Why Corporations Must Connect the Dots

Early in my career, I spent hours building reports.

I was in charge of preparing the sales dashboards that fueled our weekly reviews. I knew the numbers inside out: growth, margin, backlog, and more.

But something always felt off.

We were reporting results, not action. Most KPIs in Sales are lagging indicators. They tell you what happened, but not why, or what to do next. That’s when I started asking bigger questions.

Disconnected growth creates disconnected systems

Over time, I noticed something in almost every organization I worked with. Most companies did not grow with one unified plan. They evolved organically, with each team solving their own problems as they came.

This makes sense. People are doing their best with the tools they have. But this kind of growth leads to something bigger: silos, duplicated systems, and disconnected processes.

Everyone is using different tools and speaking different “languages.” When it’s time to align and make cross-functional decisions, things often break down.

I saw that many companies don’t struggle because of a lack of resources or talent. They struggle because their systems don’t communicate with each other.

In 2019, everything clicked

That year, I joined a digital transformation project. It was a turning point.

We had plenty of data, but no context. We had dashboards, but no connection between teams. Many core processes were not even leaving behind data points we could use to measure performance.

The problem was not the technology itself. The real opportunity was inside the company. Connecting the dots, bridging communication gaps, and aligning systems, processes, and people.

Most companies do not need a new product or a large investment to transform. What they need is to take a closer look at how they work and how their people collaborate.

Sometimes, one team’s daily pain is caused by a process that another team asked for years ago, and no one has stopped to question whether it is still needed.

When organizations evolve, their systems start to break

Companies go through cycles. They grow, they restructure, they merge. But very few take the time to redesign how the organization operates.

Processes that made sense years ago no longer do. Roles shift, but responsibilities stay the same. Everyone is trying to solve the most visible problems, and in the process, efficiency is lost.

This is not because people do not care. It is because the systems they work with are no longer aligned with the reality of the business.

What I believe would make a difference

I believe companies should invest in what I call Operational Organization Design. A team of subject matter experts who understand the entire value chain and how processes and systems are (or are not) connected. People who can map workflows, identify redundancy, and simplify the way work gets done.

Some organizations do this. But most hesitate to assign people to roles that are not directly tied to revenue. And I understand why. But this is where long-term efficiency and agility can be built.

Back in 2020, I spent time researching job trends on Glassdoor. I noticed that system integrator roles were on the rise. These roles were becoming essential as companies realized that digitalization, without structure, often leads to more complexity.

Meanwhile, startups that grow with a clean tech foundation can solve problems faster, with fewer people. Not because they are smarter, but because they are better connected.

That is why I chose to pursue a Master’s in Systems Engineering.

Looking ahead

I am passionate about data and using it to make better decisions. But more than that, I believe the leaders of the future will need more than business knowledge. They will need system thinking.

They will need to see the bigger picture. To connect the dots across people, processes, and platforms.

That is the kind of leader I want to become. And I believe that is the opportunity most corporations are sitting on today waiting to be unlocked.