by Rich Benvin | Nov 20, 2015 | Business Optimization, Health Care
The switch to paperless offices has really driven the use of technology in many industries, including healthcare. Not just hospitals but different areas such as physical therapy, nursing homes, etc. are making the switch to digital note taking. There are a couple reasons why this is a a step forward for healthcare and all of its underlying sections. Just a few reasons include research advancement, time efficiency, and monetary savings.
Most healthcare professionals are swamped with patients everyday. The healthcare professional to patient ratio is terribly skewed, causing doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other professionals to see more patients per day than they used to. When attending to this many people everyday, it can be very easy to lose track of individual patient symptoms and begin to lose organization in necessary paperwork. Healthcare professionals are required to keep extremely detailed record of each patient, which can add up to a lot of paperwork. Why let all of these important files just sit in a cabinet? Why not use these real life cases as a resource for researchers? This is what Big Data is doing. The technology that harnesses big data and relays it into understandable connections is what is allowing researchers to tap into the vast amount of real life cases that could be the key to a new cure or better treatment plan.
In order for researchers to quickly access patient files, the records must be digitized. Instead of healthcare professionals taking patient notes and then having to type them into a computer program, why not start with the computer? More and more doctors offices and physical therapy clinics are using tables or laptops to type notes while talking with patients about their symptoms. This may seem a little less personal, but it helps healthcare professionals use their time wisely. Due to their packed case loads, they do not have time after each patient session to sit down and type up their notes. This multitasking is allowing doctors and physical therapists to be much more efficient with their time and potentially get to spend more time actually working with each patient.
By switching to digitized files and multitasking, healthcare fields are saving a ton of money. Offices are no longer wasting mass amounts of paper and dealing with where to store all of their records, they now simply need to ensure they have enough hardware space to store their patient records. Healthcare offices are also making more money by being able to see more patients in a day due to the healthcare professionals multitasking and using their time efficiently. Big Data is making great strides in the healthcare industry and continues to help the field find new solutions and better their practice.
by Stephanie Rabinowotz | Nov 18, 2015 | Predictive Analytics
In light of last week’s tragic events in Paris and Beirut we begin to wonder how terrorists can get away with committing such horrible crimes and is there a way we can stop it? Is there a way to protect ourselves from terrorism other than using drones to bomb whole cities? Could we track these awful people and arrest them before any of their plans can be carried out?
Big Data may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about defending our country’s safety. but it may be more important than we think. We must remember that Big Data is essentially a lot of information- information on all of us. We are the ones who put our information out there for the world to see. We may not think anything of posting on Facebook about our vacation travels or what big event we are attending, but to the sick minded people out there we are basically telling them where and when we will be somewhere they can best attack.
Many people get angry about the fact that the government is tracking their information, but really it is for our own protection. The government is not listening in on your call for entertainment, they are using machines to scan the information our there across the internet for patterns that may detect a possible dangerous outbreak. Whether it be the spread of disease or an angry protest group, the government is searching for clues to predict when these acts may happen and how to best prevent the worst from happening.
What if Big Data could help us spot terrorists living in our country before they could attack. There must be a way to find the connections the link individuals to terrorist groups. This would allow homeland security to track down these individuals and get them into custody before any damage is done. To be able to shut down terrorist groups before they even act would be the best way to prevent terrorism, not by bombing cities that are also home to innocent people.
As for now we can only hope that the information we put out there is being used for good and that the government is using Big Data to its fullest potential to prevent distastes from happening. Check out other articles on Big Data and Security by CLICKING HERE!
by Rich Benvin | Nov 16, 2015 | Business Transformation
Car accidents are never a good thing, whether they range from a simple fender bender to a full on smash, they greatly affect our lives. Car crashes can lead to serious, life altering injuries as well as become very expensive in hospital and automotive repair costs. Overall a car accident is something no one wants to experience. With the winter rolling in here in Colorado, poor road conditions and snow lead to a lot of motor vehicle accidents.
What if we could better prevent this?
