Why 82% of Businesses Struggle with Data And How Business Reporting Tools Fix It.
- Chris Farr
- Sep 17
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
When You’re Running a Business, Clarity is Power
When you’re running a business, having information is one of your biggest advantages. But it only helps if you can actually find it, trust it and take action from it.
Whilst this sounds simple, many businesses are struggling. A recent study of Irish Businesses showed that 82% of companies say they can’t easily find the information they need, and 63% say they don’t trust its accuracy.
That’s a huge opportunity gap and one that modern business reporting tools and data integration tools can help empower your business with reporting dashboards that deliver clarity.
Why Scattered Systems Hold You Back
Picture this: your sales orders live in one platform, your customer reviews in another, and your ad results somewhere else. Without business reporting tools to connect them, you’re left juggling spreadsheets or making guesses.
It’s not just inconvenient, it’s widespread. 63% of Irish businesses use up to 10 different systems to store information, with nearly a quarter using more than 10.
That many places holding information give many places for things to get lost, duplicated, or misinterpreted.
Bringing everything together in one place means:
Time saved by cutting down on manual copy-and-paste work.
Fewer mistakes because the report is updated and processed automatically.
Smarter decisions with reporting dashboards that show whole picture, not just fragments.
Room to grow without worrying about your tools keeping up.
And the benefits add up. Messy or inaccurate data is estimated to cost UK firms a staggering £900 billion a year.
How to Pick the Right Business Reporting Tool
Not all platforms are the same, so here are a few things to look out for:
Works with what you already use
Your business probably runs on a mix of systems, from accounting software, to CRM, and marketing platforms. Make sure the new platform connects easily with them. Check out Sontai's Integrations.
Easy to use
You don’t want software that takes weeks of training. Look for something with a simple interface or ready-made dashboard templates that are easy to use, no matter how technical you're feeling.
Keeps your data clean with reporting solutions that fix errors
It’s not just about connecting to your software, it’s about making sure it’s accurate. Features that fix errors, remove duplicates, and standardise formats are essential.
Grows with you
As your business scales, the amount of information you collect will too. Cloud-based solutions often offer flexible plans that can expand as needed.
Protects sensitive info
Your customer and financial data are valuable. The tool should follow strong security standards and any local compliance rules.
Fits your budget
Whilst the initial outlay on new software may feel daunting, the return can be dramatic. By having automated processes, you free up staff time for more valuable work. And as they say, time is money.
A Real-World Example
Let’s take Sarah, who makes and sells beautifully designed jewellery.
To get her jewellery into people's hands and around their necks, she sells online through Shopify and Amazon. She also takes her bracelets and earrings to local events, using a handheld payment terminal, and sells wholesale via her accounting software. To connect with customers and fans, she uses social media and email marketing.
That's a lot of systems that are being used every day. All collecting data.
If Sarah tried to track performance manually, she’d spend hours bouncing between programs, trying to make sense of it all. With the right business reporting tool or reporting dashboard, everything flows into one simple suite of reports:
Where are most sales made?
Which products sell the most?
Which emails are driving the most sales?
How quickly orders ship after purchase?
Which products get returned most often?
And this isn’t just theory. There are stories of large companies saving millions by streamlining how they report on their information. Even as a small or medium-sized business the savings can be really significant.
Let's say your business spends an hour a day running reports across all departments. That's only 20 mins each across sales, marketing, and finance. This hour a day is 5 hours per week, 260 hours per year, 32 working days a year, more than a month and a half.
By automating reporting and integrating your systems into clear dashboards, you give that time back to the business for more valuable work.
The return on investment for this type of solution then becomes a no brainer. More accurate data, leading to smarter decisions and saving money.
Where Sontai Fits In
So how do you get from messy, scattered systems to clear, actionable insights? That’s where Sontai comes in.
At Sontai, we go beyond generic business reporting tools by building customised dashboards, delivered through our own business reporting platform, designed to give you a clear and trustworthy view of your business. The power lies in the process:
Merging data from multiple sources
Whether that’s your CRM, finance software, marketing platform, or something else, Sontai can connect to any source, anywhere.
Tidying and cleaning the data first
Our expert data analysts are experienced in data cleaning, so what you see is accurate, consistent, and reliable. No more second-guessing if your reports are right.
Visualising insights in a clear dashboard
Built around your needs, designed to give you actionable insights. Instead of bouncing between spreadsheets, you see everything at a glance.
In other words, Sontai takes care of the heavy lifting so you can focus on running and growing your business.
Getting the Most Out of Your Data
When partnering with Sontai we will work with you to help you maximise the data you already have in your business. Here are some of the things that we do to help you and your business:
Start small. Connect a couple of key sources first before expanding.
Know your goals. Decide which questions you want to answer.
Automate updates. So you don't have any manual processes.
Teach your team. Making sure everyone knows how to use the reports.
Check in often. Review your setup regularly to fix gaps or errors.
Ask for help. Lean on our team of experts when needed.
By following these steps, Sontai can turn your data into a powerful asset that drives growth.
Moving Forward
Bringing your business data together isn’t just about technology, it’s about clarity and confidence.
Given that 63% of Irish businesses say they can’t fully trust their data, investing in better systems isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about making confident decisions.
With Sontai’s business reporting tools, you get that connected view: clean, unified, and visualised in a way that makes sense. The result? Faster decisions, clearer insights, and more time to focus on growth.
If you’re ready to spend less time wrangling spreadsheets and more time growing your business, let’s talk about how Sontai dashboards could help.
Your future self will thank you for making your data work smarter, not harder.
