Data maturity analysis and business performance. A Colombian case study

Context: Colombia over the last decade has experienced a historic economic boom and Information Technology (IT) has been emerging as a tool to enable the competitiveness of companies. The last government (2014–2018) took different actions to explain how the use of data science and open data improve the business activity. The question to identify if there is a relationship between IT capacities, the organizational structure and the performance of the companies remains unresolved and is certainly an urgent issue for new government of Iván Duque. Purpose: Our study analyses the relationship between data structure and business performance measured through the efficiency of customer experience and provider operations processes. Methodology: our methodology is novel compared to previous researches which develop linear regression. It is based on the use of a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Originality/value: our method allows to reveal multiple and complementary paths to achieve possible correlations between data and business performance. Findings: Our results show that data consistency, data usage and data protection are the three more frequent conditions to a better customer experience and provider operations efficiency. Surprisingly, data-driven profile is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Practical implications: our conclusions allow practitioners to uncover the strength of the data to orientate their digital strategy. Our recommendations could be used for the new governmental program of digital revival for Small and Medium Enterprises.