3 Signs You’re Not Ready for Your Next Data Project (And Why Most Miss the Mark)
Everywhere you look, businesses are investing in new platforms, launching AI pilots and talking about efficiency and transformation. The potential for data, analytics, and AI is huge: faster insights, smarter decisions, stronger results.
Maybe you are thinking about making a big move yourself. Upgrading your technology stack, building a new data platform, or investing in various AI or machine learning initiatives. But if everyone is investing in data and technology, why is real, impactful transformation still so rare?
The truth is, real business impact does not come from technology alone. It comes from having the right foundations in place: the people, the processes and the culture to use data effectively. And this is exactly where many organisations fall short: The technology might be ready. But the organisation's data maturity is not.
This is why understanding your data maturity is so critical. It shows you whether you are truly prepared to turn investments into real business results, or whether you risk joining the many who invest heavily but achieve little.
Understanding the value of a Data Maturity Assessment
Before your business makes its next big move, whether it's launching an AI project, expanding your data stack, or investing in new platforms, it pays to know exactly where you stand.
A Data Maturity Assessment is a strategic tool that helps you:
- Understand how prepared your organisation is to deliver value from data and analytics
- Identify where capability gaps exist across people, processes and platforms
- Benchmark your performance against over 150 global organisations
- Prioritise investment based on business outcomes, not guesswork
- Avoid repeating expensive mistakes by building on solid foundations
This assessment reviews 5 critical dimensions of data maturity:
- Leadership and vision: Is there a clear, aligned strategy for data across the organisation?
- Analytics capability: Do teams have the skills and tools to turn data into action?
- Data governance: Is your data accurate, secure and trusted?
- Operational integration: Is data embedded in day-to-day decision-making?
- Culture and change readiness: Are people willing and able to work in a data-driven way?
Delivered by our experts at ProQuest and Decision Inc., the assessment provides more than just a report. You will receive a clear roadmap, tailored advice and practical insight to guide your next move. The goal is simple: to help your investments deliver faster and drive measurable results.
Trusted Guidance for Real Data Impact
ProQuest has recently joined Decision Inc., A global Advisory-led Technology Consulting company that helps hundreds of clients across 20 markets in Australia, South Africa and the UK leverage technology and data to enhance performance and drive sustainable growth, offering strategic advisory services, specialised consulting and core platform engineering.
This brings together our Salesforce and platform expertise with Decision Inc.’s strength in data strategy, business intelligence, and AI. The result? More value, broader insight, and deeper capability to help you improve customer experience, scale operations, and drive transformation.
If you're already using Salesforce, you’ll keep working with your trusted ProQuest team, now backed by a global network to help you go further, faster.
If you are not sure whether your organisation is ready, here are three signs to look out for.
3 Signs That Your Company Needs a Data Maturity Assessment
Before you commit to your next major investment in data and analytics, it is worth looking for a few important warning signs:
- Teams struggle to access or use data effectively: Siloed systems, duplicate reports and inconsistent definitions slow everything down. If people are spending more time searching for data than using it, the problem is not the technology. It is a lack of data maturity.
- Leadership expects fast wins without building readiness: Fast results are expected, but there is no time or support for governance, process changes or capability-building. Without proper readiness, even the best tools fail to deliver lasting value.
- New capabilities are introduced, albeit slowly and adoption is low: Painstaking slow deployment and low adoption are clear warning signs. Understanding where to invest and when is critical to ensuring you have the right data platform foundation in place to accelerate time to value. When teams then continue using spreadsheets or avoid new platforms, the issue is often poor enablement, lack of training or unclear purpose.
Make Your Next Move Count
If you are investing in data and analytics, you should expect more than another tool or dashboard. You should expect meaningful results.
If any of the signs above sound familiar, now is the right time to pause, reassess and ensure your next investment builds on solid ground.
A Data Maturity Assessment gives you the clarity and direction to move forward with confidence. It includes:
- A structured review of your current data and analytics capabilities
- Benchmarking against more than 150 global organisations
- A personalised report with clear, actionable recommendations
- Expert guidance to align your maturity with business goals
As a ProQuest client, you will also receive a free consultation session with our Head of Data and AI, who will walk you through your results, benchmarking insights and recommended next steps for your data and AI journey.
Let’s identify your biggest opportunities and ensure your next move delivers lasting value.
