New Text: A recent survey indicates that navigating the numerous data management systems necessary for business operations in 2024 is proving challenging for Irish companies. Conducted by Convergent Ireland, an information and document management consultancy, the survey reveals that many enterprises are overwhelmed by the information overload across sectors ranging from construction to pharmaceuticals. The survey, which polled roughly 100 businesses, points out that 63% are utilising up to 10 applications and systems to store data, while 24% reported using even more.
The survey also found that locating pertinent information was the most challenging aspect for around 82% of the businesses surveyed. Additionally, 63% confessed their lack of trust in confirming the accuracy of any information located. Alarmingly, over two-fifths of businesses are still excessively dependent on paper documentation.
In the words of Nik Healy, Solutions Director at Convergent Ireland, system fragmentation is causing an overwhelming number of data silos leading to duplication, version inconsistencies and issues of information reliability. He further highlighted that the disjointedness of data across paper, spreadsheets, folders, emails, and systems was causing barriers to seamless information flow, resulting in inefficiencies and manual processes while also limiting business intelligence and reporting potential.
This harsh landscape has led nearly all surveyed businesses to consider an investment in solutions that can allow uninterrupted information flow across their organisations. An overwhelming 84% stated AI technologies would be used as a strategy to enhance their processes. Mr Healy, however, cautioned that the vast potential of AI could only be fully exploited when existing “content chaos” problems were addressed. He asserted that to handle the large volumes of information that AI solutions create and process, businesses must possess an adequate information management base.