AI and taking advantage of its potential have become one of the main concerns for many companies this year. If they want to deploy this type of technology, they need to unify their data to be better positioned in terms of innovation and thus guarantee their long-term success. However, it is very common for data silosthat is, having stored data from a business unit that cannot be accessed from other units of the same company. «One of the biggest difficulties that companies encounter in extracting value from their information comes from the fact that it is stored in different environments. A situation that leads to data silos if adequate management is not carried out,” explains Juan Carlos Sánchez de la Fuente, regional vice president of Cloudera for Spain and Portugal. Furthermore, it points out the lack of a consolidated data strategy within organizations. “If companies are not aware of the advantages that their centralized data represents, it is very likely that they are not generating value and silos exist,” he adds.
The second edition of the study prepared by Cloudera, the hybrid platform for data, analytics and AI, shows that 72% of Spanish companies recognize that their information is not connected. However, only 33% consider this problem as the main challenge in relation to their data infrastructure. 60% of those surveyed agree that the most important challenge facing their current data structure is the reliability and security of the data, followed by other aspects such as the increase in management costs (39%) and the distrust when using private data for the development of artificial intelligence models (39%). Regarding access to data, 50% affirm that each department has access to its own data, but cannot access that of the rest of the departments; and 36% indicate that all company users can access all data at any time. Where there is unanimity (99%) is in trust in data for decision making.
«Each department, team or even system stores its information in isolation, without it being connected or shared with the rest. This isolation means that information does not flow, is duplicated and, ultimately, is not used as it should,” says Ana Fernández Aberturas, director of Data Services & Storage for Latin America & Southern Europe at HPE. “It is something that we consider a barrier to collaboration and innovation, and one of the biggest brakes on business digitalization,” he adds. He notes that data silos are especially common in large companies, where departments often work independently, and are also common in organizations that have grown rapidly, either organically or through acquisitions.
They arise for several reasons, mainly due to the use of legacy systems that are not designed to integrate with new technologies. “These systems are expensive to update or replace, which leads many companies to continue using them despite their limitations,” explains Fernández. On the other hand, the aforementioned organizational structures, where each department operates with its own tools and databases, generating involuntary barriers. Furthermore, “silos may be intentional in regulated sectors, where data privacy or security is sought to be protected, although this also complicates shared access. Silos are often a consequence of inadequate data governance and a lack of tools to unify information,” he points out.
Issues
These silos fragment information, make access difficult, and limit companies’ ability to use their data efficiently, “so that not only do they slow down processes, but they also generate redundancies, increase costs, and complicate decision-making.” strategic,” says Jaime Balañá, technical director of NetApp Ibero-America. One of the main problems associated with data silos is the digital waste. “Up to 70% of the data created remains in the shadows, unused, taking up space and resources in infrastructures that could be optimized,” Balañá advances. Additionally, they prevent AI or generative AI from accessing quality data, which directly impacts its ability to generate value.
To avoid data silos, it is advisable to start with the implementation of an infrastructure that allows you to integrate and manage any type of data, load or application in a single unified environment. “This eliminates barriers between systems and platforms and makes it easier for data to flow securely and efficiently, whether in on-premises, hybrid or multi-cloud environments.” In addition, it is necessary to implement solutions that allow the mobility of information between different platforms, “guaranteeing real-time accessibility and interoperability between business-critical applications.” And it is equally important to build an organizational culture that values and encourages collaboration. “For example, aligning objectives between teams and defining processes that ensure that data is shared, accessible and managed efficiently throughout the company,” he adds.
For his part, the regional vice president of Cloudera for Spain and Portugal remembers that the key to avoiding silos is not in storing the data but in understanding and managing it. “The solution starts from promoting a data strategy and effective administration of these assets by companies,” says Sánchez de la Fuente. “Having a modern architecture that allows all information to be available in a unified way, regardless of where it is located, is a crucial factor,” he adds. Another important point that stands out is promoting collaboration between teams and making visible the value of generating synergies between different systems.
Solutions on the table
There are technological proposals to combat these silos. Cloudera, for example, has an open and hybrid platform that allows data to be processed and managed regardless of its location. “It manages to connect to the data that is hosted in the cloud, on-premise, multicloud… to extract its maximum value,” explains Sánchez de la Fuente. HPE has developed HPE GreenLake, which allows you to manage your data from a single hybrid platform that integrates information from on-premises, cloud or edge environments. And HPE Alletra Storage MP “allows you to move data between different environments in an agile way,” says Ana Fernández. NetApp delivers an intelligent data infrastructure designed to eliminate silos and maximize insights. “Companies integrate and manage any type of data, load or application, whether in local data centers, hybrid or multi-cloud environments,” highlights Jaime Balañá.
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