From Data Deluge to Decisive Action: Why Speed Wins in Market Research

Every day, large companies generate more data than they did in a decade. Yet having information isn’t the same as being fast. The true advantage goes to those who act, not those who collect.

When Information Outpaces Insight

Modern teams drown in dashboards and data warehouses. A recent survey found nearly 40% of data professionals spend over half their week on tasks that have nothing to do with analysis, just preparing and organizing data. That’s hours lost before insight ever begins.

Another study puts data-cleaning time between 70% and 90% for analysts, leaving only a fraction of their workday for actual thinking.

Understanding may be ready, but insight isn’t—because it takes too long to arrive.

Delayed Insight, Measurable Damage

Lengthy workflows don’t damage only internal productivity. They affect customer-facing outcomes. One company ran standard CPG research the old way and didn’t get results until nine weeks after starting. A competitor using a streamlined approach got insights in under three weeks and launched first. By the time the slower team was ready, the market had moved.

Delays like these don’t stay hidden. Research shows slow decisions cost companies revenue, reduce market share and tighten innovation windows.

Automation Is Making It Faster, But Not Simpler

New tools can automate up to 80% of data wrangling. AI can pull, clean, match, and transform data in ways that would take humans days. But machine speed isn’t insight.

AI can’t judge context, weigh trade-offs, or know what matters now. It can’t tell you which dashboard metric is worth your attention this week—or which one signals your competitor is about to move. Insight requires human judgement, not just processing speed.

A Better Way: Machines and People, Working Together

Speedrun believes real insight requires both:

1. Automated data pipelines that cut noise and surface signals fast.
2. Experienced analysts who match speed with strategic context.
3. Clean, focused briefings that executives can read and act on within hours.

That’s how you shrink the “know-do” gap without losing quality.

Three Actions to Move Faster

1. Measure the lag: Track how long it takes to go from question to insight. If it’s weeks, that’s weeks too long.
2. Take prep off analysts’ plates: Use automation to surface patterns, not to replace analysis.
3. Build oversight into speed: Make human review standard—and non-negotiable—for every insight pipeline.

Why It Matters Now

Markets don’t wait. Every lost week is growth—or market share—slipped away. But moves made early, even imperfectly, let you shape the space. Moves made late, no matter how perfect, often arrive too late to matter.

If you want data to move your business, not clutter it, Speedrun helps you close the gap. Faster systems. Sharper insight. Better moves.