At assimil8, we've worked on our fair share of them so we wanted to give you some pointers on where we've seen companies stumble so that you don't fall in the future!

1. Phoney Buy-in from Management: 

A common trap is the facsimile of being 'data-driven'. Everyone loves the sound of it, but when the rubber hits the road, loyalties fade. If no one from the business side is ready to take responsibility, results get stranded on an island of apathy.

Suddenly, you're promoting a strapline that no one really believes in and worse still, you have nothing to show for it!

From our experience, it's always better to promote buy-in from the beginning and to involve all the stakeholders in communications to ensure they feel like part of the process. The more they see the benefits and value being data-driven can bring, the more they're likely to champion its success.

2. Chasing Rainbow Infrastructure:

The tech realm is fraught with bright shiny objects—new tools and solutions designed to lighten the workload. Beware the alluring trap of 'the next big thing'. Always being in trial mode, never reaching the finish line—before you know it, the CFO's not happy, stakeholders are grumbling, and heads start rolling.

Sadly, we've seen it all too often over 20 years. That's why we prefer to tackle each project one at a time. From testing and feedback, right the way through to reviewing the success of the project at full launch.

3. The Lone Ranger Syndrome:

Placing the data infrastructure weight on one or two key players is like a ticking time bomb. When they leave, the house of cards collapses, setting back your data strategy by months. The impact? A rush to hire and train newbies, results in time and talent wastage. 

Remove the silos and work collaboratively across the business. This ensures the legacy of the projects lives on long after those in charge have moved on to pastures new.

4. Ignoring the Data Quality Check:

Fast, low-code solutions are not always your friend. Sure, your team might whip up some snazzy dashboards in a jiffy, but one faulty dataset or, worse, a CFO's annoyed message about inaccuracies, can turn the tide real fast.

That's why we use Bundle to ensure all our data is accurately captured and cleansed. Cutting corners may save you time upfront, but it's not worth the risk at the back end.

So, that's our take on why data projects often crumble. What's your experience?

For more information about data projects and how assimil8 can help you to drive yours to success, contacts us today.