It’s kind of like building a house: you need your blueprint to know what you need to build, and how all the pieces will fit together. Many times when software is acquired, it's a hammer looking for a nail, when you need to approach data architecture like a general contractor.
Data architecture is the structure and standardization around how organizations collect, store, transform, and use data across their business. A strong data architecture helps organizations make better use of their data by understanding where it is, how it moves, and when it needs to be delivered to users.