What is a key consideration for the relevance of data?

The relevance of data is fundamentally tied to how well it aligns with current business objectives. This means that data must support the specific goals and strategies that an organization is pursuing at a given time. When data is in sync with the business’s objectives, it becomes a powerful tool for decision making, as it provides insights that directly impact performance, efficiency, and overall success.

For example, if a company shifts its focus to enhance customer satisfaction, data about customer feedback and service interactions becomes highly relevant. Conversely, data that does not correspond to the current goals can lead to misinformed decisions and may not provide useful insights for the organization.

While factors like accessibility, frequency of updates, and compliance with legal standards are important considerations in managing data, they do not directly determine its relevance to the organization’s strategic objectives. Accessibility ensures that users can engage with the data, frequency of updates ensures that the data remains current, and compliance with legal standards protects the organization from legal risks. However, relevance primarily stems from how well the data informs and supports the objectives that guide the business in its activities.