Data Errors Cost Global Businesses $1.5 Billion Each Year

Data: The Silent Costly Overlooked Asset

Every day, the world’s biggest companies are sweating over piles of data that look harmless on the surface. Yet behind the numbers lies a staggering cost: billions of dollars lost each year because this wealth is neither fully understood nor managed properly. According to Anmut, the data-valuation specialists, a troubling 91 % of business leaders admit that data is vital, but only half actually treat it with the same seriousness given to other assets.

Big Numbers, Big Miss

1 trillion $ in combined revenue sprawls across nearly 100 Chief Data Officers (CDOs) on five continents.
Only 34 % of companies manage their data with the same discipline used for tangible assets.
Most firms spend 4‑7 % of annual operating expenses on data, which can hit up to $1.5‑3 billion for a global financial services brand.
Tragically, 66 % of that budget drags on fixing errors, rather than turning data into a growth engine.

“These everyday mistakes could have been avoided with better hindsight,” says Herman Heyns, Anmut’s CEO. “The few who succeed are those who get the value of data so crystal‑clear they put it at the top of their priorities.”

The Investment Dilemma

Three‑quarters (76 %) of respondents are chasing big, bold data‑driven digital transformation plans.
Yet 63 % believe data is more critical than tech for that transformation.
Reality shows the opposite: technology gets three times the attention—73 %—and more than five‑and‑a‑half times the budget (88 %) over data.

Heyns warns that without reliable data, technology is just a fancy tool. “Digital transformation is a buzzword, but it’s really about making data the brain of your business. Without it, all the fancy tech is just noise.”

Boards, CDOs, and the “Material Asset” Debate

Only 33 % of boards treat data as a material asset.
Yet 87 % of CDOs say assigning a monetary value to data would dramatically improve management.
When data is priced, it climbs the hierarchy, gets into C‑suite conversations, and faces the same scrutiny as annual reports, leading to smarter decisions.

Think of data as the new oil: if it’s labeled—and hence respected—you’ll start pumping it out in ways that drive worth.

Why Data Makes Sense in the Modern Economy

Intangible assets, including data, now form 90 % of the value of the world’s largest firms.
Anmut’s conservative estimates place data at 20 %‑30 % of that market value.
Companies that manage data well—think FANGS—are the fastest rising stars on the market.

Web‑Ready for a Digital Future

In March, the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) rolled out a framework aimed at unlocking data’s full value across public and private sectors. This ties in with other leading economies, such as the US and Germany, pushing for tighter data governance.