New book 'Data Impact' reveals how legacy businesses can Save, Leverage, Align, Simplify, Optimise, and Grow to Win

However, in a world dominated by AI hype and a challenging economic climate, these businesses also face the risk of wasting valuable resources in pursuit of the latest trends. Without a well-defined strategy and a clear understanding of concrete data impact, legacy businesses are already finding themselves failing to deliver meaningful returns.

Striking a balance between these conflicting challenges prompts an important question: how can legacy businesses generate real data-driven impact and avoid getting caught up in chasing the latest buzzwords?

For the highly-regarded entrepreneurial technology leader Ritavan, the answer lies in timeless fundamentals, rather than fleeting trends. It’s time to challenge empty and unhelpful digitalisation platitudes. His new book Data Impact is the key to accelerating data-driven value creation for legacy businesses.

Emphasising the true power of first-principle thinking, and applying mathematical rigor to solve real-world problems, Data Impact encourages businesses to think differently and revisit their foundations. For Ritavan, it isn't about following the crowd, it's about rethinking your unique legacy advantages and redefining the path to success. By leveraging what legacy businesses already have and aligning it with their core values, they can optimize for growth without unnecessary complexity.

At the heart of this first principles book is the SLASOG Framework (Save, Leverage, Align, Simplify, Optimize, Grow), a robust toolkit designed to effectively navigate data-driven decision-making. This framework is the result of a decade of real-world operating experience and a relentless focus on data-driven impact, grounded in varied case studies and practical worksheets. Ritavan’s refreshingly straightforward, no-nonsense approach cuts through the hype and empty promises, offering invaluable insights that help legacy businesses unlock hidden opportunities in an era of rapid technological upheaval.

Data Impact delves into each element of the SLASOG Framework in turn, providing readers with a tried-and-tested path to data-driven success. Firstly, Ritavan showcases how and why businesses should be focused on saving money from the outset, reminding readers of the dangers of ‘spray and pray’ or ‘boiling the ocean’ approaches.

Readers are then challenged to break free from safe decisions and tap into their unfair non-digital advantage before aligning their entire business to value delivery for customers. Rethinking and reengineering processes will simplify and boost returns, with an empirically valid and mathematically optimizable model of the world allowing readers to maximize their wins.

Finally, embracing an abundance mindset and knowing how to build a data-driven funnel and flywheel ensures the greatest returns. By anchoring their strategy around these enduring elements, readers will be better equipped to thrive amidst uncertainty and shifting landscapes.

Data Impact is more than a theoretical framework – it is a much-needed, galvanizing call to action. Digital band-aids or software silver bullets are not sufficient to drive legacy business growth or deliver customer value in the data-driven paradigm. Ritavan challenges readers to think critically, leverage existing assets, take bold action, and obsess over long-term impact. Whether you are a business owner, executive, investor, or entrepreneur in a legacy industry, Data Impact is the answer to win big.

Data Impact: How legacy businesses Save, Leverage, Align, Simplify, Optimize, Grow to Winby Ritavan is available on Amazon and in all good bookshops from April 29.