I hope this session has inspired you to explore the possibilities of data portals and the transformative impact they can have on your organizations. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great day. Bye bye.
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Robin Sarkar

Director of Analytics & Digital @ Enstall

Robin Sarkar's LinkedIn account



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