Siloed to Smart: How to Unlock ROI From Your Data Investments

If your teams can’t see the same numbers, how can they make the right decisions?  

Many leaders within Financial Services and Manufacturing are facing the same frustrating reality: despite years of investment in digital systems and data tools, they still struggle to get a clear actionable picture of what’s really happening across the business. 

Why? Because their data is trapped in solos.  

But there’s some good news! Breaking down these barriers is not only achievable – it’s a proven way to unlock real, measurable Return on Investment.  

The High Costs of Siloed Data 

When departments can’t share or interpret data effectively, inefficiencies pile up fast.  

This results in: 

• Duplicate work across functions because nobody has the visibility of what’s already been done. 
• Delayed decision as leadership waits on reports pulled manually from disconnected systems.  
• Missed opportunities because customer, production, or financial insights are fragmented or outdated. 
• Increase compliance risk, especially in Financial Services, where governance and audit trails are critical.  

Why Traditional Data Projects Fall Short

Despite the pressure to ‘become data-driven’, most organisations fall into the same traps: 

• Technology first thinking: Investing in platforms without a clear business use case. 
• Confused ownership: IT implements the tools, but departments don’t align on how to use them. 
• Chasing quick wins: Focusing on dashboards or reporting tools instead of building a connected, scalable strategy.  

In both Manufacuring and Financial Services, this often results in beautiful visualisations of incomplete or low-quality data. 

Which means wrong answers, faster.  

From Siloed to Smart: A Better Way Forward

To truly unlock ROI from data, business leaders need a new approach. One that prioritises outcomes, collaboration, and long-term value.  

1. Align Data to Business Goals

Start with the outcomes: 

• Do you want faster forecasting? 
• Better customer segmentation? 
• More efficient production planning? 

This alignment ensures your data strategy supports core business KPIs from day one.

2. Build an Integration Strategy 

Focus on connecting the systems that matter most.  

This could mean linking ERP to your CRM, integrating production data with demand forecasting or merging transactional data with risk models.

3. Create Cross-Functional Data Ownership 

Break the cycle of IT-only responsibility.  

Empower departments with data stewards – business-side champions who understand the context and value of the data they manage.  

4. Make Data Accessible (with Governance)  

Accessibility doesn’t mean a free-for-all.  

It means the right people can access the right data at the right time, with controls in place to ensure compliance and trust.  

What Smart, Integrated Data Looks Like

In Manufacturing:

A leading organisation partnered with Engaging Data to configure and install a robust Data Warehouse solution. 

Leveraging market-leading software, Engaging Data provided expert consultancy to ensure a high-performing and sustainable data infrastructure. 

In Financial Services:

A leading organisation partnered with Engaging Data to optimize their data infrastructure and drive data innovation. 

Since 2022, Engaging Data has worked closely with the client’s business teams, providing expert knowledge and championing best practices for data utilisation across the organisation. 

Measuring the ROI of Integrated Data 

Here’s what to look for when tracking ROI from integration: 

• Efficiency Gains: Fewer manual reports, less duplication of effort. 
• Revenue Growth: Faster time to insights, smarter product and pricing decisions. 
• Risk Reduction: Improve compliance, lower error rate, better audit trails.  

You can also track: 

• Percentage of reports generated automatically 
• Reduction in time-to-insight 
• Increase in trusted / validated data sources.  

How to Get Started 

Start Small, Think Big:

Look for 2-3 systems where integration would bring immediate value. 

For example: CRM + ERP or planning + finance. 

Get Stakeholder Buy-In: 

This isn’t just an IT project – loop in finance, ops, and compliance leaders early.  

Bring in Outside Perspective: 

A trusted data partner can help you identify hidden opportunities and avoid expensive mistakes. 

We can help you with that! 

Your Data Can – and Should – Deliver More 

Data investment should not be a cost center. But they shouldn’t be a barren wasteland either.  

When integrated and aligned with business strategy, they become one of the most powerful levers for growth, agility, and risk management.  

If you’re ready to move from siloed systems to smart decision, let’s talk. 

Book Your Data Innovation Session!

Book Your Data Innovation Session!

In this 30-minute session, we’ll explore how you can drive efficiency, reduce costs, and uncover new growth opportunities by leveraging data in smarter ways.