2025 Planning Insights: Data Quality Remains the Top Data Integrity Challenge and Priority

Key Takeaways:

• 64% of organizations cite data quality as the top challenge impacting data integrity.
• 67% of organizations report not fully trusting their data for decision-making.
• 60% of organizations have made data quality their top priority for investment in 2024.

Data Quality: The Unyielding Challenge of Data Integrity

The latest report on data integrity trends, 2025 Outlook: Data Integrity Trends and Insights, published in partnership with Precisely and Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, brings fresh perspectives from over 550 global data and analytics leaders. One key takeaway: Data quality remains the top data integrity challenge—an issue that has only intensified in the past year.

64% of survey respondents identified poor data quality as the primary obstacle to achieving robust data integrity—up significantly from 50% in 2023. This trend highlights the growing complexity organizations face as they rely more on advanced analytics, business intelligence (BI), and AI to drive decision-making.

The Ripple Effect: Data Quality's Impact on Trust

Data quality is not only an operational hurdle—it’s undermining data trust. The report reveals a troubling decline in confidence, with 67% of respondents stating they do not fully trust their data for decision-making, a sharp increase from 55% last year. This erosion of trust in data has critical implications, especially when analytics and AI are at the heart of business strategies.

As organizations aim for data-driven decision-making, poor-quality data is proving to be a significant barrier. The speed of technological advancements in AI and BI only exacerbates the challenge: without high-quality data, the risks to business outcomes are greater than ever.

Key Data Integrity Challenges in 2024

The report reveals that several challenges continue to plague organizations’ data integrity efforts:

• Data Governance: This year, 51% of respondents reported data governance as one of their top challenges, a significant rise from 27% in 2023.
• Data Privacy and Security: Concerns in this area remain high, with 46% of organizations citing it as a major issue.
• Data Integration: 50% of respondents again listed data quality as the key obstacle to successful data integration projects.
• Data Enrichment: Still a challenge for 30% of organizations, impeding data quality and completeness.

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Struggling to Achieve High-Quality Data

Despite these ongoing challenges, there is a sense of urgency. The report highlights a concerning trend: 77% of respondents rate their data quality as “average or worse,” an eleven percentage point drop from last year. Factors preventing organizations from achieving high-quality data include:

• Inadequate Tools for Automating Data Quality Processes (49%)
• Inconsistent Data Definitions and Formats (45%)
• Data Volume: A growing concern for 43% of organizations, up from 35% in 2023.

It’s clear that improving data quality requires investment in better tools, processes, and standards.

The Path Forward: Investing in Data Quality

While the challenges are significant, there is a silver lining. 60% of organizations have made data quality their top data integrity priority for 2024. Strategic investments in automation, governance, and data management tools are crucial to improving data quality and, by extension, data integrity.

What’s Next?

As we move into 2025, data integrity will continue to be a core focus for organizations striving to achieve their business goals and capitalize on advanced analytics and AI technologies. The insights in this year’s report offer a roadmap for tackling the biggest data challenges while making smarter, data-driven decisions.

Stay tuned for more insights in our upcoming posts as we delve deeper into data trust, AI readiness, and other essential trends from the 2025 Outlook: Data Integrity Trends and Insights report.

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