Who is Really Data-Driven? A Look at Literacy (and Gaps) Across Business Functions

May 12, 2025

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5 min read

How assumptions about who uses data, and who gets left out, are holding businesses back

We often think of data as a universal business asset. Something everyone can access, understand, and act on. But the reality is far more fragmented.

Despite the rhetoric around data-driven decision-making, data literacy; the ability to read, work with, analyse and communicate data, isn’t evenly distributed across teams. Some functions are deeply embedded in data culture; others are left relying on dashboards they can’t fully interpret, or reports they have to wait weeks to get.

This article takes a closer look at which teams are most reliant on data, where gaps still exist, and why a shift in tooling, support and mindset is urgently needed.

If you would like a primer on what data literacy really means and why it’s important? Read our explainer here.

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Data is everywhere, but confidence in using it is not

According to Accenture, only 25% of employees feel confident using data to make decisions. And yet, according to the Harvard Business Review, almost 90% of business leaders say data literacy is critical for company success.

So where’s the disconnect?

Let’s explore how different business functions engage with data and where they may be underserved or overlooked.

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Function-by-function: Who’s using data, and how well?

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Marketing & Sales

Data Dependency: High
Data Literacy: Moderate

These teams operate within CRMs, campaign tools, and analytics dashboards. However, marketing teams often rely heavily on analysts for in-depth reporting, and sales teams typically use out-of-the-box dashboards without deep interrogation.

According to Gartner, analytics influences only 54% of marketing decisions, highlighting a disconnect between data availability and its actual impact on decision-making.

What this means: Marketing and sales teams are inundated with performance metrics, but often struggle to transition from observation to actionable insight. Tools like Configur, especially with conversational AI like Abi, can simplify the exploration of campaign performance, lead quality, or conversion trends, enabling faster strategy iteration and reducing reliance on specialised analysts.

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Finance

Data Dependency: High
Data Literacy: High

Finance teams are typically well-versed in data, utilising tools like Excel, forecasting models, and adhering to data governance practices. Howver, challenges persist in cross-functional data sharing and real-time access.

According to Gartner, 82% of CFOs consider data insights a top priority, yet only 32% believe their teams are fully equipped to deliver them. This underscores the need for enhanced tools and processes to bridge the gap between data availability and actionable insights.

What this means: Finance teams don’t necessarily need more data; they require more efficient and collaborative methods to share it. Configur can facilitate the communication of financial performance across the organisation, offering smart access controls that protect sensitive data while ensuring visibility where it’s most needed.

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Operations and Supply Chain

Data Dependency: Very High
Data Literacy: Moderate

Operations teams manage a plethora of metrics; efficiency rates, inventory levels, supplier SLAs. However, systems are often disjointed, and insights are locked away in tools that aren’t designed to be flexible or accessible.

McKinsey’s research indicates that companies can achieve 10–30% gains in productivity by digitising processes and effectively applying analytics in their operations.

What this means: Operational managers often recognise issues but lack visibility into the underlying causes. With a tool like Configur, they could integrate disparate systems, surface live metrics, and drill into delays or bottlenecks on demand, using plain language.

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Human Resources

Data Dependency: Growing
Data Literacy: Low to Moderate

People teams now have access to engagement surveys, attrition modelling, DE&I reporting, and more. However, few HR professionals are trained in analysis. Instead, they rely on static dashboards or analyst-led reporting that may miss nuance.

While specific statistics on HR leaders’ confidence in interpreting workforce data are not directly available, the importance of data-driven decision-making in HR is widely acknowledged. PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2024 highlights the growing emphasis on up-skilling and data literacy across organisations.

What this means: HR teams are being asked to make data-driven people decisions without the tools or support to do so. Configur, especially with a plain language conversational AI tool, Abi, can help them explore trends like attrition, hiring bottlenecks, or engagement shifts easily, without needing to wrangle spreadsheets or BI dashboards.

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Customer Support / Success

Data Dependency: High
Data Literacy: Low to Moderate

Customer support and success teams are among the most overlooked when it comes to analytics tooling. Yet their key performance indicators (KPIs), such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), resolution time, and retention, are deeply data-driven. Without access to real-time, contextualised data, it’s challenging to improve outcomes.

While many customer service teams utilise analytics tools, interpreting the data to drive meaningful improvements can be challenging. This gap highlights the need for solutions that not only provide data but also facilitate its understanding and application.

What this means: These teams are closest to the customer but often farthest from actionable insights. With Configur, they could visualise customer sentiment trends, identify resolution delays, or detect churn predictors as they emerge, and act swiftly.

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Data & BI Teams

Data Dependency: Very high
Data Literacy: Very High

Ironically, these teams are the most overwhelmed. Tasked with empowering the rest of the business, they spend a significant portion of their time on data preparation tasks, including loading and cleaning data, which detracts from their ability to focus on strategic insight and innovation. Recent studies indicate that data professionals spend approximately 37.75% to 45% of their time on data preparation and cleansing tasks.

What this means: BI teams don’t need more dashboards, they need fewer basic questions. With Abi handling plain-language data queries and Configur structuring and securing data at the source, BI leaders can finally focus on forward-looking analysis and innovation.
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So, who’s being left behind the most?

The functions most overlooked in the data narrative are often the ones who could benefit most:

HR, Ops, and CS teams often lack access to analyst support
These functions rely on complex, siloed systems
They’re frequently under-prioritised in tooling, up-skilling and budget
Yet, they make critical decisions daily, with high downstream impact

The result? These teams fly blind. Decisions are delayed, gut-driven, or reliant on outdated metrics. And BI teams get overloaded fielding questions that could be self-served if the right tools were in place.
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It’s not just about access - it’s about confidence

Giving teams data access isn’t enough. They need to:

Understand what they’re looking at
Ask better questions
Act on insights, not just read dashboards

That’s where data literacy meets usability. And where organisations need to do more to empower teams with the right skills and the right tools.

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Let’s chat

Are you investing in the right functions when it comes to data access and insight?
Are you measuring data readiness in terms of tools, or in terms of trust and confidence?
Which teams in your business are overlooked in this discussion, and what could change if they weren’t?

We’d love to hear from you!

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