With the technology in cars advancing everyday it is not a far stretch to believe that we will soon be driving cars that can communicate to one another. Imagine, you are driving at night and all of a sudden your dash board alerts you there is black ice a mile ahead of you. At this point you have plenty of time to slow your speed and take extra precautions to avoid sliding across the almost otherwise undetectable ice. Now how did your car know there was a hazard a mile ahead of you? The cars driving towards you, who had already encountered the ice would send a signal to your car informing it of the potential danger.
This type of alert is already being used in the trucking industry. Trucks are not yet equipped with the technology to communicate to one another yet, but the drivers are beginning to use IBM’s MessageSight system to connect with other drivers more easily. This allows drivers to relay information to one another about road conditions, possible hazards, and even a fellow truck that may need assistance. By connecting the drivers to more real time information, they can determine better routes and get to their destination faster and with less issues. IBM’s MessageSight is optimizing the entire trucking industry by simply providing a network for drivers to communicate with one another.
With this type of technology we are already seeing the trucking industry save money by becoming more efficient with their routes, but as the automobile technology advances we will begin to see a lot more than that. Hopefully as cars become more intelligent we will see less accidents saving people money and possibly their lives.
by Stephanie Rabinowotz | Nov 13, 2015 | Business Optimization, Customer Satisfaction
Pinterest is most commonly known as an app for DIY, stay at home moms who have it all together. Although there is some validity to that assumption, Pinterest is a wonderful tool anyone can use to find answers to almost any question. I personally use Pinterest like I would use Google; anything I need to know I look to Pinterest to find, because I trust its resources and know that the remedies have been tried and tested in real world scenarios.
With more and more people turning to Pinterest for information, it is becoming a popular site for business marketing. Companies can hide adds in pins that look like they came from the trusted neighborly mom. Pinterest is enhancing the ability for companies to market their products by enhancing their search engine through Big Data analytics. Pinterest has always utilized Big Data to recommended pins based on personal preference and habit, but not they are taking it to a whole other level.
Pinterest is using machine learning techniques to turn pictures into quantifiable data that can aid in more customized searches. Now when a user looks at a picture of an outfit and they particularly like the boots in that picture, they can click solely on the boots. By clicking this one section of the picture they will be redirected to thousands of other pins that feature those boots- who they were designed by, where can you by them, and customer reviews. This is an amazing new invention in technology and is not only going to make online shopping ten times more efficient and accessible, but help businesses market their products in real world scenarios.
People are much more likely to buy a pillow they see on a trendy couch in a well designed living room rather than that same pillow by itself up against a blank backdrop. Consumers want to see what the product is going to look like when they bring it home. This is also a great way for companies to allow their customers to market for them. When a girl pins a picture of her outfit, she will now be marketing for each piece of clothing she is displaying. Anyone can click on her sweater or hat and instant access where to purchase it. This is going to save companies a lot of money and time on marketing if they learn how to use Pinterest to their benefit.
by Stephanie Rabinowotz | Nov 11, 2015 | Business Optimization
As almost every other industry has been touched by Big Data, some have been leery… taking their time to jump on the Big Data train. The U.S. Government has finally accepted that it needs a little Big Data magic. It was just announced that the Commerce Department has a new initiative to make their information more accessible.
The Government collect an alarming amount of data everyday, data that could be very beneficial to small and medium companies. As the Commerce Department carries out their accessibility plan they will be hiring a team of upwards of 20 software engineers to harness the incoming data and publish it on sites that companies can access for up to date information.
Small and medium companies will greatly benefit from this resource as many do not have the technical abilities to access the data needed to increase their trading tendencies. Big Data is becoming a necessary tool to know who to sell to and how much, making access to this valuable information essential. The Government will be supplying these companies with a resource to learn about international trade and even help shipping companies plan out the best route across seas.
The amount of tools available these days to improve business optimization continues to increase, making it less acceptable to be a struggling company. Every company should implement information they receive from tools such as trading data to ensure efficiency and better target consumers. Hopefully with the Government making their mass amount of data accessible to the public, small to medium companies will have a better shot at competing with the big shot corporations. Having access to the same tools and resources levels the playing field allowing those with the best product quality and customer care to be successful.
To learn more about how Big Data is helping SMB’s in a big way check out this interesting article!
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