Many departments need data access

February 07, 2014 Data & AI

Each department has its own data. How can you unite these silos?

Information is the lifeblood of a modern business, and it has to flow freely. The idea that data from one department could be very helpful in another is hardly radical at this point. However, putting this concept into use through improved content sharing and integration could prove to be the difference between struggling with poor industry awareness and accurately reading the market.

Many sections benefit When deciding which departments need to have access to corporate information, leaders may gain from assuming a broad view. Rather than taking the risk of leaving a section without the capability, it is likely better to assume that those professionals can indeed make good use of the data on offer. The benefits each team takes from this may differ in details, but the broad strokes are the same: The more resources they have, the better decisions leaders can make.

  • The marketing department The best way to measure marketing is to figure out exactly what campaigns' final results were: If they led to a sale, then they were successful and may bear repeating. However, your marketing team may not be able to make this type of connection. They could require better access to data. Granting them visibility of information from other departmental silos may enable these professionals to assemble real accounts of their progress.
  • The sales team One of the entities that should be sharing its data with marketing is the sales department. The information street should go both ways, too, as these employees can also likely benefit from having widespread content visibility. If your sales leaders can assemble strong impressions of their clients based on information rather than intuition or subjective research, they may be better positioned to make the transaction.
  • Customer support Digging up information can help keep clients happy after they have made a purchase, so the customer service department is also on the list of roles that can thrive with better information access. More access to a wider variety of sources can prepare support personnel for one-on-one interactions with the customer base and help them manage your relationships with any and all buyers.

Ensuring automatic access You likely have plenty of information to give these personnel - but can you send it effectively? If you have a component in place such as Progress® Easyl™, the answer will likely be yes. Soon to be available as part of the Progress Pacific™ Platform-as-a-Service offering, this solution is a key connective element between the many different departments that can benefit from using content collated throughout the overall business infrastructure.

Michelle Tackabery

An experienced content and social media marketing professional, Michelle writes frequently about the practical applications of information technology.