Why most SME data projects fail
The pattern is always the same: leadership decides to 'do data', buys a BI tool, asks IT to configure it, and 6 months later nobody consults the dashboards. Cost: €20,000-50,000. Result: zero.
The fundamental mistake: starting with the tool rather than the problem. Technology does not create value by itself. Decisions made thanks to data create value.
Our 4-phase method
Phase 1: mapping (weeks 1-2)
Interviews with decision-makers and operational teams. Objective: identify the 10 key business decisions and understand what data is available.
Phase 2: prioritisation (week 3)
Rank use cases by impact and feasibility. Retain the 3 use cases in the high impact, high feasibility quadrant.
Phase 3: quick wins (weeks 4-5)
Deliver a first concrete result quickly on the simplest use case. Not perfect, but real and measurable.
Our conviction: an SME does not need a Data Lake or a dedicated data team to start. It needs 3 well-defined indicators, consulted weekly by the right people.
This approach — audit, roadmap, governance, ROI — is the subject of the Data Strategy for Executives course in our course catalogue.
