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In the Netherlands, the data volume is growing explosively: according to the CBS, organizations produced approximately 60% more data in 2023 than two years ago. At the same time, many CIOs and IT managers are struggling with an urgent challenge: how do you ensure that this gigantic flow of information remains manageable and leads to actual value? Data marts, closely linked to the rise of AI applications, appear to play a crucial role in this puzzle.
Research by McKinsey shows that 73% of Dutch organizations indicate that quickly turning data into useful insights is a bottleneck. Organizations are often stuck in legacy databases and IT structures that are not flexible enough. At the same time, the pressure is increasing: end users, from marketing to finance, want immediate answers without having to wait for extensive IT projects.
Data marts, on the other hand, are small, focused data sources within or apart from a data warehouse that are focused on a specific department or business line. They ensure that data is not only available, but also contextually relevant and quickly accessible. This means that teams can work independently and with greater precision.
The rollout of AI in Dutch companies shows that success is mainly due to good data quality and structure. Here, data marts play the role of a “breeding ground” for AI initiatives. By providing relevant data in a bundled way, AI specialists can quickly experiment with advanced analyses and predictive models without wasting time preparing data.
Case studies show that collaborating with data analysts and AI specialists, who understand both disciplines, helps organizations get the most out of their data marts. This leads to more efficient automation and innovation, such as optimized customer segmentations, improved inventory forecasting, or risk management.
Data marts often use modern data architectures, such as cloud-based storage and API-driven access. These technologies make it possible to update data in near real-time, a must-have in today's digital playing field. At the same time, they are scalable and modular, so that they can scale with the growing data needs.
The use of data catalogs and metadata management within data marts also ensures that data is easier to find and understand, even for non-technical users. This speeds up the analytical process and reduces the chances of interpretation failure.
Take a mid-sized supplier of medical equipment. By implementing an operational data mart in combination with AI analysis, management saw not only a decrease in inventory shortages but also a rapid identification of seasonal demand peaks. This enabled the company to purchase more flexibly and serve its customers better.
Another Dutch retailer combined customer feedback data from multiple channels into a separate sentiment data mart. With the help of AI, customer satisfaction patterns became visible more quickly. Thanks to these insights, customer service became more adaptive and loyalty increased measurably.
Building and using data marts goes beyond technology alone. Successful organizations integrate knowledge from data engineers, business analysts and AI specialists. This ensures a healthy balance between technical feasibility and business value. With such an approach, you prevent data projects from becoming islands and ensure continuous optimization and innovation.
The Dutch ecosystem of data and AI is growing rapidly, but the complexity of regulations and ethics is also increasing. Data marts can play a role within that framework by facilitating data selection and access control at departmental level, making compliance easier to manage.
Data is not an end in itself. In a world where AI and automation are rapidly transforming the playing field, it's not the amount of data, but how you organize and use data, that makes the difference. Data marts are not a hype — they are practical, technically smart solutions that give Dutch companies the precision and speed that are required today.
It is precisely in combination with AI specialists that a powerful interplay occurs: teams not only get the right data at their fingertips, but can also use it immediately for innovative applications. For CIOs and IT managers, this means one thing clear: investing in data marts is investing in future-proof data-driven decision-making.
