Could empowering the frontline with data help businesses to stay resilient?

frontline staff

Sudheesh Nair, CEO at ThoughtSpot, discusses why empowering frontline staff with data could be critical for success post-COVID.

It doesn’t matter what industry or part of the world your business is in. COVID-19 has rewritten the rules. From the beginning, many businesses were paralysed in the face of the pandemic. The onset was faster and more pervasive than most businesses were prepared to handle. Realities on the ground were changing hourly. Crippled by legacy systems and rigid hierarchies, businesses struggled just to make sense of the changes, let alone do something about it.

As we begin to reopen, leaders need to reflect on the weaknesses the current crisis exposed, particularly when it comes to how they leverage their data. First, staring into a dashboard created by BI teams, without the context of the business realities, is a poor way to make decisions. Second, when there’s a critical business outcome at stake, everyone in the organisation should have access to these data insights; from the Board of Directors to the front-lines. After all, COVID is not the first crisis businesses have faced. And it certainly will not be the last.

Recent research from Harvard Business Review shows that 87 percent of organisations believe success depends on empowering and equipping frontline staff to make decisions in the moment. It makes sense that the frontline should have access to the same data as top level management; after all, these are the people that actually engage with customers. They know customers’ wants and needs better than anyone else, including executives. The companies that are empowering these team members are increasing productivity, improving quality of products and services, and seeing higher customer satisfaction.

Despite recognising this value, there is still a strong disconnect for many in saying that this empowerment leads to success, and doing it. In fact, the same study found that only seven percent of organisations are fully equipping their teams with the tools and resources needed to drive decision-making and autonomy. 

They understand that it’s the right thing for the business, but cannot do it. 

The Harvard Business Review study sheds interesting insights into this. In many of my conversations with business, technology, and data leaders, I’ll hear data quality issues or technical debt is keeping them from bringing analytics to their frontline decision makers. The research found that rationale is a facade executives cling to. The real obstacles come down to process and cultural issues – which falls under the purview of those very same executives. 

Companies that are empowering frontline workers to make data-driven decisions are championing this approach from the top. Executives are bought in on the notion a data-driven culture is critical to their corporate strategy, and are willing to take bold action to instil this culture in their teams.

What’s even more shocking, however, is how many executives at companies falling behind actively do not want their frontline teams making decisions. They openly admit they’re blockers for this kind of change. So-called ‘laggard’ companies, many of whom are within manufacturing, government, healthcare, and education, are much more likely to say their top management does not want frontline workers making decisions. And they’re suffering as a result.

Many of these executives will point to a lack of skilled or trained staff to apply insights as to the culprit. If only these data professionals were easier to find and hire. 

I challenge this outdated perception. While using data has historically required deep training and technical sophistication, new technologies and tools are available to bring analytics to anyone. Leaders need to recognise this shift and invest to train and re-skill their teams on how to apply insights, not navigate complex technology. 

To be resilient in the face of adversity, the openness to adaptation and evolution that is happening within the operational lines of business needs to permeate into the thoughts and actions of those at the top level, too. 

Business leaders that allow workers to lead from the front, equipping them with the tools to deploy their intelligence, experience, and empathy with quality data, ultimately look set to drastically propel better business results – in both the short and long term.

In today’s challenging and volatile environment, that could mean the difference between sinking or swimming. 

The world will not go back to pre-COVID-19 speed even after we eradicate this virus. Organisations should make the right changes to prepare for the new speed and demand from the modern consumer.


Sudheesh Nair

CEO at Thoughtspot

Data Centre Demand Growth Continues to Surge

Brad Legge • 02nd October 2025

The proliferation of digital technologies has thrust data centres into the spotlight as linchpins of modern business infrastructure. From cloud computing to artificial intelligence (AI), these facilities support critical operations across industries. The growing interest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) has triggered a race to develop technology, driving demand for high-density data centres and significantly...

5 Signs Your ERP System is Holding You Back

Adam Palmer • 11th September 2025

Is your ERP helping you move forward — or slowing you down? For a modern business, an ERP system should be a powerful enabler. One that drives agility, delivers real-time insights, and helps drive strategic growth — not something teams feel the need to work around. Yet too often, legacy ERP systems quietly drag down...

Why Wind River is serious about moving from VMware

Paul Miller • 09th September 2025

For IT departments with limited manpower and budgets, improving the efficiency of operational management of distributed IT infrastructure is a pressing issue. Organizations burdened with licensing costs, such as the VMware issue, will want to start optimizing costs and IT resources immediately. We interviewed a vendor that is working on this trend using open technology....

TPIs are the Future of Energy Solutions

David Sheldrake SVP POWWR • 19th June 2025

The energy industry is undergoing a transformation, and Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), those brokers and consultants who help businesses procure energy, are at the centre of it. With growing complexity, increasing regulation, and evolving customer expectations, the role of TPIs is shifting from price-focused brokers to strategic energy advisors. While renewable energy adoption continues to reshape...

Quick Commerce and the Retail Media Revolution

Sue Azari • 11th June 2025

Quick commerce has transformed the way consumers shop, redefining convenience with near-instant delivery of groceries, meals, and household essentials. However, beyond its impact on logistics and e-commerce, quick commerce is now emerging as a major force in digital advertising. As consumer behaviours shift toward on-demand purchases, these platforms are leveraging their vast first-party data and...