Why Data Analytics Projects Miss the Mark

While data-analytics projects have the potential to contribute greatly to organizational goals, professionals overseeing these efforts are encountering a wide range of issues that stand in the way of success, according to a recent survey from Snowflake Computing. The accompanying report, titled “Data Analytics: Beyond the Hype,” indicates that companies are seeking to increase operational efficiencies while making better decisions about strategies through these technologies. They also want to spur growth while managing costs more effectively. However, they’re discovering that user adoption rates are much lower than expected. At the same time, data analytics initiatives are going over-budget. In most cases, existing data-analytics infrastructures are too complicated, and it’s very difficult to hire job candidates with the right technical expertise to make these programs work. “It is the norm for technology and business publications to discuss the importance of data in today’s world,” according to the report. “From cutting edge technology services to venerable enterprises that have been in the same industry for generations, businesses are looking to their data to find ways to reduce costs and grow revenues. But while innovative and inspiring stories about use of data to build businesses abound, on the ground the story is often different. What gets lost in the excitement is the reality that it’s surprisingly common for analytics projects to fail.” More than 375 employees and executives who work on data initiatives took part in the research, which was conducted by Dimensional Research.