Co-founder and CEO at 10 Senses
The rationale behind the study
There is a surprisingly simple problem: we do not really know enough about how data is used in the Polish economy.
There are, of course, some publications available. You can find reports, white papers, market commentaries, and occasional analyses. But many of them are produced by companies with a commercial agenda. Their purpose is often to support sales, promote a particular technology, or frame the market in a way that serves a business narrative. As a result, the data they present is often selective, fragmented, or difficult to verify. Academic research can be another source, but here the picture is also limited. In Poland, relatively little research is conducted on this topic.
This creates a real gap. Data is one of the foundations of the modern economy. It supports digitalisation, enables better services, powers new products, and improves how organisations operate. And now, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the importance of data is even greater. In other words, many areas of economic development now depend on data. Yet in Poland, we still have only a limited understanding of how companies actually use data, how mature they are, and what challenges they face.
Historically, whenever we or other commentators wanted to describe this area, we often had to rely on Eurostat data. And to be clear, Eurostat data is valuable. It is collected in a harmonised way across European Union countries and based on robust statistical methods. This makes it reliable and comparable across markets. The problem is that Eurostat was not designed to provide a deep picture of data maturity. Its annual ICT survey covers many aspects of technology adoption, and data is only one part of that broader questionnaire. As a result, even when the findings are reliable, they remain quite limited. So, the question remains: where can we find a more detailed, credible view of how data is used in Polish companies?
Survey by DAMA Poland
Fortunately, the opportunity to conduct such a study did appear. For several years, we have been active members of the DAMA Poland community — the Polish chapter of the Data Management Association. So, when the idea emerged within the community to run a research project on data practices in Polish companies, our reaction was immediate: we wanted to be involved.
Since the initiative came from DAMA, the natural focus of the study became Data Governance. After all, Data Governance is one of the core areas of the data management discipline. It determines how organisations define responsibility for data, how they manage its quality, and how they make sure that data can be trusted and used effectively. After a series of discussions within the team, we decided to focus the research on the maturity of Data Governance in Polish companies.
The entire study was organized and carried out by the DAMA Poland team.It was a pro bono initiative, based on the time and expertise of DAMA members. We did not seek external funding for the research. When there were costs to cover, they were handled internally by the people and organisations involved.
At 10 Senses we have a background in market research, so we were involved in the design of the study itself. We supported the team in structuring the research process, preparing the questionnaire, and later also contributing to parts of the analysis.
This was a natural area for us to help with. Before becoming a data science company, our organisation grew out of the market research world. As a result, we have practical experience in designing studies, building questionnaires, collecting responses, and turning research data into meaningful conclusions.
So, while the project was a collective DAMA Poland effort, we were glad to contribute the research competence that we had developed over the years.
Some key insights
What did the study show? The full set of findings is, of course, presented in the report itself. But to highlight a few key takeaways, there are at least three results worth mentioning here.
First, and perhaps not surprisingly, relatively few organisations assess themselves as highly mature in data management. As shown in the chart below, as many as 40% of organisations say they are still at the initial or ad hoc stage. Only 8% say they have reached a managed level, and another 8% describe themselves as optimised. In other words, only a small minority of organisations see their data management as genuinely mature.
What makes this even more interesting is the profile of the respondents. This was a study conducted largely among companies connected to the DAMA community, so these are already organisations that are, by definition, more aware of data-related topics than the average company. If even in this group maturity is still relatively low, this suggests that the broader market is likely at an even earlier stage.
A similar pattern can be seen when we look at the definition and execution of a data management strategy or policy. Only 8% of organisations say that such a strategy or policy both exists and is actually being executed. At the same time, 42% say that it exists, but is not executed. This is a very telling result. It shows that writing down a strategy is one thing; implementing it in a way that changes how the organisation works is something very different.
This is one of the reasons why Data Governance is, above all, a matter of practice. It cannot exist only on paper. In practice, building Data Governance requires not only a capable team, but also strong support from the top of the organisation – someone who can set direction, maintain momentum, and act as a real sponsor for change.
We also divided organisations into two groups: those that already have a dedicated Data Governance unit, and those that do not. The difference is striking. In organisations with such a unit, the overall definition of roles and responsibilities is much clearer across the organisation.
This can be seen across almost all role categories, but one particularly strong example is the role of IT Data Steward. Among organisations with a dedicated Data Governance unit, 71% say that this role is defined. Among organisations without such a unit, the number drops to just 9%. In other words, where there is no dedicated governance structure, IT data stewardship is almost absent.
The same pattern appears in other roles as well. Whether we look at data owners, application owners or other roles, the organisations with a dedicated Data Governance unit consistently show much higher levels of role definition. This suggests that one of the key effects of a more mature Data Governance setup is simply better organisational clarity: the people involved in the data lifecycle know what they are responsible for, and the organisation is better able to coordinate data-related work.
How to get the report
Want to know more, then don’t hesitate to download the report from the DAMA Poland website using the link: Data Governance Maturity 2026. At the point of writing this blog post, the report is only available in Polish, but the English version is underway. If you want to get the tables for question included in the survey – don’t hesitate to contact the DAMA Poland team.
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