{"id":48191,"date":"2026-04-09T08:42:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/implema.se\/?p=48191"},"modified":"2026-04-09T08:42:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:42:08","slug":"its-not-enough-to-describe-what-has-happened-data-analysis-must-enable-real-time-decisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/news\/its-not-enough-to-describe-what-has-happened-data-analysis-must-enable-real-time-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"“It’s not enough to describe what has happened \u2013 data analysis must enable real-time decisions”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most organizations today have access to more data than ever. Yet, it is largely used to describe what has already happened rather than to guide what should happen next. According to Susanne S\u00f6derholm, Business Area Manager for BI, Data & Analytics at Implema, the challenge rarely lies in the access to data. Here, she shares her view on why the shift toward data-driven decisions is harder than it sounds \u2013 and what it takes to succeed. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Data analysis has long been an integral part of business management. But in many organizations, the approach is still fundamentally reactive. Figures are collected, visualized, and followed up on, often with some delay. <\/p>\n\n

“Operational data in itself is backward-looking. It describes what has happened, but not necessarily why or what will happen next,” says Susanne S\u00f6derholm. <\/p>\n\n

This means that analysis often stops at follow-up, rather than functioning as active decision support.<\/p>\n\n

“It’s not enough to describe what has happened; data analysis must enable real-time decisions.”<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Why isn’t data enough to make the right decisions?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

To make strategic decisions, it’s not enough to look at individual KPIs. Data needs to be put into a context where multiple perspectives are weighed together. This could involve linking sales figures to product costs and margins, or relating internal KPIs to external factors like inflation, currency fluctuations, and changes in demand. “Figures in themselves say very little. It’s only when you understand what drives the outcome that they become useful for decisions,” says Susanne. Without that context, there’s a risk that the organization draws the wrong conclusions, even if the data itself is correct. <\/p>\n\n

Lack of common definitions \u2013 one of the biggest obstacles to data-driven decisions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

One of the most underrated obstacles to data-driven decisions is the lack of common terminology.<\/p>\n\n

“In the same company, different people can mean completely different things when they say ‘customer.’ Then it becomes difficult to even agree on what the figures show,” says Susanne. <\/p>\n\n

Differences in definitions affect everything from reporting to KPI follow-up. As a result, discussions get stuck in interpretations instead of focusing on actions. To move forward, structured work with master data, data quality, and common definitions is required. <\/p>\n\n

“It’s only when everyone uses the same terminology that it’s possible to create a shared view of reality,” says Susanne.<\/p>\n\n

From reporting to decision support \u2013 how data is actually used in practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Against this background, a broader shift is now taking place in how organizations work with data and analysis. Instead of building heavy structures in advance, there is a move toward more flexible ways of working where analysis is based on business questions. <\/p>\n\n

“You don’t need to build everything from scratch. Start by understanding which questions are important, and work from there,” says Susanne. <\/p>\n\n

This means that organizations to a higher degree:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • identify relevant datasets first<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • analyze and test hypotheses<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • build structure and models once the value is clear<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    Such an approach reduces the risk of investing in extensive data models that are not used in practice.<\/p>\n\n

    Why data governance becomes crucial when data is shared between systems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

    While technology for sharing and combining data is developing rapidly, the demands for governance are increasing. When data moves between systems, platforms, and organizations, questions arise about access, responsibility, and usage. <\/p>\n\n

    “When you open up data, you must have control over who gets to see what, at what level, and in what context,” says Susanne.<\/p>\n\n

    It’s about:<\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • clear ownership<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • defined access rules<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • traceability and compliance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

      Without this, organizations risk creating new silos and seeing trust in data gradually decrease as different parts of the business work from different definitions, access levels, and interpretations.<\/p>\n\n

      New technology changes possibilities but doesn’t solve fundamental data problems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

      Developments in modern data platforms, including solutions like SAP Business Data Cloud, make it easier to connect data from multiple sources and share it between different environments. But according to Susanne, this doesn’t change the fundamental challenges. <\/p>\n\n

      “Technology makes it easier to access data. But it doesn’t automatically solve issues like definitions, data quality, and data governance.” <\/p>\n\n

      This means that organizations wanting to get real value from new platforms need to combine technical investments with structural work around data.<\/p>\n\n

      From data to decisions \u2013 what is required in practice?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

      Most organizations already have the data needed to make better decisions. The challenge lies in connecting it, creating a common language, and using it in the right context. <\/p>\n\n

      “What’s often missing isn’t data, but structure and a way to link it to decisions,” says Susanne.<\/p>\n\n

      In this perspective, data analysis is no longer about describing what has happened, but about creating the conditions to act on what comes next \u2013 and being able to make decisions in real time.<\/p>\n\n

      And as the data landscape becomes more complex, it also becomes clear:it is now rarely access to data that is decisive, but the ability to put it into context.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Most organizations today have access to more data than ever. Yet, it is largely used to describe what has already happened rather than to guide what should happen next. According to Susanne S\u00f6derholm, Business Area Manager for BI, Data & Analytics at Implema, the challenge rarely lies in the access to data. Here, she shares […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":48206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2586,2518],"tags":[2587,2596],"class_list":["post-48191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-news","category-news","tag-analytics","tag-business-intelligence"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48191"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48192,"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48191\/revisions\/48192"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/implema.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}