What is a Single Source of Truth?

What do we mean by a ‘single source of truth’ in a marketing analytics context? What are the practical steps needed to build one?

“We need a single source of truth.”

You’ll hear this phrase thrown into meetings, pitch decks and planning documents like a magic spell – a shorthand for harmony, clarity, and alignment.

But pause for a moment and ask: what truth, exactly? Whose version of it? And does everyone even agree on what that truth is meant to look like?

In theory, the idea of a single source of truth is brilliant. Everyone from the CFO to the social media exec working from the same numbers derived in the same way from the same raw data , asking better questions, and making faster decisions based on flawless data.

In practice, it’s most often a mirage. Different teams define metrics differently, data lives in silos, and someone always has “a slightly different version” of the truth in their own spreadsheet.

What is a single source of truth?

I’m going to have a stab at a definition:

“A reporting framework underpinned by an automated and consistent approach to acquiring data and a centrally-defined, shared data model that guarantees that all users of a reporting system will have their data requests satisfied by the same raw data, in a consistent way, regardless of the context of their data request.

A true single source of truth extends beyond its technical components to encompass organisational change and stakeholder ownership to build, adopt, maintain and extend the single of truth to ensure its continued relevant and value to the organisation.”

How do I get a single source of truth?

A single source of truth isn’t something you can buy : it’s something you build – carefully & collaboratively.

It’s about much more than adopting more technology : it’s really about the processes and organisational change needed to define and implement a consistent and universally agreed way of collecting, modelling analysing your organisation’s data.

We’ve deployed Bright Analytics reporting across some massive organisations, where multiple internal teams, departments and agencies are all (initially) doing things in their own ways : implementing an approach to reporting & analytics that genuinely can be described as bring based on a single source of truth is about so much more than a common set of metric definitions or having a reporting tool that everyone uses : you have to get all the elements right, or none of it is right. This is why it’s elusive, but it’s possible.

Where do I start? How close am I to having a single source of truth?

Here’s our list of the critical points to start thinking about if you’re fed up of looking at wonky data and are serious about trying to deliver the elusive single source of truth!

Reliable Raw Data

It all starts here. If we’re all working off data that has been pulled in different ways, at different times, with different levels of granularity, then frankly we’re all stuffed and should give up now! Everything starts with a granular, automated, consistent approach to fetching the raw data all your reporting will be built upon.

This is where a robust ETL solution comes in. You need a solution to automatically import and store your data in a format that is reliable, accessible, flexible and accurate.

Transparent, shared KPI definitions.

Probably the most obvious characteristic that jumps to mind when thinking of a single source of truth : if we’re not all using the same calculation for spend (‘Finance include VAT, Agency does not but they both call it ‘Spend’) then we might as well give up now! It’s imperative that everyone involved in reporting & analysis not only knows and understands and agrees on a common set of definitions, they have to be prevented from using any other definition!

This is where you need a tool to centrally define and published a shared data model that all consumers of your data are accessing their data through. You cannot have everyone working off the same raw data, but then expect them to all apply the exact same approach to its analysis : you have to have a system and guardrails that forces the data to be put through the same analytical lens for all users.

Consistent, clearly defined & robust Dimensions

If I’m grouping data up using one definition of ‘Campaign Type’ and you’re using a different definition then even if our KPIs are identical our results are going to differ. Dimensions must be unique, serve a single purpose, and have a very clear definition behind them. If driven by rules then the rule logic must be visible in a UI and not buried under mountains of SQL that nobody understands and that no-one has touched for years.

Rock-solid Dimension definitions are only really achievable with a solid approach to taxonomy underlying all the names you are creating, so this is where you need to think about adopting a proper taxonomy tool. Multiple versions of an excel doc built a few years ago, with no validation and free form inputs all over the place does not count!

Automated Monitoring & Data QA

It’s all very well introducing a solid taxonomy but if people aren’t using it – or are regularly bypassing it – then your data is being impacted. Automated monitoring and exception reporting so that you can see which campaigns are not compliant and can intercept and fix them – is essential. Being able to trace the creator of the rogue campaign is important so you can track the culprit down and politely remind them that we have a taxonomy tool for a reason and it needs to be used!

