Capitalizing on Big Data Analytics

/

If you’re having trouble viewing this video, watch it on Vimeo via this link:Capitalizing on Big Data Analytics

The following links are to content featured in this video, as well as links to other related resources:

IBM Logo.jpg

DQ-BE: Old Beer bought by Old Man

/

Data Quality By Example (DQ-BE) is an OCDQ regular segment that provides examples of data quality key concepts.

Over the weekend, in preparation for watching the Boston Red Sox, I bought some beer and pizza.  Later that night, after a thrilling victory that sent the Red Sox to the 2013 World Series, I was cleaning up the kitchen and was about to throw out the receipt when I couldn’t help but notice two data quality issues.

First, although I had purchased Samuel Adams Octoberfest, the receipt indicated I had bought Spring Ale, which, although it’s still available in some places and it’s still good beer, it’s three seasonal beers (Summer Ale, Winter Lager, Octoberfest) old.  This data quality issue impacts the store’s inventory and procurement systems (e.g., maybe the store orders more Spring Ale next year because people were apparently still buying it in October this year).

The second, and far more personal, data quality issue was that the age verification portion of my receipt indicated I was born on or before November 22, 1922, making me at least 91 years old!  While I am of the age (42) typical of a midlife crisis, I wasn’t driving a new red sports car, just wearing my old Red Sox sports jersey and hat.  As for the store, this data quality issue could be viewed as a regulatory compliance failure since it seems like their systems are set up by default to allow the sale of alcohol without proper age verification.  Additionally, this data quality issue might make it seem like their only alcohol-purchasing customers are very senior citizens.

 

What examples (good or poor) of data quality have you encountered?  Please share them by posting a comment below.

 

Related Posts

DQ-BE: The Time Traveling Gift Card

DQ-BE: Invitation to Duplication

DQ-BE: Dear Valued Customer

DQ-BE: Single Version of the Time

DQ-BE: Data Quality Airlines

Retroactive Data Quality

Sometimes Worse Data Quality is Better

Data Quality and the OK Plateau

When Poor Data Quality Kills

The Costs and Profits of Poor Data Quality

Secure the Engine to Your Business Future

/

People use mobile devices, as James Hailey Jr. blogged, “for almost everything they do in their day to day activities like listening to music, work, social applications, and calendar functions.  They allow people to immediately get information and access different resources.  In today’s world, there are more mobile devices than there have ever been in recent years and companies are just realizing the potential opportunities that exist.”

As Daniel Newman blogged, “cloud, mobile devices, Big Data, and social media have become a permanent fixture of today’s business.  From solopreneurs to global enterprises, companies are more connected than ever before to their customers, employees, shareholders, and stakeholders.  Enabled by connectivity and powered by the cloud, this is more than just Marketechture, this is the engine of our business future.”

“By embracing social tools in the cloud,” Rebecca Buisan blogged, “organizations can now attract new customers while at the same time better serve their existing clients, employees, and business partners.”

While cloud and mobile are enabling social business, it is not all blue skies and rainbows.  The age of the mobile device is still young, so as you embrace, with youthful exuberance, the convenience of the mobile-app-portal-to-the-cloud computing model, convenience should not trump security.

As Marissa Tejada blogged, despite your employees’ hands being full of business-enabling mobile devices, too few organizations are making sure mobility and security go hand in hand.  Especially when BYOD puts personal devices into business hands.

One example Allan Pratt blogged about is iOS7’s AirDrop feature, which uses a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi ad-hoc networks.  “The bottom line,” Pratt explained, “is that while AirDrop may sound like a good idea in theory, it needs more security embedded into it for data transfers to be considered.  For SMBs, this means you should be wary of new technology until it has been proven safe and effective for the enterprise.  You don’t want your data walking out the door without your knowledge.”

With big data providing the 1.21 gigawatts (often with a lot more than 1.21 gigabytes) of power, social, cloud, and mobile technology is the flux capacitor driving companies of all sizes forward to the future of business.  Just as lightning never strikes twice, you don’t want to end up looking back in time, second-guessing why you didn’t secure the engine to your business future.

IBM Logo.jpg