If a company does not have a data management strategy, it is also unclear who is responsible for which part of the process. As a result, according to Broeren, people often point fingers and look at each other. ‘How has it usually been done up to now? Often an Excel sheet is circulated within the organisation, to which all departments have to contribute input. That sounds like a makeshift solution, and it is. It is also very error-prone and time-consuming and sometimes causes more question marks than correct input. What we also regularly see happen is that once all the data has been collected, the IT department finally enters the data into SAP. But of course it is impossible to explain to an auditor that John, in his role as IT employee, has entered BOM data or adjusted cost prices. It sounds very logical, an IT employee should not be responsible for this data creation. Each department must be responsible for its own data and be able to indicate what it has done and when it did it’, she explains.
Data management strategy
More and more organisations are recognising the value of accurate data, even if it requires some research. Broeren: ‘In addition to setting up a thorough data management strategy, we help organisations implement Precisely Automate. This is a low code/no code solution that puts the business back in its power. Departments and individuals can take responsibility for the data themselves. This includes data for the creation of new business partners, materials, BOMs and routings, but also the entry or modification of purchasing, sales and financial data. I sometimes joke that ‘Precisely Automate starts where SAP leaves off’. Of course, I’m joking, but there is some truth in it. With Precisely Automate, you can ensure that every department and employee knows exactly who needs to supply which data at what time. In addition, this process can be set up in such a flexible and foolproof way that it is impossible to make mistakes. The aim is to collect data not only quickly, but also the first time right in all departments, locations, countries and perhaps even outside the organisation.’
