Top 3 Data-Driven Wins for PE Portfolio Companies
What Every Operating Partner Should Be Prioritizing to Drive Value and Accelerate Growth
For Operating Partners in Private Equity, the blueprint for driving enterprise value is evolving—and fast. Traditional levers like cost-cutting, headcount rationalization, or go-to-market refinement still matter. But the firms seeing the biggest returns are doubling down on something more scalable, sustainable, and defensible: data.
Data is no longer a reporting tool—it’s a strategic asset. And when activated early in the lifecycle of a portfolio company, it becomes a multiplier across the entire value creation stack: operational improvement, commercial acceleration, and strategic readiness for exit.
Below, we break down the three biggest data-driven wins you should be driving across your portfolio—backed by real-world examples of PE-backed companies doing this well, and exactly why these moves matter to Operating Partners tasked with unlocking value, fast.
1. Operational Efficiency: Data Is the Fastest Path to Margin Expansion
Why Operating Partners Should Care:
Operational efficiency is one of the most reliable levers for EBITDA expansion—and data is the fastest, most scalable way to get there. PE timelines are tight. If you’re not using data to expose friction, reduce cycle time, and streamline execution, you’re leaving value on the table every quarter.
But efficiency isn't just about cost reduction. It’s about freeing up time, capital, and talent to focus on growth initiatives. Operating Partners who focus on data-driven ops optimization can hit both EBITDA and scalability goals simultaneously.
How Data Powers Leaner, Smarter Operations
- End-to-End Visibility: Aggregating and analyzing ops data—from production to logistics to workforce—exposes hidden inefficiencies.
- Automation Where It Matters: Machine learning models can optimize everything from scheduling to procurement to vendor selection.
- Asset & Maintenance Planning: Predictive models reduce unplanned downtime and extend the lifecycle of high-value assets.
- KPI-Driven Accountability: Real-time dashboards create alignment between exec teams and PE ops leaders, enabling focused action.
PE-Backed Example: NielsenIQ (Advent International)
Following its carve-out from Nielsen Holdings, NielsenIQ underwent a major modernization initiative under Advent’s ownership. One key pillar? Using unified, real-time data to improve internal workflows and standardize data processes globally.
- Result: 10–15% productivity gain across core data operations, reduction in manual workflows by 25%.
- Impact: Higher output, lower cost base, better scalability—all foundational to long-term EBITDA expansion and a stronger exit story.
Advent’s early emphasis on data-led transformation helped NielsenIQ build a repeatable operating model—something buyers love to see.
Key Takeaway for Operating Partners:
Data isn’t just a reporting mechanism—it’s your playbook for scale. From reducing SG&A to increasing throughput in manufacturing and supply chains, data allows Operating Partners to quantify where the business is leaking value—and fix it fast. For every $1M in operational savings, you’re potentially adding $5–$7M in enterprise value at exit.
2. Customer Personalization: Drive Revenue Growth with Precision at Scale
Why Operating Partners Should Care:
Most GTM strategies still rely on assumptions: who the ICP is, what drives conversion, which channels work best. But smart firms are using customer data to remove that guesswork and build commercial engines that are high-converting and highly efficient.
For Operating Partners tasked with unlocking revenue growth, personalization at scale is a revenue multiplier. It increases LTV, lifts retention, improves CAC payback, and sets a compelling narrative for strategic buyers.
How Data Drives Customer-Centric Growth
- Segmentation That Sells: Behavioral and transactional data unlock ultra-precise segments, each with its own messaging and path to conversion.
- Intent-Based Marketing: Data allows teams to prioritize leads who are most likely to convert—improving sales velocity and reducing cost per acquisition.
- CX Personalization: Dynamic product recommendations, personalized onboarding, and usage-based outreach increase engagement and satisfaction.
- Churn Mitigation: Early-warning signals based on usage or satisfaction scores allow for intervention before customers leave.
PE-Backed Example: Cvent (Vista Equity Partners)
Vista helped Cvent evolve from a functional SaaS company into a precision growth engine. By building an advanced data infrastructure and layering in behavioral analytics, Cvent could personalize user journeys, identify upsell paths, and reduce churn.
Results:
- 20% increase in customer retention through personalized engagement.
- 15%+ increase in ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) through targeted product bundling and upselling.
- 30% improvement in marketing ROI by aligning campaigns to real-time intent data.
Impact:
Stronger recurring revenue profile, reduced churn risk, and a higher quality of earnings—a trifecta for any exit story.
Key Takeaway for Operating Partners:
Customer personalization isn’t just about being “nice”—it’s about being efficient. Personalized CX shortens the sales cycle, improves conversion, and increases wallet share—all with minimal lift to CAC. As an Operating Partner, this gives you a lever to grow the top line without growing the burn.
If your GTM motion isn’t data-personalized, it’s underperforming.
3. Smarter Decision-Making: Real-Time Insight, Real Results
Why Operating Partners Should Care:
The quality of decisions inside a portfolio company directly correlates to the quality of outcomes. But many companies still rely on outdated reporting cycles, siloed information, or management “gut feel.” That slows down response time and introduces risk.
Data-driven decision-making ensures leadership teams have real-time, cross-functional visibility—and the confidence to act quickly. That means fewer missed opportunities, faster pivots, and stronger performance over the hold period.
How Data Transforms Leadership and Strategy
- Forecasting with Confidence: Real-time financial and operational data enables tighter control over cash flow, hiring plans, and capacity.
- Strategic Scenario Planning: Data models allow leaders to simulate different investment or market expansion scenarios.
- Operational Accountability: Cross-departmental KPIs driven by live dashboards make it easier to track goals and surface underperformance.
- Buy-In Across the C-Suite: A single source of truth creates alignment between management, boards, and Operating Partners.
PE-Backed Example: Epicor Software (KKR)
Epicor’s transformation under KKR included a major investment in predictive analytics and data democratization. This allowed every function—from sales to product to finance—to make faster, more informed decisions.
Results:
- 25% revenue growth attributed to smarter GTM strategy and real-time product performance insights.
- 15% increase in customer satisfaction, which fed directly into longer-term renewals and lower churn.
- Real-time performance dashboards rolled out to every business unit, creating a more accountable, metrics-driven culture.
Impact:
A stronger, more agile business with leadership teams able to execute quickly—key for hitting plan, managing risk, and positioning for a premium exit.
Key Takeaway for Operating Partners:
Your job is to help management teams see around corners. Real-time data makes that possible. When CEOs and CROs can make fast, accurate decisions without the lag of month-end reports, the business stays ahead of market shifts—and so do you.
This isn’t just about installing BI tools—it’s about embedding data-driven culture.
Final Word: Data Belongs in Every Operating Partner’s Playbook
At the end of the day, your mandate is simple: drive value. But the path to doing that has changed. The highest-performing PE firms are the ones who treat data not as an IT project, but as an enterprise value lever.
Data fuels:
- Operational agility
- Top-line growth
- Investor-grade decision-making
- Stronger narratives at exit
And the beauty? You don’t need to be a tech company to make it happen. Firms like Advent, Vista, and KKR are proving that even legacy businesses can achieve breakthrough outcomes with the right data strategy.
Ready to Put Data to Work Across Your Portfolio?
Let’s turn insight into action. Whether you’re mid-hold or planning your next acquisition, we can help embed data into your value creation plan—quickly, efficiently, and with results you can show on a board slide.
Schedule a working session with our team and let’s map out your next data-driven win.