SoftServe Study: 65% of business or technology leaders said no one in their organization fully understands the data collected or how to access it

SoftServe, a leading provider of IT consulting and digital services, recently released the results of a survey on the state of data management in 2025, highlighting the benefits of establishing a strong data foundation, but also the shortcomings related to data maturity.

The majority of 750 respondents believe that no one in their organization fully understands the data collected and how to access it. Furthermore, 58% say that, most of the time, key business decisions are based on inaccurate or inconsistent data, which raises concerns for companies across industries and regions.

The study, commissioned by SoftServe and conducted by Wakefield Research, assesses companies’ data readiness in terms of quality, strategy, organization, investment and implemented governance. Responses indicate a lack of data knowledge, combined with an internal disconnect and visible division between the C-suite, VPs and senior management, creating conflicts across the organization over data usage, acquisition and funding.

Find full survey findings here

Key findings from the survey:

Outdated or misaligned strategies: Many leaders believe it’s time for a data strategy refresh, with 73% reporting that major updates or a complete overhaul are needed, and nearly all (98%) believe a revised data strategy is essential for strategic initiatives like Generative AI. Leadership divide:

Differences in perspective among leaders are impacting data understanding. 78% of VPs and 61% of CEOs believe their organization’s investment priorities are negatively impacted by a lack of understanding of how data can drive value, compared to just 44% of C-level leaders. Access to data on demand: 60% of respondents say getting the data they need to make decisions is a challenge. Furthermore, nearly half of the 58% who admit that most of their decisions are based on inaccurate or inconsistent data now believe that a significant increase in data management investment is needed to achieve their goals.

Misallocated investment: Nearly three-quarters (73%) believe that poor prioritization has diverted critical funds and talent from valuable data projects to general Generative AI initiatives with a lower ROI. Despite these shortcomings, the survey also offers a positive perspective: strong data management has enabled some organizations to open up new revenue streams (44%) or monetize data (38%), with the right infrastructure and governance in place to turn information into a valuable source of revenue. Companies also reported increases in productivity and efficiency (54%), as well as improvements in decision-making and forecasting capabilities (49%), thanks to a strong data foundation. Most respondents hope to follow suit, as 85% plan to increase their data budget, and nearly half (42%) of those with a fully mature data strategy plan to significantly increase their data investment.

An effective data strategy is not about perfection, it’s about prioritizing. It’s about maturing where it matters most to your business, by prioritizing the missing piece of the data puzzle, not abandoning it for the next hot technology. Establishing a mature data strategy strengthens organizational foundations, allowing companies to tackle bigger and more valuable projects and challenges in the future,” said Rodion Myronov, AVP Technology at SoftServe.

SoftServe has been present on the Romanian market since 2022 and has a team of over 100 experts locally. The company’s main development areas include Cloud DevOps, Big Data, and software engineering. The company is still recruiting in Romania, with several open roles, including Lead Big Data Engineer and Data Architect. *The survey had 750 respondents – business or technology leaders responsible for data management or AI use in global companies across eight countries and eight industries, each with annual revenues of at least $1 billion.