Make big value out of your big data… and small Data

May 23, 2014

Sogeti Labs

With the advent of Big Data, of open data, the dataviz, and NoSql … How many companies do not analyze their data? How many do not have Data Warehouse? How many of them have poor quality data? In 83% of European companies, BI is mainly used for internal reporting and 38% of companies meet difficulties with data (Source Report BiMA).

Why?

Over the last few years, every client I have met would ask the very same questions: “Have you already worked in a company of my business sector? Do you know my business, my company?”

Do you think that if I know your business or your company I will be able to define the major indicators which will make your company more powerful? Do you really think that leaders follow the same indicators as you do? No, I do not know your business and I do not know your company. On the other hand, I know how to operate the data, how to make it speak and reveal what it hides.

Even the data which you operate everyday has something to say, but you do not see it. It is neither the tool, nor Data Warehouse, nor the last fashionable BI solution that will change it. I may break a myth, but it is not enough to buy the last fashionable tool to analyze correctly one’s data. The Big Data or the Dataviz will change nothing, except maybe just lighten your wallet.

Then you will ask me: what needs to be done? There is not only one method to analyze data. Once this statement is made, it is necessary to open up on the world which surrounds us, to move away from the framework. Let us not lose sight of our target. We wish to discover important and relevant information which will allow the company to make strategic decisions. The result of these analyses must be clear and understandable immediately for our interlocutor; he must be able to make decisions thanks to those results, without any additional analysis to be required.

Firstly, it is necessary to accept certain concepts:

1. You do not know your data.
2. Your data is poor quality (even if you have the number one ERP).
3. You should not focus on a business analysis.
4. You should not imagine you can analyze data following standard criteria and forget the list of the KPI which you always wanted to implement.

Then, it will be imperative to have the right cards to play. Each of the items below will be vital to the success.

1. A multidisciplinary team
2. Varied tools
3. Specific data model

I call that the “Naive Data Discovery”, and you?

About the author

Sogeti Labs

SogetiLabs gathers distinguished technology leaders from around the Sogeti world. It is an initiative explaining not how IT works, but what IT means for business.

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