Big data is everywhere. What with the rise of multimedia, social media and the Internet of Things (IoT), we will continue to see substantial data growth for the foreseeable future.
So what exactly is big data? While there are many definitions, a good one comes from Gartner, who defines big data as ‘…high-volume, high-velocity and high-variety information assets that demand cost-effective, innovative forms of information-processing for enhanced insight and decision making.’ If managed effectively, big data can have an extremely positive impact for all organisations. However, it is also important to bear in mind that with big data, organisations face increased privacy and security challenges.
To make the most out of big data, organisations should look at adopting technology that can easily process large quantities of data, provide easy access to the information required and do so within a reasonable timeframe. This can be achieved with business intelligence (BI) and reporting solutions, which enable organisations to transform big data into big business benefits, including:
- Greater transparency – BI solutions help to provide data visibility across the most complex of organisations, providing a full picture of a business. They enable employees to extract, analyse and present information in an easy to use graphical directly from multiple data sources. The result is greater insight into their business so work can be carried out more effectively. Furthermore, increased transparency eliminates any guesswork within an organisation, enhances communication amongst departments and enables companies to respond quickly to changes.
- Higher accuracy – BI solutions transform big data into timely, accurate information that is reliable, providing drill down capabilities to the source data, enabling staff to perform their duties faster and more efficiently.
- Smarter decision making – BI solutions enable organisations to access their data more easily and provide greater analytical capabilities for proactive decision making. They transform big data into useful information to enhance the decision making process. Well informed decisions can also lead to competitive advantage.
Here at Eclipse, we recommend the Sharperlight business intelligence (BI) and reporting tool. With Sharperlight you can get a complete picture of your data in real-time via easy to configure dashboards. The solution provides rapid analysis and drill down capabilities via a simple to use query engine, over single, or multiple systems simultaneously.
For further information on effectively managing big data for a positive impact on your business, contact us on +44 203 866 8800, or visit our other related blog posts:
