Accelerator 2

A resilient data supply chain

Accelerator 2

A resilient data supply chain

Organizations are striving to democratize the use of data to enable their people to respond rapidly to any sudden change.

But this data supply chain has to be resilient. Today, data must be pulled from various areas of the business to generate insights that subsequently shape decision-making.

This is particularly the case as more individuals within organizations and business units are required to access and use data from the wider ecosystem.

Organizations are striving to democratize the use of data to enable their people to respond rapidly to any sudden change.

But this data supply chain has to be resilient. Today, data must be pulled from various areas of the business to generate insights that subsequently shape decision-making.

This is particularly the case as more individuals within organizations and business units are required to access and use data from the wider ecosystem.

The data supply chain is built on trust and transparency

It is increasingly clear that organizations that empower their frontline employees to access the data they need to make decentralized decisions – regardless of how far the data is spread – stand to benefit the most.

Successfully doing this requires security, trust and transparency on the part of digital leaders.

of all executives say that only some data is available while working remotely.

Despite most digital leaders' rising confidence in their ability to give employees access to data to make informed decisions.

Ensuring employee access to data is vital

Our research shows that this is partly because existing cyber security measures have not been adapted sufficiently to allow secure access to on-site data.

Top three barriers to data access during the pandemic

José Muñoz, Global Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Company, says that ensuring secure access to data in the initial months of the pandemic meant the firm could “support its operation much better than originally expected, thanks to good communication and access to information.”

The data supply chain is built on trust and transparency

It is increasingly clear that organizations that empower their frontline employees to access the data they need to make decentralized decisions – regardless of how far the data is spread – stand to benefit the most.

Successfully doing this requires security, trust and transparency on the part of digital leaders.

of all executives say that only some data is available while working remotely.

Despite most digital leaders' rising confidence in their ability to give employees access to data to make informed decisions.

Ensuring employee access to data is vital

Our research shows that this is partly because existing cyber security measures have not been adapted sufficiently to allow secure access to on-site data.

Top three barriers to data access during the pandemic

José Muñoz, Global Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Company, says that ensuring secure access to data in the initial months of the pandemic meant the firm could “support its operation much better than originally expected, thanks to good communication and access to information.”

“The number-one action we took was to ensure every single employee had access to the systems and the data. It really made a big difference.”

José Muñoz, Global Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor Company

Cyber security bolsters a flexible data strategy and supply-chain resilience

Cyber security has long had to walk a tightrope between data protection and accessibility for digital leaders, and this requires urgent attention – with investments that empower rather than restrict employees.

So, how can organizations make sure that high standards of data protection and data privacy can be maintained in IT environments that include multi-clouds and hybrid workplaces?

Security must extend beyond the traditional workplace perimeter

of leaders agree that their organizations’ cyber security policies have hindered the ability to share data since the pandemic

IT and security must enable organizations to access data

agree that their firms’ cyber security measures have not been adapted to support remote working

Investment in security must take precedence to enable accessibility

agree that there has been insufficient investment in cyber security to ensure access to data for all employees

Cyber security bolsters a flexible data strategy and supply-chain resilience

Cyber security has long had to walk a tightrope between data protection and accessibility for digital leaders, and this requires urgent attention – with investments that empower rather than restrict employees.

So, how can organizations make sure that high standards of data protection and data privacy can be maintained in IT environments that include multi-clouds and hybrid workplaces?

Security must extend beyond the traditional workplace perimeter

of leaders agree that their organizations’ cyber security policies have hindered the ability to share data since the pandemic

IT and security must enable organizations to access data

agree that their firms’ cyber security measures have not been adapted to support remote working

Investment in security must take precedence to enable accessibility

agree that there has been insufficient investment in cyber security to ensure access to data for all employees

“We already have a lot of cyber security in place... but the bit we are thinking more about is the culture. Because you’ve now got more people working from home, they are having to work differently. So, how do you make sure that a strong cyber security culture is maintained when they’re not in an office or on-site environment?”

