In Pursuit Of A Single Version Of Business Truth

By Joel Doherty, Global Strategy and Business Development, Epson Cloud

There’s a line about truth from the Rob Reiner film A Few Good Men that’s become iconic. In what’s arguably the courtroom drama’s most memorable scene, upstart Navy lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) presses decorated Marine Colonel Nathan Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) for answers.

“You want answers?” snarls Jessup.

“I want the truth!” demands Kaffee.

“You can’t handle the truth!” booms Jessup.

In retail and hospitality businesses, a similar, albeit it slightly less dramatic battle for truth is playing itself out daily. Merchants are pressed for answers; answers to their sales, staffing, customer and inventory questions. They’re seeking to find those answers in the truth of data. But, their disjointed data-handling systems can’t handle the truth.