This blog is a preview of our session at Sirus Connects on October 9, 2026, where we share a practical approach to becoming truly data-driven: connecting strategy, foundations, technology and people.
Speaker:
Why do so many data projects fail despite the perfect platform? Because the real connection - between strategy, foundations, technology and people - is missing.
In almost every conversation with boards and management teams, I hear the same ambition: “We want to become more data-driven.” Often immediately followed by a second question: “Which platform should we choose: Microsoft Fabric, a data lakehouse, a new catalog, or should we just start with an AI pilot?” These are thoughtful questions. But they’re not the first ones I would ask.
Because when I look at organisations where data really works, and at organisations where millions evaporated in projects that looked perfect on paper, the difference rarely lies in the platform or the tool. It lies in the connection between strategy, foundations, technology and people. And that is exactly what “connecting the dots” means to me.
Connecting strategy and business
A data strategy only has value when it is directly linked to your business strategy. Too often, I see data roadmaps that stand on their own: a nice ambition, a list of initiatives, but without a visible line to what the business really needs. The result: investments that nobody prioritises, use cases that don’t land, and teams that grow frustrated. The art is being able to trace every use case back to a concrete business goal – and having the courage not to start the rest.
Connecting the foundations
What I see too often: organisations tackling a single element – a new data warehouse, a data catalog, an AI pilot – and hoping the rest will follow by itself. It doesn’t. Processes, data, governance, technology, architecture, organisation and communication are not a menu to pick from. They are the legs of the same table. One leg too short and everything wobbles. A fantastic platform without data ownership creates chaos. Clear governance without a working architecture creates frustration.
Connecting maturity and action
That’s why I start every assignment with the same question: how mature is this organisation really when it comes to data? Not just technically, but also in terms of processes, governance, organisational structure, culture and communication. What an advanced organisation needs will break an organisation that is just getting started. The same investment in a platform leads to completely different outcomes, depending on where you start.
Connecting use cases and technology… not the other way around
In every transformation journey, the temptation is strong to jump on every new tool that comes along. Gen AI, data mesh… the list is endless and grows every week. But only a handful of new technologies truly create value for your specific context. The rest is noise – or worse: complexity you’ll have to clean up later.
So the right question isn’t “which technology should we choose?”, but “which use cases truly create value for our business, and are they aligned with our strategy?”. The technology choice follows from those use cases. That sounds obvious. In practice, it almost always happens the other way around.
Connecting with the people
And then there’s the part I’m perhaps most passionate about: change management. A data strategy that doesn’t land with the people who work with it every day remains a PowerPoint. Adoption isn’t a series of trainings at the end of a project – it’s something that is part of your approach from day one. Without sponsorship from management, tailored communication and data literacy at the right level, every platform remains an expensive void.
What I'll be sharing at Sirus Connects
On October 9, I’ll share my approach to truly connecting the dots at Sirus Connects: from assessing maturity, over foundations and a focus on the use cases that matter, to the change needed to make it all work. With real-world examples, lessons learned and an honest story about what works and what doesn’t.
Want to follow this live?
Join this session at Sirus Connects on October 9, 2026, from 13h30 to 14h15. Register and secure your spot.
Can’t make it? Reach out to us, we are happy to share our experience and discuss how to connect the dots in your organisation.
