Why every organization should put their data at the center

How many applications or systems does your organization use? For most organizations, it’s quite a few. Encounter a problem? Build or buy an application to solve it. But in today’s digital transition across the construction, infrastructure, and energy sectors, we need to be cautious. Stacking system upon system often isn’t the answer. The challenges organizations face aren’t usually IT problems — they’re business problems. And the real gains? They don’t come from applications — they come from data. Putting data at the center means making it usable for any purpose. And as an organization, that’s exactly what you want! 

The problem with too many applications 

Back to those countless applications. While they’re great at solving individual issues, they often create a new one: most systems don’t communicate well with each other. Data entered into one system often can’t be accessed by another. 

APIs — Application Programming Interfaces — are designed to solve this by enabling communication between systems. But even APIs aren’t the silver bullet. Building APIs is custom work, often done by external consultants, and they require regular maintenance. Many organizations now have large integration teams creating so many connections that no one has a clear overview anymore. And when it’s time to replace a system (a common challenge for governments due to procurement laws), it becomes a nightmare. In essence, system integration is an expensive short-term fix addressing the symptoms of a deeper issue: not working data-centric. 

On top of that, most existing systems store unstructured data — data without a predefined model, often in text form. Using AI on this data? It’s like trying to build a puzzle without the picture on the box: you’ll draw conclusions from incomplete or incomprehensible information. Not exactly useful. 

What does work? 

Data-centric working — putting data at the center — is the solution. It’s the way forward for the digital transformation of our sector. By centralizing your data, you use a single data model, where data is independent of any specific application. This centralized data becomes the foundation, accessible to all applications. 

The result? 

• No more duplicate or incorrect data. 

• More efficient workflows. 

• And fewer headaches! 

How to get started 

Many organizations are already centralizing their data on built assets. A common tool for this is an Object Type Library (OTL): an information model that defines an organization’s data needs for its assets. To truly work data-centrically, it’s crucial to set up the OTL independently of any application, based on open data standards. This way, multiple applications can use the OTL for different purposes, ensuring that organizations — and their applications — speak the same language. 

More and more organizations are also turning to low-code platforms. These platforms allow you to quickly and efficiently configure and adapt software to suit specific processes and workflows. Unlike spreadsheets or rigid tools, low-code platforms operate on the same foundational data. This is critical because data, unlike most applications, retains its value over time. Separating the two just makes sense. By adopting low-code platforms, technical teams can significantly boost productivity, all while ensuring consistent data usage. 

The bottom line? 

Data is the new gold. Employees come and go, applications come and go, processes are constantly evolving, but data is forever. It’s the true value of your organization. If you’re ready to take real steps toward digital transformation, it’s time to put data at the center. This means making your data usable so that it can power the right applications, now and in the future. 

Want to know more about how to unlock the full potential of your data? Curious about the first steps your organization can take or how Wistor can help as a low-code platform? We’d love to help you get started! Get in touch with us today.