A new study highlights the increasing reliance on data-driven insights among UK businesses amid growing competition and economic uncertainty.
According to research conducted by Splunk, 58% of IT decision makers express concerns over the rapid expansion of data within their organisations, citing issues related to security, compliance, and operational risk. The survey, which polled 500 IT leaders from companies with 250 or more employees, found that 97% have experienced a surge in demand for data insights over the past two years. Additionally, 29% of these decision makers reported their data volumes have doubled in the last three years, with 11% seeing their data triple or more.
The pressure to leverage data for business advantage is evident, with 44% of ITDMs aiming to boost productivity and 42% seeking to accelerate the pace and quality of innovation through data insights. However, a significant 68% of respondents believe that data overload could impair their organisation’s operational effectiveness. Many also feel that the challenge of managing increasing data volumes has hampered their ability to extract meaningful operational insights, with 46% stating that data unmanageability has hindered their business over the past three years. Moreover, 45% anticipate this problem will persist in the coming years.
Board-level demand for data insights is driven by the need to stay competitive in an increasingly challenging environment marked by economic instability, cyber threats, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory pressures. As a result, 77% of UK IT decision makers consider data-driven insights a top priority for operational and business performance. Despite this focus, many organisations face the paradox of wanting to be data-driven while struggling with data overload and quality issues.
Petra Jenner, GM and SVP of EMEA at Splunk, emphasised that data forms the backbone of modern digital business models but pointed out that many organisations only extract insights from around 57% of their data, with 86% believing that poor data quality poses a significant threat.
Concerns around compliance and security are also prominent, with 64% of ITDMs worried about potential fines resulting from data non-compliance. The importance of maintaining compliant data to achieve a competitive edge was acknowledged by 80%. Furthermore, 82% of respondents see their ability to analyse data as critical for detecting and responding to cybersecurity threats, yet 67% recognise that the growing volume of data has increased security risks over the last three years.
Petra Jenner stressed that digital resilience hinges on good data management, emphasising that without visibility and control, organisations risk falling behind in compliance, security, and innovation. She concluded that while the appetite for data-driven insights is high, success depends on strategic data governance, quality, and compliance. Only those organisations that prioritise these areas will gain the clarity and confidence needed to innovate effectively and maintain a competitive edge.
