Digital business will not happen without a digital platform with data and analytics (D&A) at the core. Technology can be a failure point when not handled correctly, but it is often not the biggest roadblock to progress. Digital business acceleration will depend equally, if not more, on how you organize D&A and the required roles, skills and culture to drive this transformation.

CEOs cite data and analytics as the top capability for enabling growth over the next two years.1 They also believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will be the technology most significantly impacting their industry over the next three years.1 As such, the role of the CDAO is growing in influence as organizations must transform data into business value. 

CDAO refers to the business leadership role that has the primary enterprise accountability for value creation by means of the organization’s D&A assets and ecosystem. Equivalent titles for portions of this responsibility are chief data officer, chief analytics officer, and chief/head of data and analytics, to name a few.

Gartner has been an early pioneer in this area. We are the only research firm around the world that recognized the role and its importance over eight years ago and launched the first comprehensive CDAO survey. We now boast the largest body of contiguous data about CDAOs and how they are growing, evolving and, most of all, adding value. If you are a CDAO and would like to participate in the study, here is the link: CDAO Survey.

Common Characteristics of CDAOs 

Gartner’s depth and breadth in the area of D&A and, more specifically, the large number of client inquiries and interactions with CDAOs have revealed that CDAOs have the following common characteristics: 

• Often new in their position. Most have been in their role for less than two years.
• Lack C-level experience and leadership skills,​ as they came from targeted D&A competency.
• Often appointed to a role without any specific or clearly defined measures for success. CDAOs struggle to showcase or articulate the value delivered. 
• Need guidance and measurement of effectiveness. They struggle to self-assess how effective they are in their role or determine team efficacy or efficiency.

Gartner CDAO Survey Insights 

The 2022 CDAO study shows that the most effective data and analytics leaders focus on creating business value, nurturing data and analytics talent, and changing culture. CDAOs must deliver tangible business outcomes for their organization and stakeholders as their life span in the role is highly correlated to these results. Leaders need to prove how D&A can improve business processes, lead to better decisions and support digital transformation.

Based on past survey results and Gartner’s interaction with clients, nearly 500 CDAOs highlighted the following roadblocks as inhibitors to their success:

• Skills and staff shortages
• Cultural challenges to accept change
• Lack of resources and funding to support the programs
• Lack of trust in data or data sources (internal and external)
• Lack of business stakeholder involvement and support
• Poor data literacy

Starting Point and Approach

Gartner research reveals that D&A leaders that are most successful tend to excel in four key areas: 

• Leadership
• Skills and culture
• Operational excellence 
• Demonstrating business outcomes

1 The 2022 Gartner CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey was conducted to examine CEO and senior business executive views on current business issues, as well as some areas of technology agenda impact. The survey was conducted from July 2021 through December 2021, with questions about the period from 2021 through 2023. The research was collected via 382 online surveys and 28 telephone interviews. Survey results are published in 2022 CEO Survey — The Year Perspectives Changed.

Results of this survey do not represent global findings or the market as a whole, but reflect the sentiments of the respondents and companies surveyed.

In this podcast, our host Frances Karamouzis is joined by Carlie Idoine, chief of research for our data and analytics team, to share how Gartner expert analysts are delivering research for all of these important areas. 

Her experience includes design, implementation and communication of an enterprise analytics strategy and comprehensive analytics programs.