Filtering and Dimensions must be intricately linked

Filtering and Dimensions must be intricately linked : you must only be able to filter on the values produced by your common set of Dimensions. If our filtering is different then we can have identical KPI definitions, identical Dimension definitions, but again have different outputs for the data.

This is where it’s important to have a suite of centrally defined and locked-down dashboards that are built and maintained by a a core team who know the numbers that all teams need to be accessing, and can easily build and customise these core reports.

How we do we build this single source of truth?

We understand that there are some technical requirements and checkboxes before it’s a possibility, but what are the skillsets and changes needed to deliver this?

Determination

Getting teams to change their ways, abandon familiar processes and embrace your single source of truth project requires the ability and the skillset to get people to listen, to see what the benefits are, to ensure people are not lapsing back into old ways.

This is where you need influential stakeholders backing the single source of truth project : you need to be able to influence internal processes and behaviour and effect permanent change, otherwise all your efforts will gradually come to nothing as people fall back into their old habits.

Flexibility

This may sound odd given that a lot of emphasis with a single source of truth is on ensuring consistency and adopting rigidity in many areas, but if the interface that exposes your single source of truth user is so brittle that it cannot easily change & evolve, and cannot provide the detail users need, then it will get dumped before long. The reporting data model and the ways into the data have to be able to keep up with the evolving needs of the organisation or it’s a drag on growth and building collective knowledge and momentum in how data is actually put to use.

Inevitably different teams and stakeholders will want their own views of the data – and it’s important that this can be delivered quickly and easily. If small changes require a round trip through an over-stretched technical / data team and taker 2 weeks to roll out then the project will never build the momentum it needs to become the only way for reporting to be delivered.

Remember, a single source of truth does NOT mean a single view of the data … it has to support the different detail and context that each team needs.

A social team having the flexibility to easily see a view of ad-level performance for a specific campaign or audience is critical to them doing their roles well : the single-source of truth means that the CFO is viewing the same rows of data through the exact same lens when looking at total Social spend by Audience.)

It also has to be able to respond to time-sensitive data requirements. All too often when it’s an emergency teams will fall back on bad habits and revert to source platforms.

Powerful Stakeholders

You absolutely have to have sponsors who can influence behaviour and enforce change. People need to be comfortable saying ‘No’. Data model authoring and customisation needs to be easy so that it can be selectively granted. You don’t want to create bottlenecks and inflexibility, but you can’t have a free for all. Which brings us on to …

Guardrails

A key feature of a true single source of truth is the structure and boundaries it defines to enforce rigour where it’s critical. You must control who has access to extend and amend the shared data model. You need access control rules and roles that define who has access to create and edit reports. You have to have guardrails to ensure the whole ship doesn’t come off the tracks an you end up back where you started. Beginning with extreme lockdown to all but a tiny handful of core uses, with flexibility gradually unlocked where it is appropriate is a good way to start.

Balancing the flexibility in who has report authoring rights vs ensuring consistent views is a tricky one to strike. The best approach is to build rich & detailed dashboards that contain enough detail that users do not need to go looking elsewhere.

The hardest part is keeping it on track adopted and ever-evolving

Achieving a single source of truth is only half the battle. The real work is in maintaining it — and, occasionally, policing it. There are no shortcuts here. Like planting a tree, you cannot dig a hole, plant the tree and then forget it. You have to keep checking in, looking at the usage data, checking people are engaged and not slipping back into old habits.

How Bright Analytics helps

At Bright Analytics, we help you build and maintain your single source of truth by combining a fully-integrated end-end platform with hands-on guidance.

• Unified data : automated, normalised, and refreshed consistently
• Custom semantic layer : define KPIs and dimensions once, use them everywhere
• Taxonomy management  : define your naming convention and lock down their creation
• Governed data modelling : trace every number back to its underlying definition and raw data source
• Collaborative support : we work as an extension of your team, not another software vendor, to keep things on track.

We help you build a single source of truth that is robust yet flexible and designed to adapt and grow as your needs evolve.

Summary

A single source of truth isn’t something you can buy : it’s something you build, carefully, collaboratively and with an eye on the future. It won’t happen overnight, because even though great technology makes it easier, the hard part is getting the internal buy-in and momentum behind the project, because delivering a single source of truth is really a change project.

But once it’s in place?

• You move faster
• You trust your data
• You focus on decisions and actions.

That’s the kind of truth we think it’s worth investing in.