89% of companies believe that if they do not develop and adopt a big data analytics strategy, that they could lose both market share and momentum.
Why? Because big data tells you things about the world, and about your business that you didn’t know before. And as more and more of your competitors adopt data strategies, they will learn more and more about your industry, putting you at a disadvantage. It is quickly becoming the “new thing” in business.
Luckily, it is quickly becoming easier and easier to adopt a big data strategy.
Step 1: What is Big Data?
The first step is to learn what Big Datareally is. Understand it first, in order to appreciate its value to your company.
Step 2: Get Comfortable With the Idea of Using Big Data
The definition may scare you, because it is a little mind-boggling and difficult to comprehend. However, it is not as big and scary as it seems. It is also not as costly as it seems. The Internet of Things (IoT) movement is making collection much easier, and the cloud is making storage much easier. Even analytics are becoming easier for companies of all sizes. If you don’t have enough money to spend on hiring a whole team of data analysts and data scientists, don’t sweat! There are firms out there that specialize in this that can analyze your data for a much lower cost than hiring a team.
Step 3: Ask Yourself These Questions to Develop a “Big Data Plan”
A good first question to ask yourself is, “what do we have?” Then identify what kind of data you think you are missing that you may need. This will help you identify what kind of data to collect. Many companies think that simply collecting a lot of data is a “data strategy.” However, data is only useful if it is relevant to your company. Furthermore, collecting a lot of data can make it more difficult for a data analyst to extract information and insight from that data. Having a lot of data makes the analyzing process more difficult, as they have to sift through all of the irrelevant information (and initially decide what information is irrelevant in the first place).
Next ask, “What assumptions do I have about my company?” This is a great question to ask, as it is a great starting point for companies that don’t have a big data analytics plan already in place. At this point, much of what you know (or rather, think you know) about your company are based on assumptions. You may have reports that tell you things, but this data can be manipulated and often comes from many, disparate sources. Because of this, you may not be getting accurate information.
Therefore, a good starting point is to test your hypothesis about your assumptions of your company. This also makes it easier for a data scientist to determine where to start…and you never know, along the way, he or she may find something else that will be useful.
We all hear about Big Data and how it is changing industries and allowing companies like Target to stalk their customers, but do we interact with Big Data in our everyday routines?
It is no secret that Europeans have been extremely reluctant to jump on the Big Data train. As Americans continue to indulge in Big Data and incorporate it into their businesses, we must wonder, what will happen to Europe? Will European companies fall behind without the technology to even the playing field?
Despite what industry you are in, you can use data to achieve a wide variety of goals. It doesn’t matter if you are a big, or small business. Simply put, data analysis converts raw data into the accurate and up-to-date information you need to know what’s going on in every facet of your company.
Cancer is a horrible illness that has been nearly impossible to figure out. Scientists have had a difficult time finding a cure for cancer because no two cases of cancer are the same. Everyone’s bodies are different and therefore, those who develop cancer do not have identical cancer cells.
It is that time again where there are relentless adds, phone calls and commercials about the presidential campaign. The reason for this? You cannot win a presidency if no one knows who you are. For years this has been the method of gaining recognition in almost any campaign, so how can one candidate get ahead? Big Data.
Everyone else is using Big Data to gain competitive advantage so why shouldn’t presidential candidates? Well that is exactly what presidential candidate, Ted Cruz thought before implementing Big Data into his campaign. I don’t have a stance on who the next president should be, but I do know that Big Data is aiding Cruz’s campaign greatly.
Big Data has been shown to help candidates be more effective by gaining insights into voter preferences. Some people prefer to learn about candidates via phone call, while others may enjoy advertisements by mail. Big Data can show which people are more likely to respond better to different methods. With this sort of insight, candidates can make better decisions and save a lot more money by strategically promoting themselves.
I recently took a trip to the infamous Las Vegas and as I walked through the rows of flashing lights and sounds of slot machines I couldn’t help but think about the amount of data each casino must produce. In Vegas especially, casinos are packed full of slot machines seducing people to come test their luck and their money. With so many different machines to choose from, how do casinos know which slots to fill their floors with?
All of the slot machines are equipped with the bells and whistles of flashing lights and catchy tunes, so there must be some sort of sensory appeal that draws a person to one specific slot machine and not another. This is where Big Data comes in. Casinos can track which machines are more popular than others. The data can also determine if the slot machine remains popular even when people are losing money on it.
If people are losing money while playing on a slot machine and they continue to sit there, it must be a really great game. Well, what constitutes a great game? For some people it is the machines that have a fun theme, like a favorite movie or television show and for other people it is the quiet, straight forward keno games. Big Data can show casinos which machines are more appealing and even give them an idea of where to strategically place certain games to attract the most players. The more attractive a casino’s games are, the more money they will make, which is a part of why Big Data is heavily used in Las Vegas.
As for me I like the machines with interactive bonuses and games, but because of Big Data I’m sure the casinos already know this about me!
There are plenty of people who are new to Big Data. Even though it has been quite the buzz word it is not connected to all of the industries out there. Big Data is information and we are producing mind blowing amounts everyday! Information is the key to gaining competitive advantage in whatever industry your business is competing in. Learn just how much data is being produced and where Big Data is going in the future by watching this intriguing new video!
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