Does your business suffer from a case of data overload? Or do you steer clear of new investments in supply chain analytics because you are afraid they could yield more data than your business can handle? You are in good company.

Several recent surveys indicate companies either are wary of advanced analytics tools or say they have failed to leverage the technology. The issue does not seem to be a lack of knowledge of its existence or potential impact – end users are generally well informed – but how to absorb the data effectively and apply it across the entire organization.

According to a Telematics Update, for example, vendors would be wise to spend less time on their sales pitch and more time presenting the data in a digestible format, ensuring compatibility with the end user's legacy systems, and aligning the solution with the end-user's key performance indicators.

The challenge is also captured in an Accenture survey in which only one in five companies said they are "very satisfied" with the returns they have received from analytics. And it's not for lack of trying. Two-thirds of companies have appointed a chief data officer in the last 18 months to oversee data management and analytics, while 71 percent of those who have not created such a position plan to do so in the near future.

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