Breaking the Cycle of Early Business Failure: Centida BI & Analytics on the Power of Data-Driven Planning

Entrepreneur

04-06-2025

When organizations lack the tools to adjust plans based on shifting market realities, it doesn't matter if due to new regulations, inflation spikes, or geopolitical developments, they're planning blind
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Numerous new businesses open doors with ambition, vision, and optimism every year. Unfortunately, approximately 20% fail within the first year. Similarly, about 50% don't survive beyond five years. Cash flow issues, poor marketing, or misreading customer needs are some of the usual reasons behind this trend. However, the underlying cause can run deeper. The failure can stem from decision-making, which, in today's fast-moving environment, is impossible without data.
Centida BI & Analytics, known for management consulting and strategic technology implementation, has observed why the business mortality rate is so high. Founded and led by seasoned experts, it has built a unique, integrated approach that combines business expertise and cutting-edge analytics.
CEO and Managing Director Christian Barte has leveraged his over two decades in executive finance and management roles across international enterprises to inform Centida's approach. He has vast experience in unlocking business performance, from building profitability analytics systems at global telecoms to leading finance transformation initiatives at multinational corporations.
With a strong educational foundation spanning business schools in Germany, France, and the United States, Barte brings a global perspective to local business challenges. His formal training in artificial intelligence (AI) and data visualization further equips him to guide clients through today's AI-powered business environment.
Alongside Barte is CTO and Managing Partner Ilya Fedorkov. His background in digital transformation and data science positions him at the forefront of business intelligence (BI) innovation. His hands-on expertise in performance management, financial controlling, and enterprise-wide data strategy ensures that Centida's technical solutions are truly transformative.
This leadership has enabled Centida to learn about trends in the business environment, including the reasons companies fail. The company recognizes that many of the failures revolve around the inability to utilize data effectively. One can argue that technology evolves by the week. Hence, businesses clinging to static planning models or outdated tools are at a disadvantage. Rigid annual budgets, manual forecasting, and intuition-based decision-making leave organizations vulnerable to disruption, especially when competitors are leveraging real-time data and AI-enhanced insights.
Economic volatility heightens the stakes. Modern businesses must plan accordingly with supply chain upheavals and unpredictable customer payment behaviors in mind. "When organizations lack the tools to adjust plans based on shifting market realities, it doesn't matter if due to new regulations, inflation spikes, or geopolitical developments, they're planning blind," says Fedorkov.
Centida also points to overengineering products or services without clearly understanding market demand as another issue. "A technically brilliant product will still fail if it doesn't meet a real customer need," Barte states. Companies usually falter in their go-to-market strategy because they don't truly understand their customer, their pricing flexibility, or the most effective sales channels. "Even businesses with enough funding might struggle to generate cash flow if there's no clarity, especially if they underestimate working capital needs or overestimate the speed of returns," Barte adds.
Centida notes that these issues aren't exclusive to startups. Mid-sized and enterprise-level companies can face similar risks, especially when leadership changes or market stagnation sets in. Barte shares an example: "There's a trend in accounts receivable delays, where larger buyers now push payment terms from 30 to 180 days. For suppliers who don't account for this liquidity gap in their planning, the consequences can be fatal."
What's the solution? Centida asserts that it begins with recognizing that data isn't just a support tool. It's the core of modern business strategy. Data analytics enables organizations to move from reactive to proactive planning. It eliminates guesswork, clarifies direction, and provides early warnings when performance veers off course. When properly applied, data aligns operations with strategic goals, provides realistic scenario planning, and ensures business decisions are made on facts. "You need to adapt if you want to survive in this landscape. And data is the key to adaptability," Fedorkov remarks.
Centida operationalizes this philosophy, distinguishing itself by the way it works with clients. If other firms deliver cookie-cutter dashboards or plug-and-play solutions, Centida engages deeply with the business itself. It doesn't only translate business needs into information technology (IT) requirements. The firm speaks both languages fluently. This eliminates the information gaps that typically emerge in large-scale implementations.
"Our approach of combining the strategic vision of consultants with the technical know-how of systems architects means we design solutions that reflect what's actually needed," Barte says. This comprehensive approach is why Centida is seen as a partner of choice for organizations struggling with uncertainty.
Indeed, most businesses fail not because they lack ambition but because they lack insight. Centida BI & Analytics empowers organizations with the intelligence, structure, and agility they need to thrive in a fast-changing world. The Centida founders further share insightful advice for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Fedorkov emphasizes that the foundation of a resilient business lies in uniting data and decision-making under the same roof. "Get rid of silos and ensure that your business teams take ownership of data-driven processes, not just IT," he says. "It's important to develop a solid understanding of the data you rely on." The most successful cases he's seen are when business people actively shape and guide the digital solutions they use, not delegate them. True resilience emerges when data and business expertise are intertwined, owned, and steered from within the organization.
Meanwhile, Barte's advice centers around radical customer focus. He urges entrepreneurs to invest substantial time, then double it, into understanding who their customers truly are. "Knowing your product isn't enough," he states. "Knowing how to reach the right people through the right channels, partners, and tools is essential." Beyond that, he stresses the importance of building an adaptable model that guides one's business strategy and helps track its real-time performance. He adds: "If your efforts drift off course, that model should show exactly where and why, so you can recalibrate fast and keep moving forward."