Building a Single Source of Truth with One Data

In private capital, data is both an asset and a challenge. The potential for real-time insight, predictive analytics, and operational intelligence is enormous. Yet many firms remain trapped in a world of disconnected spreadsheets, conflicting metrics, and duplicated effort. Teams spend hours reconciling figures, chasing updates, and questioning which version of a number is correct.

This fragmentation does more than slow reporting. It erodes confidence, delays decision-making, and limits the firm’s ability to act on opportunity. The answer lies in creating a single source of truth that consolidates every data stream into one unified platform.

Why a Single Source of Truth Matters

Many private equity and credit funds still operate through multiple disconnected tools such as spreadsheets, accounting systems, deal trackers, and CRM platforms. Each system holds overlapping data, but never quite the same. This leads to reporting mismatches, duplication of work, and a lack of trust in what the numbers really mean.

When teams rely on manual uploads and version control through emails or Excel, mistakes are inevitable. Time that could be spent analysing performance or planning growth is spent verifying and correcting data instead.

A single source of truth ensures that everyone in the organisation is working with the same data. When investment teams, operations, and finance all view the same numbers in real-time, decisions become faster and more confident.

It also transforms how funds communicate with investors. Reporting becomes smoother, timelines shorten, and LPs gain visibility into performance they can trust. With data flowing through a single verified source, the fund’s credibility and operational efficiency both improve.

In a competitive market, data is no longer just a record of the past. It is a strategic asset that drives value creation. Firms that master data integration gain better foresight, can benchmark more effectively, and identify patterns that lead to stronger returns.

By eliminating silos, a single data fabric turns analytics from a reactive exercise into a proactive strategy. The fund stops asking “where did this number come from?” and starts asking “what does this number tell us?”

The Core Principles Behind One Data

Building a single source of truth begins with a clear structure. Funds need to define their core entities such as funds, portfolio companies, deals, and investors. Each must have one definitive version of key metrics that everyone agrees upon.

This is not simply a technical task but a strategic one. It requires clarity on ownership, responsibility, and how data is validated and updated.

A unified platform must integrate information from all relevant systems: financial software, CRM tools, portfolio monitoring spreadsheets, ESG platforms, and market feeds. Once connected, data should flow automatically into one environment where it can be validated, enriched, and standardised.

Automated integrations remove the need for manual uploads and reduce human error, ensuring consistency across every layer of reporting.

Trust is built through governance. Every data point should have an owner, a validation process, and a clear audit trail showing when it was last updated and by whom.

This transparency strengthens internal accountability and reassures investors that all reported information has a verified source.

The goal of a single data fabric is not just to centralise information but to make it usable. With all data in one place, dashboards, scenario models, and investor reports can refresh automatically. Teams can drill down from fund level to asset level in seconds, compare performance, and run analyses without needing to re-export or reconcile data.

When data is always current and easy to explore, decision cycles accelerate and reporting becomes effortless.

Data quality is never static. Markets change, systems evolve, and new metrics emerge. That is why a strong data architecture must include ongoing validation, version control, and feedback loops from users.

Each time a discrepancy is found and corrected, the system becomes stronger, creating a culture where accuracy and learning go hand in hand.

What One Data Makes Possible

With a unified data platform in place, funds unlock capabilities that were once out of reach.

Real time performance insight
Fund managers and operations teams can access up-to-date KPIs, valuations, and forecasts in one view, removing the delays that come with quarterly reconciliations.

Scenario planning and sensitivity analysis
Because all data flows into the same structure, what-if scenarios can run instantly. A change in portfolio performance updates IRR and carry projections in real time.

Consistent investor reporting
LPs receive reports and dashboards that match the exact data used internally. This eliminates discrepancies and builds confidence in fund communications.

Cross-portfolio benchmarking
With harmonised data, firms can easily compare companies, spot operational outliers, and track progress against value creation plans.

Faster decision-making
Data that once took days to gather is now available at the click of a button. Teams can make informed decisions faster and with greater accuracy.

From Fragmentation to Focus

A single source of truth is more than an IT goal. It is a shift in mindset. It changes how a fund thinks about performance, collaboration, and accountability. It turns data from something to manage into something to leverage.

With One Data, Untap gives funds the clarity to move from reconciliation to insight. By bringing every data stream under one roof, we empower teams to trust their numbers, accelerate their reporting, and focus on what truly drives value.