Alation Releases The State of Data Culture Maturity Research Report

Redwood City, Calif. – December 5, 2023 – Alation, Inc., the data intelligence company, today released The State of Data Culture Maturity: Research Report. The report is based on responses from 292 data professionals across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America to understand where data culture maturity stands today – and where it’s going.

Alation’s research report highlights the pivotal role of data culture in business success. As organizations navigate a data-driven landscape, it’s critical for leaders to recognize that building a strong data culture is not only an option, but a strategic imperative. Strong data leaders who successfully nurture a data-centric mindset within their organizations will not only drive innovation and agility but also gain a competitive edge in the market. 89% of respondents with strong data leadership say their organizations met or exceeded revenue goals in the past year. 

Modern organizations also have a heightened focus on data governance, with 70% of respondents sharing that their organizations are focused on improving governance in the coming year. More than half of respondents (56%) describe the direction of their data governance strategy as “offensive” (enabling data usage to support business growth) rather than “defensive” (protecting the business from risk and preventing regulatory infringements). As data becomes more valuable, organizations invest in establishing comprehensive frameworks to ensure data integrity, privacy, and compliance—not just to pass audits but to drive value.  

The research also underscores the importance of data search & discovery, data literacy, and data leadership to support a thriving data culture. Survey respondents cite a lack of metadata and context (69%), knowledge localized to just a few experts (64%), data silos and data duplication issues (64%), and lack of user skills and training (51%) as challenges with D&A initiatives. Organizations that invest in empowering their employees to search and access relevant data efficiently, foster data literacy among their workforce, and cultivate strong data leadership at all levels of the organization are better positioned to extract maximum business value from the vast sea of available data.

“Alation is critical to building a sustainable data culture where data is easily accessible, understood, trustworthy, and relied upon,” said Nolan Steiner, Manager, Data Science at Avista. “Our path to data maturity began with search & discovery, which enabled data teams to build a data curation and stewardship foundation. Alation’s intuitive and integrated search allows data users to extract value quickly by finding the information they need and know whether they are trusted, so we can move at the speed of business.”

“It is poetic how this report uses data to illustrate the value of being data-driven,” said Julie Smith, Director of Data & Analytics at Alation. “Fostering a data-centric culture in organizations involves providing individuals with essential tools to search and access reliable data efficiently. This enhances innovation and agility, ultimately granting organizations a sought-after competitive edge. With these advantages to be won, organizations need a clear and fast way to plot a path forward in their data maturity.”

"Data, increasingly the most valuable asset in many organizations today, gains its true worth within a culture that actively governs and manages it across functions,” said Dr. Jonathan Reichental, founder, professor, and author of Data Governance for Dummies. “Fostering a mature data culture is not just about managing data, but about integrating it as a central element in business operations and decision-making, a distinction that can mean the difference between success and failure.”