Digital transformation has made organizations more agile than ever, but increasingly companies are turning to third party datasets to create new, unique advantages over their peers. Gartner notes: “Organizations that offer users access to a curated catalog of internally and externally prepared data will realize 100% more business value from analytics investments than those that do not.”1 But to do so, organizations must first overcome their innate suspicion of sharing data and identify and locate trusted data sources.

However, the challenge of finding a trustworthy source for third party data is just one part of the equation. That data also needs to be widely accessible across the enterprise to build valued, deeper insights users desire. Businesses also need to deliver on critical business outcomes. That nuance has created a fundamental shift in how business decision makers view IT investments and capabilities and, conversely, can inform the role IT plays in supporting business decisions.

It is both a technical and a cultural challenge – but solving for it is crucial.