A worldwide survey* of 196 organizations by Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com) showed that 91% of organizations have not yet reached a "transformational" level of maturity in data and analytics, despite this area being a number one investment priority for CIOs in recent years.

"Most organizations should be doing better with data and analytics, given the potential benefits," said Nick Heudecker, research vice president at Gartner. "Organizations at transformational levels of maturity enjoy increased agility, better integration with partners and suppliers, and easier use of advanced predictive and prescriptive forms of analytics. This all translates to competitive advantage and differentiation.”

The global survey asked respondents to rate their organizations according to Gartner's five levels of maturity for data and analytics. It found that 60% of respondents worldwide rated themselves in the lowest three levels.

The survey revealed that 48% of organizations in Asia Pacific (APAC) reported their data and analytics maturity to be in the top two levels. This compares to 44% in North America and just 30% in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

The majority of respondents worldwide assessed themselves at level three (34%) or level four (31%). Twenty-one percent of respondents were at level two, and 5 percent at the basic level, level one. Only 9% of organizations surveyed reported themselves at the highest level, level five, where the biggest transformational benefits lie.