UK executives face decision challenges due to data delays

IT teams are being urged to address "data delays" as a significant portion of C-suite leaders report receiving information that is outdated by the time it reaches them.

Research conducted by data streaming platform Confluent, which surveyed 200 C-level executives in the UK, indicates that 52% of executives feel removed from everyday processes due to delays in data reaching their desks.

The study highlights that 51% of senior leaders have regretted making quick decisions without sufficient data, revealing a critical need for businesses to improve their data management practices.

An accelerating pace of decision-making has compounded these challenges, with 83% of respondents noting an increase in the speed of their decisions over the past three years.

Many business leaders, 90% of those surveyed, report a necessity to react in "real time," yet 43% find themselves too detached from essential data to make influential decisions. This gap leaves nearly half of senior executives unable to fully leverage fast-moving trends.

To combat these issues, companies are advocating for IT teams to adopt real-time data streaming as opposed to relying on slower, more traditional batch processing methods. A significant majority of those surveyed, 77%, are already investing in data streaming to enhance strategic planning, with nearly all, 96%, expecting it to play a significant role in their upcoming strategies.

Access to real-time data would not only aid in decision-making processes but also improve leadership confidence. A strong 89% of C-suite respondents expressed they would feel more confident if they had access to more timely information.

Regarding the findings, Richard Timperlake, SVP of EMEA at Confluent, commented, "Today's businesses have invested a huge amount of time and money to collect customer data. But is any of this investment worthwhile when so much of that data is out of date before it reaches the people who really need it?"

Timperlake added, "While it may sound like a niche or technical issue, the reality is that an overreliance on batch processing is holding UK businesses back. This isn't just about the IT team, it's about ensuring people can make the best decisions across the entire organisation. Data streaming makes that possible, and it's great to see so many business leaders pushing for its adoption as a key part of their technology investment strategies."

The study was commissioned by Confluent and conducted by independent research agency Vitreous World in June 2024, gathering data from 201 UK business leaders, including founders, CEOs, and C-level executives in the private sector.

Many organisations are still dependent on batch processing, operating with stationary data, which can result in insights being out of date when they reach decision-makers. With the acceleration of decision-making speed over the past three years, the pressure to function in real-time has intensified for these organisations.

In response, businesses are increasingly looking into data streaming as a means to gain real-time access to their data and enhance their decision-making processes.