Observed Signal · Aug 3, 2023 · Analysis · Source: CMSWire · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral

Data Ranks as Top Frustration in Digital Transformation

Executive Signal Summary

A CMSWire analysis, citing a Hitachi Vantara-sponsored study, highlights that data remains a major obstacle in digital transformation efforts. 70% of AI solution development involves data wrangling, 80% of business users cannot access needed data, and 34% require third-party help to integrate data. Data quality and security concerns persist, with 23% distrusting data quality and 41% citing security risks. The article advocates for a modern data stack, including data catalogs and observability, and references MIT-CISR research showing only 28% of organizations have mature data practices. It calls on CMOs, CIOs, and CDOs to address these foundational issues to unlock transformation benefits, such as significant revenue growth and margin improvements.

Polaris7 AgentPolaris7 Strategic Assessment
High Confidence

Provides relevant insights into data challenges for digital transformation, but not a major industry-shifting event.

SIGNAL RADAR

Track McKinsey & Company Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time

Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.

Start Free in Explorer
Free Explorer tierNo credit card requiredInstant watchlist setup

Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding

  • 70% of AI-based solution development involves data wrangling and harmonization.
  • 80% of business users face difficulties accessing the data they need.
  • 34% of organizations need third-party help to integrate data.
  • 23% of users do not trust their data quality.
  • Only 28% of organizations have their data processes mature (per MIT-CISR).

Connected Companies & Entities

2 Entities mapped

“Authors Eric Lamarre, Kate Smaje and Rodney Zemmel of the book 'Rewired' are McKinsey consultants....”

“Key elements of the modern data stack are detailed in an article by Matt Bornstein, Jennifer Li and Martin Casado at Andreessen Horowitz....”

Primary Source Grounding & Direct Attribution
Direct Origin Attribution
Primary Reporting: CMSWire•Published: Aug 3, 2023
Original Coverage Title: “The Real-World of Data Analytics and Digital Transformation”

Related Market Signals & Shifts

Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.

Privacy / AIOct 6, 2026

AI wunderkind Sigil Wen launches on-device assistant Underdog

Sigil Wen, a 17-year-old self-taught coder and Thiel Fellow, has launched Underdog, an invite-only beta AI assistant that runs entirely on-device, prioritizing user privacy. Underdog is powered by Husky, Wen's own inference engine, and uses a 27-billion parameter model fine-tuned from Qwen3.8-27B. The startup behind it, Conway Research, is backed by prominent investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, and Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison. Unlike many AI assistants that monetize user data, Underdog will never be ad-supported and will instead take a small percentage of payment transactions facilitated through Stripe's payment rails. The company aims to prove that AI capabilities don't require sacrificing privacy, making it a direct competitor to more data-hungry assistants like Instinct and Muse.

Read assessment
Investment in HealthTechOct 6, 2026

a16z Leads $120M Series B in General Medicine

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) announced it is leading a $120 million Series B funding round for General Medicine, a healthcare technology company founded by the PillPack team. General Medicine aims to create a comprehensive healthcare shopping experience by combining patient history, clinical guidance, transparent pricing, and access to care into a single platform. The company operates its own medical group alongside a marketplace of external clinicians, offering a catalog of over 2,900 health products and services. The funding will support building out the consumer offering and enterprise partnerships with health systems, payors, and pharmacies. This marks a significant investment in transforming the healthcare experience using technology.

Read assessment
StreamingOct 6, 2026

Streaming UX: Key to Subscription Retention

A new analysis highlights that poor user experience (UX) is a major driver of streaming subscription cancellations. According to a study by CTAM and Hub Entertainment Research, 36% of viewers have cancelled a subscription due to UX frustrations, rising to 43% among under-25s. Gracenote data shows users spend an average of 14 minutes searching for content, with 49% saying they would cancel if search remains difficult. The Deloitte Digital Media Trends 2026 reports 39% of US users cancelled a subscription in the last six months because they couldn't find content quickly. As competition intensifies, providers are advised to improve content discovery, personalization, and navigation to reduce churn, which is at 6.3% monthly average in 2026.

Read assessment

Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts

Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.