The State of Self-Service and Automation
August 27, 2025
Self-service practices enable business users and analysts to access, explore, prepare, and analyze data without having to rely heavily on IT or data specialists. Interest remains high today, with organizations eager to empower more users to make data-driven decisions.
Today, self-service is evolving beyond simple access and visualization to include more advanced capabilities. New solutions surface automated insights, help users build predictive models, and embed machine learning within intuitive interfaces. Generative AI is further accelerating this shift by providing natural language interfaces for data—allowing users to ask questions, explore trends, and generate summaries without needing deep technical skills.
Many organizations have laid groundwork for self-service practices, from increasing cultural readiness to expanding tool access and training. However, unlocking the full potential of self-service requires deeper maturity.
This report examines the current state of self-service practices and how mature organizations are in their efforts. It highlights key areas critical for self-service success and provides some best practices for what it will take to move forward across the data life cycle.