Month: May 2018

Big data is all about combining and contrasting large data sets. You're probably used to the term being thrown around in the context of business, and it's true that the collection and interpretation of data can have extremely positive results for businesses looking to optimise their service offerings. But big data reaches further than that, much further. Our capabilities for leveraging insights from data are so much more robust in 2018 that big data is set to affect our lives in ways we never expected just a few short years ago.

Here are three ways big data is influencing the world around you, that you may never have considered.

1. Improving performance of sports teams

While the success of a sports team once may have lived or died based on the intuition and experience of their coach, it's now possible to collect data on almost every aspect of any given sport. This can, in turn, be used to pinpoint areas for improvement, from recruitment to individual performance to fan engagement. But how is the data collected, and what can be learned from processing it?

Let's start with video analytics. UK Premier League soccer team Arsenal recently undertook a multi-million dollar project to begin gathering and analysing data. Part of the project was installing eight cameras around the stadium. These are set to record 10 data points per second, per player, totalling 1.4 million data points for every game. Data can be filtered down to address key areas of concern, for example, you could easily opt to view "all unsuccessful passes by Mesut Ozil" to find out where the player in question needs to work on his game.

Big data informing athletes is not limited to just video analytics though. An Irish tech startup recently launched a multifaceted talent identification platform capable of analysing physical, mental and social factors to help teams make better recruitment decisions. As more sports teams across the globe adopt this kind of technology, following your favourite team will become a lot more exciting, as the "underdog" teams will have the same developmental resources as the major players.

2. Expanding the capabilities of scientific research

When it comes to scientific research, qualitative data is all important. However, in many cases, the more data gathered from experiments, the more accurate the result. Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, have recently built an HPC cluster (a high performance computer built on multiple independent processors) to allow analysis of huge data sets. Not only has this allowed them to conduct more meaningful research in the fields of oncology, nanotechnology and quantum mechanics, it's also allowed them to branch into the areas of epigenetics, cytometry and the mapping of the human brain.

You might already be familiar with the large hadron collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. This is the particle accelerator that many people theorised would create a black hole here on Earth (you may have guessed, but it didn't lead to much other than a Nobel Prize for the research team). The LHC creates approximately 40 terabytes of data per second.

Big data tools have allowed them to whittle this down to around a single gigabyte per second, which makes for far easier analysis of the critical information hidden within these data sets. If that doesn't impress you, consider this: The 2012 experiment confirmed the existence of the long rumoured "God particle," the last discovery needed to confirm that The Standard Model of Physics (you know, the thing that dictates how the entire universe works) is accurate.

3. Supporting the development of smarter cities

It's certainly no secret that much of the early development of cities and urban centres weren't exactly focusing on long term sustainability. What we lacked in foresight then is coming to a head now. Many urban planners and public infrastructure professionals are looking for ways to make cities both more liveable and less environmentally taxing. So how is big data supporting the development of smarter cities?

The first factor, and perhaps most immediately gratifying, is the way that transportation is being improved. Utilising RFID tagged vehicles, GPS devices and smart sensors built into the roads, it'll be possible to reroute and clear traffic in congested areas. The city of Lyon, France has already integrated such a system. Dubbed DSSO, the system helps operators adjust traffic signals to help keep the flow of vehicles moving.

The second factor relates to energy and utility management. Monitoring the movement and waste volume of water could help identify opportunities for better resource management – a concept that has huge implications for cities experiencing drought. Tracking things like footfall in heavily populated areas could have a positive effect on how much electricity is used, since cities will be able to dim or cut lighting in public spaces when no-one is around. Seattle, Washington is currently looking into these kinds of applications to reduce their energy use by 25 per cent.

In many cases, big data is playing "the long game" in that what we are learning today will greatly inform the world of tomorrow. While we are in truth just beginning to understand the ways that big data can change our world, the progress we have made already is astounding. Being able to gather huge amounts of information in shorter time means we can act quicker, and implement meaningful change on truly grand scales. Big data isn't just for businesses, it's for everyone, and the reach is limited only by our imaginations.

For more information, get in contact with AtoBI today. 

Reporting on data analysis isn't new, but the process has changed dramatically in the last few years due to a number of factors. We now have a huge number of channels from which to gather data, and as a result we can collect this data in amounts previously unheard of. Further, we also have greater access to extremely powerful tools for housing, accessing and analysing data.

However, advances in technology doesn't necessarily mean that it's all smooth sailing. In a recent report from Narrative Science, the 2018 State of Business Intelligence Reporting, it was outlined that 62 per cent of decision makers in businesses of all sizes found that the reports they received lacked context. The pain points these professionals face is that reports often described the "what" but not the "why". Therefore, the issue is that they're implementing useful tools, but they are either not the right tools in context or not being utilised to their full potential.

Law of the instrument

If we take a step back and get theoretical for a moment, consider the law of the instrument. American psychologist Abraham Maslow once said "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail." The statement itself is a representation of a cognitive bias to rely, beyond logic, on a tool that's familiar. This could very much describe the current approach to adoption of business intelligence platforms. 

The systems you have in place at present may have added some value to your business, however, the statistics show that the majority of enterprise decision makers find their 

reporting processes lacking. Those professionals should then ask themselves: Am I using the right tool?

Of course, we know that not all tools are equal and that while some are adaptable, others are only useful for a single purpose. The best way to address the shortfalls of current reporting processes is through reassessing what's in your toolbox. AtoBI are here to aid you with this – finding the business intelligence solution that addresses the unique needs and specific requirements of your business, regardless of industry. In doing so, you can give every member of your organisation the best tools with which to do their job. Here's how the key stakeholders can benefit.

