How Marks & Spencer Aligns Data Initiatives to Business Outcomes

As enterprises increasingly rely on data and AI for competitive advantage, aligning data initiatives to strategic business outcomes becomes critical. Marks & Spencer, the renowned British retailer celebrating its 140th anniversary, is leading by example. Phil Dale, Head of Data Governance, recently shared valuable insights on how Marks & Spencer ensures data-driven decision-making is central to their business strategy.

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The foundations of a strategic data approach

Marks & Spencer’s transformative journey accelerated significantly due to the shift toward digital during the pandemic. This pivot highlighted the importance of trusted data and effective governance. Dale explains, "We wanted to ramp up how we use data across the organization, ensuring we’ve got the right trusted data and we're democratizing that data."

At the heart of their approach is Beam, an internal data platform designed to transition Marks & Spencer from traditional on-premises data solutions to cloud-based agility. Beam supports six customer-focused domains, laying a strong foundation for data-driven transformation.

Dale branded Beam deliberately to attract people to the platform. “I knew that if you provided a commercial hook, then we would get people to buy into it,” he reveals. This is part of Dale’s larger vision to bring people along on the data governance journey together.

“I believe passionately that all of this hard work... absolutely has a commercial value at the end of it,” he says. “Whether that's the quality of the data, whether that's in being able to assess what the right data is to provide for a business case, whether it's about making sure that we're sharing data with the parties in the right way so that we can enable business transformation, there is a clear business value and benefit to it.”

Effective data leadership: Creating a data governance culture

Effective data governance at Marks & Spencer is built upon clear leadership, stakeholder buy-in, and a defined cultural shift. Dale emphasizes the importance of creating a unified vision: “We want to create value for customers, colleagues, and shareholders by ensuring that trusted data is at the heart of everything that we do.” He refers to the slide below as his team’s “shop window” to clearly communicate his team’s purpose to the business:

To that end, the four key pillars of M&S’ data strategy include digital transformation & growth, data quality, data governance culture, and data compliance. Dale acknowledges the historical challenges of fostering accountability around data but highlights the substantial progress made by embedding data stewardship and ownership across business units.

Building a trusted data culture

The importance of cultivating a robust data culture cannot be overstated. Marks & Spencer's strategic priority is embedding data responsibility and pride among its workforce. According to Dale, “I want to make sure that people feel proud to be undertaking these roles. It’s a massive cultural shift… from ‘it’s just another job’ to feeling proud because of the value their work brings.”

Using platforms like Alation’s data catalog, Marks & Spencer ensures that data is well understood, properly stewarded, and easily accessible across the business. Dale emphasizes, “Tooling definitely helps with culture. You have to accept that the culture is changing to be more governance-focused.” Selecting the right tooling directly impacts how the culture evolves, helping to embed data governance as an integral part of business operations.

Embracing AI through robust governance

AI’s emergence further underscores the need for robust data governance. Dale sees AI not just as a technology but as a strategic enabler demanding high-quality, trusted data. “Everybody is clear that unless we have the right quality of data and trusted data, our opportunity to exploit AI will be minimal,” he remarks.

Marks & Spencer approaches AI with careful governance, balancing innovation and compliance. Dale notes the increasing internal enthusiasm, “People are knocking on our door because they see the value and benefit in trusted data or they want to ensure we use AI properly.” This enthusiasm is driving a broader acceptance and understanding of the critical role governance plays in successful AI adoption.

Measuring success: Value and revenue

For Marks & Spencer, measuring the success of data initiatives revolves around tangible business outcomes. “As part of our overarching roadmap, we have to be able to call out to our stakeholders, how are we delivering value and revenue benefit in our Beam Delivery program,” shares DAle. And so that's part and parcel of our program delivery: to have that and to be able to explain and articulate that.”

Their governance program includes clear KPIs linked to revenue impact and regulatory compliance. The alignment of these measures ensures consistent visibility and validation of the value of data governance.

Final thoughts: The future of data governance at Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer demonstrates that effective data leadership significantly influences strategic business outcomes. Dale’s insights offer a practical blueprint for organizations looking to strengthen data governance and accelerate data-driven innovation.

Reflecting on the journey, Dale acknowledges the ongoing nature of governance maturity: “We have made progress,” he reflects. “But if I'm honest, we have a lot more progress still to make. And I would be open and honest with everybody about that. I mean, I don't think I would ever answer [a stakeholder] question with, by the way, ‘we've totally nailed this.’” However, the progress Marks & Spencer has made serves as an inspiring example for enterprises navigating similar transformations.

Through strategic alignment, executive buy-in, robust tooling, and an ingrained culture of trusted data, Marks & Spencer is not only advancing its digital transformation but positioning itself strongly to leverage future AI opportunities.

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