--- title: "Tapping Into Unstructured Data" description: "Learn how unstructured data is driving innovation and why content intelligence is the key to transforming operations and customer experiences." url: "https://www.hyland.com/en/learn/it/tapping-into-unstructured-data" lang: "en" published: "2026-08-04T23:04:25.500Z" --- # Tapping Into Unstructured Data ## Tapping the unstructured data hidden in 60-80% of your enterprise content Unstructured data is quickly becoming one of the most valuable assets for modern organizations, but its complexity brings significant challenges. According to a recent Forrester Consulting study, 60% of organizations now prioritize unstructured data innovation but few are fully capitalizing on it with AI. [Download Forrester's study](/en/resources/analyst-reports/forrester-pulse-innovation-ecm) [Watch the report’s webinar](/en/platform/content-intelligence) ## Summary - **The growing importance of unstructured data:** Unstructured data such as emails, videos and social media content is becoming a critical asset for organizations across industries. - **Innovation strategies for unstructured data management:** Advanced AI tools and frameworks drive efficient analysis, storage and utilization of unstructured data to unlock its full potential. - **Driving business value through insight:** Organizations can leverage unstructured data innovation to enhance decision-making, improve customer experiences and gain a competitive edge. > Content intelligence represents not just a new technology capability; It will also enhance and expand organizations’ business capabilities, drive critical operational improvements, provide opportunities for competitive differentiation, and help them create better experiences for those they serve. — Forrester, [The Rise Of Content Intelligence: A New Era Of Innovation In ECM](/en/resources/analyst-reports/forrester-pulse-innovation-ecm), 2025 For many organizations, the status quo for content management is this: Massive amounts of unstructured data existing out of sight — hidden and untapped. They know it’s there, but they struggle to recognize and derive actionable insights from this wealth of untapped information. Forrester Consulting, in this study commissioned by Hyland, delivers insights on how this new era of AI-powered enterprise content innovation offers a way forward, and content management decision-makers are keen to capitalize on it. The numbers paint a picture of opportunity: - **65%** believe unstructured data represents a largely untapped opportunity for content intelligence at their organization - **60%** of enterprise decision-makers are prioritizing the use of content intelligence - **Just 9%** can extract data/information from enterprise content, competently analyze it for insight and use that insight to drive transformation and impact The complete study, which included 426 ECM decision-makers, details how content intelligence is redefining content innovation. We’re happy to share a preview of Forrester’s findings. ### The Rise of Content Intelligence — A New Era of Innovation in ECM Insights from the 6th Annual Content Services Pulse Study, 2025 Edition ![Businesswoman working on a laptop in an office setting](https://site-cdn.hyland.com/www/5916cfaaee/adobestock_1207304840.png) Explore how modern content services solutions unlock content intelligence to streamline workflows, strengthen governance and drive better business outcomes. Get practical insights on AI readiness, content intelligence adoption and workforce transition strategies. [Download the study](/en/resources/analyst-reports/forrester-pulse-innovation-ecm) [View a video summary](/en/resources/articles/forrester-content-intelligence-webinar-summary) ## The untapped potential of content intelligence Unstructured data refers to information that doesn’t fit neatly into traditional databases or spreadsheets—things like digital conversations, audio/video files and images. Forrester estimates **unstructured data makes up between 60-80%** of enterprise content, and an increasing volume of it remains underutilized. The so-far largely untapped potential of unstructured data can drive significant competitive advantage for organizations willing and able to seize the opportunity in front of them. Those who unlock its full potential can accelerate decision-making, improve data quality, foster innovation, and provide better customer and employee experiences. But how can organizations turn this formerly unusable content into actionable intelligence? The answer: Content intelligence. Here’s what it can do: ### Drive business innovation Content intelligence uses AI and machine learning (ML) to extract, analyze and transform unstructured data into actionable insights. With content intelligence: - **Patterns emerge:** AI tools identify trends within historical and real-time data to predict outcomes and guide strategy. - **Operational efficiencies multiply:** Automated metadata tagging and categorization enable seamless information retrieval. - **Customer experiences improve:** Hyperpersonalized experiences are dynamically tailored to customer needs. ### Overcome barriers to actionable insights Many organizations are in the early stages of leveraging unstructured data. Forrester’s study, however, reveals: **“Just 33% of decision-makers say their company is already competent at analyzing extracted data and information for insight, and fewer than 10% so far also acted on those insights to drive transformation and impact.”** Why the gap? The hurdles include standards of legacy ECM solutions: - **Fragmented content** stored in dispersed repositories - **Poor content hygiene** (e.g., outdated or duplicate information) - **A lack of AI-ready content and trained personnel** Organizations that strategically dismantle these barriers with modern tools and practices are primed to succeed in the emerging AI-fueled landscape. > Fifty-six percent of respondents note ‘Difficulty integrating with repositories/new business apps’ is an obstacle to leveraging content to drive decisions and strategy. ## Opportunities to maximize innovation While most organizations are still in the early stages of harnessing content intelligence, there are clear pathways to maximize its potential: ### 1. Empower expert-led transformation Organizations must empower teams with the right skills to manage AI responsibly. Forrester found that **73% of enterprises identified a need for workforce retraining** as a critical improvement area to fully leverage content intelligence. ### 2. Enable content federation Fragmentation is often cited as one of the biggest roadblocks for unstructured data innovation, and no surprise, Forrester found that **content across the average enterprise is dispersed among 21 systems on average**. With a federated approach, companies can operate in complex hybrid environments, enabling efficient workflows and breaking down silos that hinder innovation. ### 3. Expand AI-powered capabilities By investing in advanced tools like content federation and intelligent document processing, organizations can rapidly derive insights from complex unstructured content. These advancements unlock opportunities such as: - [**Knowledge discovery**](/en/solutions/products/hyland-knowledge-discovery), which allows you to unlock actionable insights from your content, no matter where it resides - **Risk mitigation** through automated document analysis - **Enhanced customer service** via dynamic AI-powered recommendations ### 4. Future-readiness through AI-optimized content Poor content hygiene remains a stumbling block, with many enterprises reporting that **over half of their content is not AI-ready**. Organizations must invest in solutions that prepare data for machine learning, such as AI-driven cleanup and enrichment processes. ## Transform your approach to unstructured data today The era of unstructured data innovation is here, and organizations that act now will gain a competitive edge in an increasingly data-driven world. Don’t wait to unlock the immense value hidden in your unstructured data — empower transformation, maximize AI capabilities and gear up for a future defined by innovation. [Download Forrester’s 2025 study](/en/resources/analyst-reports/forrester-pulse-innovation-ecm) to uncover more detailed insights and actionable strategies to optimize your approach to unstructured data management. [Download the Forrester study](/en/resources/analyst-reports/forrester-pulse-innovation-ecm) ## You might also like: - [Powering your content with AI](/en/resources/articles/ai-content-management) — Get the basics about the opportunities for infusing artificial intelligence into your content management strategy. - [10 insights into the future of intelligent automation](/en/resources/articles/future-of-intelligent-automation) — Analyst firm Deep Analysis uncovers the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of AI and intelligent automation. Download the full report to unlock actionable insights that drive innovation and success in your organization. - [Use AI to redefine content management with Hyland](/en/resources/articles/hyland-ai-tools) — The tools that redefining content management with AI - [Unveiling AI’s role in document processing and data extraction](/en/resources/articles/ai-document-extraction) — Discover how AI-powered document processing works, as well as its benefits, applications and future potential.