What is a Business Data Hub?
“Today’s reporting and analytics tools are only as good as the data behind them. That’s where a Business Data Hub comes in. This guide explains what a data hub is, why it matters, and how it solves one of the biggest problems in modern business intelligence: disconnected data.”
Unlike raw data lakes or live connections, a data hub makes business-ready data instantly available for analysis, reporting, and planning.
Why do manufacturers and distributors need a data hub?
Because you’re working with data from:
- ERP systems (orders, shipments, inventory)
- CRM tools (customer activity, pipelines)
- Planning platforms (budgets, forecasts, targets)
- Excel spreadsheets and supplier/customer portals
Without a hub:
- You’re stuck with manual data prep
- Reports are inconsistent across departments
- Users don’t trust the numbers
A data hub solves this by acting as a single source of truth for the business.
How is a data hub different from a data warehouse or lake?
| Feature | Data Hub | Data Warehouse | Data Lake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for business use | Yes | Yes | No (raw storage) |
| Structured and governed | (Unstructured) | ||
| Supports time-aware data | Often limited | ||
| Handles ERP/CRM integration | Prebuilt or flexible | Custom builds required | but complex |
| Role-based access & KPIs | Built-in | Add-ons required | Not native |
What does a business data hub do?
A true data hub enables you to:
- Integrate Pull in data from multiple systems automatically
- Harmonize Align customer, product, time, and other shared fields across sources
- Store Maintain historical snapshots for trends and comparisons
- Secure Apply user-based access and governance
- Distribute Serve up consistent, trusted data to tools like Power BI, Excel, or web dashboards
What tools does a data hub work with?
- Power BI & Excel for custom dashboards and ad hoc analysis
- Stratum Web Interface for prebuilt KPIs, alerts, and views
- ERP, CRM, Planning Tools for upstream data feeds
- Business Users for secure, self-service insights
The hub works behind the scenes — giving you clean, consistent data wherever you need it.
What are the signs you need a data hub?
You may need a data hub if:
- Your team spends more time prepping data than analyzing it
- Reports vary depending on who builds them
- You lack visibility into trends, forecasts, or past performance
- You’ve outgrown spreadsheets or siloed BI setups
How does Silvon’s Stratum platform serve as a data hub?
Stratum acts as a purpose-built data hub for manufacturers and distributors. It:
- Integrates with popular ERP, CRM, and planning systems
- Stores business-aligned, time-aware data
- Applies prebuilt metrics, KPIs, and security rules
- Distributes unified data to web dashboards, Power BI, and Excel
With Stratum, your team works from one set of numbers — updated automatically, governed centrally, and tailored by role.
What are the benefits of using a business data hub?
| Benefit | Business Impact |
|---|---|
| Consistent reporting | Everyone speaks the same data language |
| Reduced manual prep | Analysts save hours each week |
| Faster, better decisions | Real-time views across functions |
| Stronger governance | Role-based access and audit trails |
| Future-ready for AI & planning | Fuel predictive models with trusted data |
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