What are “data silos”?

Data silos refer to situations where data is collected and stored in isolation from other data. This phenomenon often occurs within organizations when different departments or teams maintain their own separate databases or storage systems, leading to fragmentation. As a result, valuable insights may remain untapped because the data cannot be easily shared or analyzed in a unified manner.

Effective data management relies on the ability to access and analyze data holistically. When data is siloed, it prevents organizations from having a complete view, which can hinder decision-making and data-driven strategies. This understanding highlights the importance of breaking down these silos to enable better collaboration and data integration across various sections of an organization.

The other choices pertain to concepts of data management and integrity but do not accurately describe data silos. Integrating data sources, managing accessibility, and ensuring data integrity are all important aspects of data management, yet they address different challenges that data professionals face rather than the specific context of isolation represented by data silos.