Introduction

Gathering meaningful business requirements can be one of the biggest challenges in any data-related project. IT teams often find themselves navigating unclear priorities, communication silos, and competing agendas. Yet, without clear alignment between business needs and technical solutions, projects can veer off track, wasting resources and missing the mark.

That’s where the Data Wishlist approach comes in. By asking a simple, open-ended question, you can break through barriers, uncover hidden needs, and spark meaningful conversations that lead to actionable insights.

The Challenge

Understanding Business Needs For many organizations, the gap between business stakeholders and IT teams is wide. Business teams may struggle to articulate their needs in technical terms, while IT teams are left guessing how to deliver value. Common roadblocks include:

• Skill Gaps: IT teams sometimes face challenges in translating technical possibilities into business terms, while business teams may struggle to articulate their needs due to limited awareness of available solutions. This communication gap often leaves IT looking for explicit requirements while business teams wait for IT to propose feasible solutions. Bridging this gap requires a skilled facilitator who can uncover how the business operates, how they use or could use data, and what tools or insights they need to achieve their goals.
• Cultural Barriers: Invisible walls between departments can stifle collaboration and trust.
• Misaligned Priorities: Business and IT teams often operate under different assumptions about what success looks like. Bridging this gap requires a unique skill set—one that involves understanding how business teams perform their roles, how they use or would use data, what data they need for reporting, how they are measured (KPIs/goals), and more. A skilled requirements gatherer can then translate these needs into actionable plans, advocating effectively for both sides.

These challenges can lead to misaligned solutions, underutilized systems, and frustration on both sides. To move forward, you need a capability to foster better communication and understanding between these groups.

The Data Wishlist Approach

One of the simplest yet most effective techniques I’ve used is asking stakeholders this question:

“What’s on your data wishlist? Let’s start with three key items that could transform how you work.”

This question does several things:

1. Encourages Open Thinking: It removes technical jargon and invites stakeholders to focus on outcomes rather than limitations.
2. Uncovers Hidden Needs: Stakeholders often reveal pain points or aspirations they hadn’t previously articulated.
3. Breaks Down Barriers: The conversational tone fosters trust and collaboration, even in politically charged environments.

Practical Examples Here’s how the Data Wishlist approach has worked in real-world scenarios:

Example 1: A Global Retailer’s Data Transformation Wishes During a project with a global retailer, I met with teams across the organization to understand their challenges. Their data wishlist items were ambitious and practical: closing the books faster, providing accurate actual vs. plan/budget vs. forecast reporting in any currency, establishing a common definition of terms, and improving KPIs and metrics. These wishes formed the foundation of a multi-phase data warehouse program, paired with a robust data governance initiative that established a governance team, charter, and processes. The outcome? Greater visibility, improved planning, reduced lead times, and significant cost savings.

Example 2: Finance Team’s Single Source of Truth In another instance, a finance department wished for a “single source of truth” for their operational reporting. This simple wish highlighted inconsistent data definitions and reporting tools across departments. We prioritized data governance initiatives, which ultimately saved hours of manual reconciliation and improved decision-making.

Example 3: Streamlining Procurement for an Oil and Gas Giant One of my early projects involved an oil and gas client with over $40 billion in annual procurement spend. Their procurement team’s wishes centered on reducing costs by providing data and reporting in a consumable format across their global procurement platform. Specifically, they sought a 1-2% reduction in procurement costs. This wish became the cornerstone of a multi-phase data mart project that streamlined procurement processes and delivered hundreds of millions in cost savings. It’s a reminder that addressing seemingly straightforward needs can yield transformative results.

From Wishes to Results

The power of the Data Wishlist approach doesn’t stop at gathering input. The next step is to:

1. Correlate Responses: Identify common themes and align them with organizational goals.
2. Assess Feasibility: Match wishes against existing IT capabilities and resource constraints.
3. Create an Actionable Plan: Turn aspirations into concrete, prioritized steps for implementation.

This process not only builds understanding between business and IT but also creates a shared sense of ownership and direction.

Conclusion

Asking stakeholders about their data wishlist is more than a clever exercise. It’s a powerful way to uncover hidden needs, foster collaboration, and set the stage for successful outcomes. At Datagize, we specialize in bridging the gap between business and IT, helping organizations turn their wishes into results.

Ready to uncover your team’s hidden needs? Let’s talk. Schedule a consultation today and let us help you realize your data’s full potential.