Report authors

The report from Narrative Science outlined that analysts – those who are producing the reports – lack the time needed to undertake more comprehensive data analysis. According to the report, 61 per cent of analysts said they spend more than half their time performing manual reporting tasks. The number one stated reason for this was accessing the data needed for reports. Often, the data comes from elsewhere in the organisation, and collating it can be a time consuming process. The result of this is that analysts have much less time to write reports in a way that is both meaningful and simple enough to be understood by the intended recipient.

With more centralised data and automated collection methods, analysts would be able to gather the data they need with greater speed and also have the time to dig deep into the numbers to generate more useful insights.

Business Intelligence administrators

In charge of the business intelligence infrastructure of the organisation, administrators have a lot to juggle. This role encompasses the selection and installation of business intelligence tools, connecting the platform to multiple data sources and auditing systems to make sure they align with company goals – among many other things. When it comes to improving reports, administrators have the same priorities as analysts – they should be a lot more in depth, covering more ground with clearer takeaways, and reports also need to be presented in a way that's digestible for the less technically inclined, and finally, to be able to do so in shorter time.

While administrators could be considered the gatekeepers of the analytics tools, they themselves face limitations imposed by less robust or flexible platforms. Employing the right tools can not only allow administrators to support better reporting processes, it can reduce many unrelated pain points associated with the role as well. 

Business decision makers

The Narrative Science report showed that regardless of industry, decision makers require better explanations in the reports they receive. Numbers often replace the qualitative analysis they are looking for and as such, making sound decisions based on the data becomes more difficult. Virtually every business intelligence platform has been developed specifically to help managers and leaders make the decisions that are vital to an organisation's success. The attitude expressed in the Narrative Science report show that in many cases, platforms for business intelligence reporting aren't working the way they should.

And so we come back to the hammer and nails analogy. If the hammer won't do the job, your business needs to find a tool that will. That's why you should touch base with AtoBI, as we can assist you in finding the right business intelligence platform for your business as well as support you through its integration and train your key personnel in self-service use. To find out how you can improve the state of reporting in your organisation, get in contact today.

Social media allows businesses a level of engagement with customers that in pre-social days were genuinely unheard of. With modern business intelligence software developed to handle dizzying amounts of data and generate insights of great value, businesses can now navigate their markets with extreme precision. 

Data gathered from social media platforms should inform the way your business presents itself online. Social platforms aren't simply there to gauge how many people you're reaching – they also provide valuable information on the customer experience. This information can in turn be used to optimise your customer's experience and develop a relevant and suitable voice for your business.

Here are five ways business intelligence and social media can work hand-in-hand to improve your business's reach, reputation and relationship with your customers.

1) Learn about what your customers are really after

View your social media follows as something of a small community. They'll likely appear to be a diverse group, but using the data collected from these communities can be used to identify trends and common threads between them. This can go a long way towards understanding your customers and what they expect from you. In turn, this information can be used to deliver a better service, grow the communities, and expand your business's reach. The unique insights and perspectives you can gain from a community of followers is essential to continued growth – helping you to make the best decisions possible.

2) Make decisions with reliable demographic data

While developing a community of followers goes a long way towards helping you establish your tone, social media and business intelligence can also assist you in finding out more about your customers. Understanding the demographics you're engaging with aids you in delivering a more tailored customer experience, but it also helps you to identify who you're not engaging with. This latter point can help you target new demographics who could benefit from your product or services. Understanding your demographic is also essential information for joining in the conversation. When it comes to customer interactions, knowing who you're talking to is just as important as what you're saying.

3) Use feedback to inform your content strategy

One of the greatest things about social media content is that you can clearly track the success of every piece of content you share. It's easy to discern what has worked and what hasn't, and this loops back to inform the content you'll produce in the future. For example, if you're producing videos that get a lot of likes and shares, but you're also producing longer form written pieces that are generally ignored, you'll know that video is the best medium for presenting information to your customers. Tracking engagement is also a great way to test the waters with different kinds of content. This means you can experiment with different things, and get a feel for what kinds of content work. Knowing how your followers will respond to certain content is the strongest foundation on which to build a content strategy. 

4) Spend your marketing budget more wisely

The previous three entries have all been about understanding your customers and how to engage with them – but your online community can fairly be interpreted as a snapshot of your larger customer base. Insights you generate from social media engagement can help you to determine targeted marketing strategies. Targeted marketing performs far better than traditional "wide-net" approaches, and since Facebook introduced it in the context of social media it's become one of the most popular marketing approaches of our time. Business intelligence helps to identify behaviour patterns on social media and these help you determine how to craft your marketing.

5) Monitor your competition

Competition is an ongoing struggle. There aren't many businesses operating today in a marketplace free of competition, and in order to compete, you need to know what your opposition is doing. Social media provides businesses with a platform not just to engage their own customers, but to observe how other companies are doing the same. This might identify shortfalls in your own strategy, or it may save you from attempting something that has fallen flat elsewhere. Further, checking in on the competition can provide valuable insights to your industry as a whole. The best part of all this? You can assess engagement of the competition without them knowing it, since the nature of social media means that numbers of comments, shares and likes are publicly accessible.

Business intelligence and social media working together provides extremely valuable insights that will assist you in generating leads, increasing revenue streams and raising brand awareness. In this day and age, a social media presence is absolutely essential to continued growth. To find out how you can get the most out of these tools, get in touch with AtoBI today.