What is a data silo?

A data silo is basically a data isolate. It is data that is stored and isolated from the rest of the company. One department stores data and that data can not be accessible or used by another department in the organisation. If you are just starting a company, you may not have a problem with data silos, as this is more common in large companies that have units that may operate independently. To prevent data silos from happening, make sure every department of your company works together and every unit learns together, communicates often and collaborates to achieve a common purpose.

Data silos, also known as information silos, carry a negative connotation. They are data sets accessible and controllable to one department in the organization but kept isolated from other departments. Data silos are stored in a self-contained system and incompatible with other data sets. Technology, new apps, organizational structure, and culture are the factors that give birth to data silos.