Organizations’ enterprise data strategy is key to effective hybrid workforce: Cloudera

Cloudera, the hybrid data cloud company, has published the findings of a global research report revealing how the majority of UAE-based businesses are increasingly adopting data-driven strategies for an effective hybrid workforce.

According to the report, organizations with mature enterprise data strategies in place for at least 12 months are more likely to report higher profit growth of 5.97 percent on average.

The new report, created in collaboration with technology market research firm Vanson Bourne, investigates the relationship between an organization’s enterprise data strategy maturity and its business performance. It also investigates the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and its implications for businesses. 

“This report is an eye-opener and a clear indicator of what organizations need to focus on in a bid to enhance their competitiveness in their respective industries. It is encouraging to see that more SDMs in the region are now looking at data differently and strategically. Organizations in the UAE demonstrate uptake of mature enterprise data strategies, optimized for hybrid and multi-cloud environments. These strategies have, in turn, helped them to significantly generate better business outcomes,” said Karim Azar, Regional Director, Middle East & Turkey, Cloudera.

Hybrid is the future for UAE

At the market level, 88% of IT decision-makers (ITDMs) in the UAE agree that their current strategy is critical to their company’s resilience. According to the report, 87% of ITDMs in the UAE agree that having an enterprise data strategy in place can help their organization more effectively adopt a hybrid workforce.

A further 79% of ITDMs believe that their organizations’ technology and infrastructure could be improved to meet current and/or future data strategy needs. According to the report, on average, 42% of businesses in the UAE devote time and resources to cloud migration and strategy.

Globally, 96% of SDMs whose organizations’ enterprise data strategies have been in place for more than a year reported that the way data is handled and managed has positively impacted their organizations’ performance, and close to two-thirds (64%) reported stronger levels of resiliency from the presence of a mature data strategy. Both SDMs and ITDMs share similar views, recognizing data as a strategic business resource, but these groups have differing opinions on operational processes and implementation.

Driving workforce diversity

When it comes to improving workforce diversity and its overall impact on organizations, 97% of ITDMs in the UAE believe that data and analytics are critical to ensuring successful and effective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Eighty-five percent of UAE-based organizations agree that DEI initiatives contribute to the success of their organization. According to the report, this demonstrates that using data and analytics can yield tremendous benefits beyond simply increasing profit margins or gaining a competitive advantage in any industry.

Covid-19 impact

During the Covid-19 peak period, 58% of UAE workers worked remotely, compared to 35% prior to the pandemic. However, the trend is expected to level off, with 46% expecting to work remotely by Q1 2023.

In terms of supporting changing work environments (e.g., hybrid working) and supporting the workforce, 43% of ITDMs reported that spending had remained constant since the start of the pandemic, with only 14% reporting a decrease in spending. 

The market research survey polled 2,100 ITDMs (1,100 in the UAE) and 1,050 SDMs (50 in the UAE) in businesses with more than 1,000 employees across a variety of industries for the ‘Cloudera Enterprise Data Maturity Research Report.’