Why a Single Source Of Truth matters (and how to get it)
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Why a Single Source Of Truth matters (and how to get it)
Helen Jackson
9th November, 2023
Helen Jackson
9th November, 2023
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What is a Single Source of Truth (SSOT)?
Why a SSOT matters
Challenges in creating a SSOT
5 steps to achieving a SSOT
Getting the data you need to make smart business decisions is easier than you think. Here's how to create a Single Source of Truth.
Businesses increasingly rely on accurate data to make strategic decisions because guesswork just doesn't cut it. But this data is only valuable when it's accurate, reliable, and consistent (if data management is an issue for you, take a look at our documentation best practices).
So, if your data is fragmented across multiple legacy systems or you're just looking for new Single Source of Truth strategy inspiration, this blog is for you. We're exploring what a Single Source of Truth is, its importance, and how to get and maintain it.
What is a Single Source of Truth?
A Single Source of Truth, or SSOT, is a concept that ensures everyone in an organisation is accessing the same data to make decisions. If employees make decisions based on inaccurate or inconsistent data, goals will never align, and objectives will never be achieved — you'll never have all-encompassing company knowledge.
What is 'Company knowledge'? This is the knowledge and expertise you get from your data. Making decisions based on data outperforms guesswork every time. The only problem is if your data is unreliable, it serves a limited purpose.
To achieve SSOT, you need one authoritative data source providing one view of information across your organisation. That's one single trusted reference point for all employees.
Why a Single Source of Truth matters
Without a Single Source of Truth, you're opening your organisation up to cyber threats; fragmented data leaves room for security breaches, compliance and data privacy compromisation and duplicate data slows operational efficiency and hampers productivity.
Having a Single Source of Truth generates many benefits, from the obvious to the subtle:
- You achieve consistency, accuracy and efficiency: If everyone accesses the same data, you enjoy more consistent and accurate decision-making. And only having one data source to search means employees can efficiently search the data for the answer they're looking for, saving time.
- An SSOT promotes collaboration: Working from the same dataset means you're sharing knowledge — you're finally on the same page. Communication is more effective, and problem-solving becomes easier.
- … And it inspires innovation: With nothing standing in the way of implementing an optimised data strategy, you're free to innovate.
Challenges in Establishing a Single Source of Truth
An SSOT means eliminating information siloes and providing access to data. But it's more challenging than you'd think. The modern digital landscape, for all its benefits, has made the task of establishing an SSOT more difficult.
We have more data access than ever before, but it's coming at us from all angles — from cloud applications and IoT (Internet of Things) devices to third-party systems. We're drowning in data sprawl, which inevitably leads to inconsistencies.
For workers depending on knowledge to do their jobs (researchers, analysts, tech developers), more commonly referred to as knowledge workers, it's now more important than ever to establish a reliable, synchronised, unified view of data.
Multiple disjointed systems are the troublemakers
Disjointed systems mean data fragmentation; that much is clear. And 86% of B2B companies believe they can do much better with data. But if you were to integrate and verify your data manually, it's time-consuming, and you can't escape the inevitable human errors.
All this begs the question, how do you unify your data so you can use it to its full potential? The answer: better data management frameworks.
5 Steps to Achieving a Single Source of Truth
Although achieving a Single Source of Truth can be condensed into five steps, it's not a quick process. Take your time with each step to ensure you get it right.
- Analyse all data sources to understand which data is a priority, which is a duplicate, and which is outdated.
- Introduce a data management system to aggregate and organise all data and remove data siloes.
- Implement data visualisation tools to better understand the data you're looking at.
- Train staff to improve tech understanding and adoption so they know how to navigate your new data system.
- Re-build data governance policies to ensure your data remains accurate going forward.
To sum up
There's no doubt we're living in a data-centric world. Data drives every business decision, or at least it should. But, without accurate and centralised data, all business decisions are made blindly. Equipped with the right tech, you can unify your data to drive better-informed, agile business decisions while maximising operational efficiency at the same time.
If you're looking to improve collaboration between your teams, we can help. At Kolekti, our Confluence apps ensure your collective knowledge is up-to-date and accessible to every team member in your organisation.
Challenges in establishing a Single Source of Truth
An SSOT means eliminating information siloes and providing access to data. But it's more challenging than you'd think. The modern digital landscape, for all its benefits, has made the task of establishing an SSOT more difficult.
We have more data access than ever before, but it's coming at us from all angles — from cloud applications and IoT (Internet of Things) devices to third-party systems. We're drowning in data sprawl, which inevitably leads to inconsistencies.
For workers depending on knowledge to do their jobs (researchers, analysts, tech developers), more commonly referred to as knowledge workers, it's now more important than ever to establish a reliable, synchronised, unified view of data.
Multiple disjointed systems are the troublemakers
Disjointed systems mean data fragmentation; that much is clear. And 86% of B2B companies believe they can do much better with data. But if you were to integrate and verify your data manually, it's time-consuming, and you can't escape the inevitable human errors.
All this begs the question, how do you unify your data so you can use it to its full potential? The answer: better data management frameworks.
5 steps to achieving a Single Source of Truth
Although achieving a Single Source of Truth can be condensed into five steps, it's not a quick process. Take your time with each step to ensure you get it right.
- Analyse all data sources to understand which data is a priority, which is a duplicate, and which is outdated.
- Introduce a data management system to aggregate and organise all data and remove data siloes.
- Implement data visualisation tools to better understand the data you're looking at.
- Train staff to improve tech understanding and adoption so they know how to navigate your new data system.
- Re-build data governance policies to ensure your data remains accurate going forward.
To sum up
There's no doubt we're living in a data-centric world. Data drives every business decision, or at least it should. But, without accurate and centralised data, all business decisions are made blindly. Equipped with the right tech, you can unify your data to drive better-informed, agile business decisions while maximising operational efficiency at the same time.
If you're looking to improve collaboration between your teams, we can help. At Kolekti, our Confluence apps ensure your collective knowledge is up-to-date and accessible to every team member in your organisation.
Make Confluence work the way you want it to
However you want to extend Confluence, we've got the app to help you achieve it.
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Written by
Helen Jackson
Content Writer
Helen is a freelance content writer specialising in Software as a Service (SaaS). She has a BA Hons degree in English, a Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification, and over ten years of experience in content marketing.
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