Editor’s Note: My focus is product data. I will not claim data omniscience; especially as it relates to other data models. But, it’s my belief, these principles are universal enough to apply to any data model. A good data strategy is a good data strategy.

Whether they want to acknowledge it or not, every B2B manufacturer and distributor is on a digital journey. For many, this journey is filled with false starts, missed opportunities, and the costly frustration of projects that don’t quite deliver on their promise. But what if the true obstacle isn’t the technology itself? What if the key to success lies in something far more fundamental, yet often overlooked: the data that powers it all?

Our mission is to be the definitive guide on this journey, and in this series, we will unpack a core belief: that digital transformation begins with a culture of data.

At the heart of every successful business is trust. It’s the silent contract you have with your customers, your suppliers, and your own internal teams. You trust that when you order a product, what arrives will be what you expected. Your sales team trusts that the information they share with a client is accurate. Your warehouse team trusts that the system is guiding them to the right product, in the right quantity, at the right time.

This isn’t a soft, squishy concept. This trust is built on a single, unwavering foundation: a commitment to transparent and accurate data. In the digital world, data is the currency of trust. If you don’t get that right, you can’t get anything else right.

For too long, many B2B companies have treated product data as a necessary byproduct of other processes. It’s the stuff you quickly slap onto a price sheet or dump into an ERP. The result is a fractured, inconsistent, and often inaccurate data set that costs you time and money.

A cultural shift requires viewing product data as the lifeblood of your entire organization. Is it too bias of me to make such a claim that both manufacturers and distributors are lifeless without product? Take the time to consider the dependency each department has on product data as it relates to every day business operations, and ultimately customer service. Without it, there is no life! It’s a foundational asset that drives everything from strategic business decisions to the most basic operational workflows. This shift means asking:

• What defines our brand? It’s not just a logo; it’s the rich, accurate data that tells our story and helps customers find what they need. Take 10 minutes today to ask your customers about navigating your website. Take note of how much of their response pertains to a reliance on product data.
• How do we leverage this data? Beyond a simple SKU and a description, data points like regulatory information, supplier lead time, operational dimensions, and unit of measure are the engine that powers seamless fulfillment and inventory management.
• Who owns this data? Instead of being one department’s problem, the quality of data becomes a shared responsibility, fostering the teamwork and interdepartmental alignment that are so crucial to digital enablement. Have you ever tracked the data flow from the manufacturer through to the customer? How many areas transform product information to meet their needs, and who do they share their transformed data with?

A successful digital business isn’t built on a weak foundation. You may not have to love the process of data management, but you must respect it, because without that discipline, your digital initiatives will not just stumble—they will fail. Attempting to accelerate your digital transformation without a strong data culture largely contributes to what we call “the great divide”—a chasm between business and technology teams. This disconnect is arguably the single greatest reason why digital projects fail.

So, how do we begin? By recognizing that the journey to a successful digital business isn’t a quick sprint. It’s a marathon that starts with the fundamentals. It begins with acknowledging the value of data and instilling the processes and discipline needed to manage it effectively. It’s about building an organizational culture where every team, from the sales rep quoting a project to the warehouse associate picking an order, understands their critical role in the product data lifecycle.

This is the first step toward building a data-driven enterprise that not only survives in the modern B2B landscape but thrives in it. What steps are you taking specifically to build a Culture of Data?