From data silos to impact chains: How SMEs can visualize the impact of every activity

The problem: numbers without correlation

Hardly any SME suffers from a lack of data. On the contrary: campaigns deliver click figures, CRM systems spit out leads, Excel sheets document sales and so on.

The real problem is that these figures stand next to each other, but not in relation to each other.

This is what it looks like in practice: Marketing reports increasing reach, sales complains about falling closing rates, and management wonders how the two things are actually correlated. The answer remains elusive because each figure is only considered in isolation.

The cost of data silos

Isolated KPIs are not harmless - they lead to bad decisions that can be costly for SMEs:

• Wrong prioritization: budgets flow into activities that show good individual values (e.g. clicks) but make no contribution to the bottom line.
• Blind spots: Activities with no measurable effect remain undetected because they are not evaluated in any larger correlation.
• Missed opportunities: Marketing and sales teams do not recognize which combination of activities has the greatest leverage.
• Inefficiency: Resources are scattered rather than focused.

In the end, data is collected but not used to make better decisions. This costs money, time and motivation.

The solution: Connected KPIs and a shared ecosystem

The biggest challenge for SMEs is not the lack of data, but the lack of strategic correlation. Reports, dashboards and Excel spreadsheets provide key figures - but they don't tell a story. This is exactly where the core lies: figures do not need to be viewed in isolation, but rather linked together in impact chains.

1. think marketing and sales together

All too often, marketing and sales run like two parallel worlds. Marketing optimizes clicks, reach or newsletter openings, while sales looks at conversion rates and deals. But in reality, both are part of the same chain.

An ad that generates a lot of clicks is worthless if these contacts do not reach sales. Similarly, a strong sales pitch is worth little if marketing does not deliver the right leads. Only when both sides look at their KPIs together does it become clear: which marketing activities actually lead to more sales?

2. KPIs as chains, not as individual values

One key figure alone is hardly meaningful. 10,000 clicks can be great or useless - depending on whether they lead to leads or not. KPIs must therefore be understood as links in a chain:

1. Click on an ad →
2. Registration or download →
3. Initial consultation →
4. Offer →
5. Conclusion.

Each step builds on the previous one. If the chain breaks at any point, the effect of all previous activities is lost. A connected KPI system shows exactly that: where energy is wasted - and where the lever is.

3. make the entire ecosystem visible

Individual reports are like individual pieces of a puzzle. They show details, but never the whole picture. Only when all touchpoints and events are linked to form a strategic ecosystem does clarity emerge:

• Which channels actually generate leads that are ready to buy?
• Where do the most valuable customer journeys take place?
• Which activities are not contributing to the business goal - and can be eliminated?
• Where do I need to adjust my positioning or communication?

This is the key to efficiency: not more data, but data in relation.

The next step: creating clarity with cosmos™

The theory sounds plausible - but the practice is a huge hurdle for many SMEs. Data is stored in different tools, departments and external agencies work with their own reports, and the merging process usually ends in complicated PDFs, presentations, Excel sheets and emails that quickly become outdated.

This is where cosmos™ comes in. The Target-Centered Strategy Platform makes it clear how all marketing and sales activities work together - without you having to fight your way through number cemeteries.

• Link goals with activities
• Every activity - whether a social media post, trade fair appearance or sales call - is presented in correlation with a clearly defined business goal. This makes it immediately clear: is this activity paying off or not?
• Making correlations tangible
• cosmos™ shows how touchpoints and events build on each other. You can see whether a channel only provides superficial reach or actually generates leads and sales.
• Uncover blind spots
• Activities that do not make a recognizable contribution stand out clearly. This saves budget and prevents teams from burning resources in channels that don't make a difference.
• A common language for marketing and sales
• Instead of arguing with separate metrics, both sides work towards the same goals. cosmos™ provides a strategic view of the entire ecosystem so that decisions are made jointly and based on facts.
• Share positioning, strategy and touchpoints with a click
• Relevant information can be shared with stakeholders and external agencies at any time via LivelLinks to speed up coordination cycles.

The decisive added value

cosmos™ is not just another reporting tool, but a control system that gives you clarity in real time. Figures are no longer viewed in isolation, but understood in terms of their impact. This allows you to direct budgets to the activities that drive your business forward - and eliminate activities that generate activity but have no impact.

This means: fewer data silos, less guesswork - more focus and efficiency.

Conclusion: from a flood of data to real orientation

SMEs do not suffer from a lack of numbers, but from a lack of correlation. Data silos and isolated KPIs only create the appearance of control - while real impact remains invisible.

The path to greater clarity and efficiency lies in connected KPIs that bring marketing and sales together and make the entire ecosystem visible.

cosmos™ provides the basis for this: a platform that turns numbers into correlations and shows everyone in the team how activities really contribute to the business goal.

Create clarity where others get stuck in the data jungle.

Create your free cosmos™ account now.