ASEAN Leaders Agree: Aligning Data and Strategy is the Path to Success
Data maturity: Where data meets value. It’s how Southeast Asian organisations can gain their edge to harness AI, make smarter decisions, and stay competitive.
In my conversations with leaders across Southeast Asia, one thing keeps coming up: businesses are eager to unlock more value from their data. We all know how important data is, but with artificial intelligence reshaping entire industries, having quality, trusted data is no longer just beneficial — it’s essential.
In Singapore, 96% of business leaders feel their data holds untapped potential, yet many are struggling to translate this into meaningful business outcomes.
To explore how ASEAN businesses are overcoming hurdles and blazing new trails for an AI-driven future, Salesforce gathered insights from hundreds of Singaporean analytics, IT, and business leaders. Their perspectives, alongside those from 10,000 global leaders, are featured in our State of Data and Analytics Report.
Here are key takeaways from Singapore’s leaders — including practical tips on how you can make the most of your data and seize the AI opportunity.
The State of Data and Analytics Report
See what 10,000 global leaders have to say about unlocking value from data in the AI era.
Takeaway #1: Without trusted data, your AI can’t deliver
It’s no surprise that 9 in 10 analytics and IT decision-makers in Singapore agree that trustworthy data is more important than ever. Every AI use case — from predictive analytics to IT management — runs on data. But your AI solutions won’t produce the results you’re looking for if you aren’t working with quality, trusted data. Simply put: flawed data leads to flawed results.
Yet, only 59% of analytics and IT leaders in Singapore are fully confident in the accuracy of their data. This gap shows there’s still plenty of work to do, which is why improving data quality emerged as a top priority for many businesses in the region.
So, how do you make sure your data is “trustworthy”? As data volumes grow, what are the best practices to ensure quality and consistency? Here are a few things to ask yourself:
- Do you have a clear and consistent data collection and data entry process?
- Has your data been cleaned and normalised?
- Is your data protected and secure?
- Do you have a governance framework addressing all aspects of the data life cycle, including access and control, management, privacy, security, compliance and regulatory requirements?
- Is the data fit for the purpose? Does it follow ethics and integrity expectations?
Do More with Your Data
See how Tableau makes it easy to understand and act on your data
Takeaway #2: Getting more value from your data is easier when your data and business strategies are aligned
Data generation is exploding worldwide, and ASEAN is no exception. The digital ecosystem in this region is expected to triple in size by 2030, jumping from US $300 billion to nearly US $1 trillion. Data usage per user in Southeast Asia is set to skyrocket from 9.2 GB per month in 2020 to 28.9 GB by 2025.
Amid all this growth, 98% of Singaporean business leaders agree that data and analytics improve decision-making. However, two major challenges are holding many back: the sheer volume of data and the time it takes to turn that data into insights.
Our survey found that 82% of analytics and IT leaders in Singapore say their organisations struggle to drive business priorities with so much data. Only 63% feel their data strategy is fully aligned with business goals, making it clear why their second-highest priority — after improving data quality — is aligning data strategies to better harness the volume for meaningful business outcomes.
Understanding your business objectives is crucial when planning your data strategy. Start by clearly defining your goals, then map out the specific data needed to achieve them. With high volumes of data, it’s even more important to be selective — focus on the data that will have the greatest impact, and ensure you have the right tools in place to leverage it effectively. This targeted approach helps to drive much-needed insights across the organisation and reduce data silos that impede collaboration and decision-making.
The results? Better financial performance, higher productivity, and a stronger competitive edge. Research from McKinsey Global Institute shows that data-driven companies are 23 times more likely to acquire customers, 6 times more likely to retain them, and 19 times more likely to be profitable.
Takeaway #3: Higher data maturity opens doors to growth
When an organisation is data mature, we mean it’s well advanced on its data transformation journey — using data to drive decisions, fuel innovation, and plan for the future. But according to our research, only 28% of Singaporean businesses describe their data maturity as best-in-class.
Why does this matter? Because data maturity brings clear rewards. McKinsey’s research shows that data-driven companies achieve goals faster and see at least 20% higher contributions to earnings before income taxes.
Singaporean IT and analytics leaders report that a well-developed data culture — where everyone has the insights needed to be data-driven — leads to outcomes like higher cost savings, better productivity, improved customer service, more innovation, and faster decision-making.
And as AI becomes more integral to business strategies, data maturity is also a key indicator of AI success. Globally, organisations with higher data maturity are twice as likely to have the quality data needed to use AI effectively and recognise the growth benefits that come with a well-executed AI strategy
Unified data is the foundation that enables AI — first predictive, then generative, and now agentic — to work smarter and more autonomously. Agentforce taps into this unified data to deliver automated, intelligent responses and actions across your business. For example, when a Service Agent is connected to your order management system, knowledge articles, policies, and purchase history in Service Cloud, it can autonomously handle refunds, exchanges, and inquiries — boosting customer satisfaction while freeing your team for higher-value tasks.
With the right data foundation, agents streamline processes and unlock growth by helping businesses scale efficiently, improve retention, and generate new revenue through cross-selling and loyalty-building initiatives. Humans with agents can transform business growth — but it all starts with data maturity.
AI and Data Transformation in Singapore
Businesses that thrive are the ones that adapt, and today, data transformation is one of the most important adaptations a company can make. With AI poised to be as pervasive as the internet, companies must be ready to unlock its potential — but great AI starts with great data.
Yet, 84% of Singaporean business leaders are worried about missing out on the opportunities that generative AI presents. With AI set to revolutionise industries, Singaporean businesses that focus on improving data maturity, strengthening governance, and aligning data strategies with business goals will be the ones best positioned to succeed in the AI era.
Your Data, Your Advantage
Discover how business leaders are aligning data strategies with business goals and unlocking AI-driven growth.
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