Mary Haigh, Chief Information Security Officer, BAE Systems

In an enterprise context, appropriate threat monitoring and protection solutions that ensure that data systems cannot be compromised must be in place, along with a culture that is hyper-aware of the risk at hand.

Efficient identity and access-management strategies are also crucial to ensuring data can be accessed easily and kept secure.

However, given that the data supply chain extends beyond organizations to include external partners, suppliers and customers, one possible supporting solution to ensure resilience here is blockchain. The distributed-ledger technology offers a transparent way to track data, who has access to it, and when it is used.

The immutable nature of the distributed ledger solves the complex problem of auditability of data usage in multi-party ecosystems, which are fast becoming the norm.

Market research firm IDC forecasts that spending on blockchain solutions will rise to $19 billion by 2024, up from an estimated $6.6 billion in 2021.

For enterprises, it is important to note that blockchain is rarely an end-to-end solution. Instead, it is an underpinning technology that must be integrated along with all other necessary measures involving technology, people and processes.

In an enterprise context, appropriate threat monitoring and protection solutions that ensure that data systems cannot be compromised must be in place, along with a culture that is hyper-aware of the risk at hand.

Efficient identity and access-management strategies are also crucial to ensuring data can be accessed easily and kept secure.

However, given that the data supply chain extends beyond organizations to include external partners, suppliers and customers, one possible supporting solution to ensure resilience here is blockchain. The distributed-ledger technology offers a transparent way to track data, who has access to it, and when it is used.

The immutable nature of the distributed ledger solves the complex problem of auditability of data usage in multi-party ecosystems, which are fast becoming the norm.

Market research firm IDC forecasts that spending on blockchain solutions will rise to $19 billion by 2024, up from an estimated $6.6 billion in 2021.

For enterprises, it is important to note that blockchain is rarely an end-to-end solution. Instead, it is an underpinning technology that must be integrated along with all other necessary measures involving technology, people and processes.

“Having the data and not being able to access it is not helping anyone.”

Hernán Asorey, Chief Data Officer, Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) & CSE

Transparency and security democratize decision-making

For most organizations, the next step is to build a truly data-driven culture that democratizes decision-making.

If they can free up the relevant data needed for secure access by each individual employee, organizations will experience clear performance advantages. Companies with self-service accessibility systems are seeing benefits that include increased innovation and performance.

For Márcio Gonçalves Cesário, General Manager, Business Strategy, Data & AI at Microsoft, the advantage in democratizing data for each person in an organization is clear: empowerment. “Critically, everyone will need access to the right data,” he says. “This depends on tools and governance that help people access the data that is only relevant to them, ensuring privacy of sensitive information in the process.”

Data accessibility affects innovation and performance

Building a resilient data supply chain requires a thoughtful approach. Introducing greater transparency around who has access to data and when, while adapting cyber security measures to new ways of working, will deliver better results.

Transparency and security democratize decision-making

For most organizations, the next step is to build a truly data-driven culture that democratizes decision making.

If they can free up the relevant data needed for secure access by each individual employee, organizations will experience clear performance advantages. Companies with self-service accessibility systems are seeing benefits that include increased innovation and performance.

For Márcio Gonçalves Cesário, General Manager, Business Strategy, Data & AI at Microsoft, the advantage in democratizing data for each person in an organization is clear: empowerment. “Critically, everyone will need access to the right data,” he says. “This depends on tools and governance that help people access the data that is only relevant to them, ensuring privacy of sensitive information in the process.”

Data accessibility affects innovation and performance

For Márcio Gonçalves Cesário, General Manager, Business Strategy, Data & AI at Microsoft, the advantage in democratizing data for each person in an organization is clear: empowerment. “Critically, everyone will need access to the right data,” he says. “This depends on tools and governance that help people access the data that is only relevant to them, ensuring privacy of sensitive information in the process.”