Category "Big Data"

The hottest role in business today: Data Analyst

Kurt J. Bilafer - January 27, 2017 - Big Data, Business Intelligence

The hottest role in #MyIndustry right now, or any industry, is that of data analyst. Businesses today have access to more data from more sources than ever, and there is a huge need for people who can get insights from data in order to make decisions that will help drive innovation and profitability.

Back in 2012, the Harvard Business Review called data scientist “the sexiest job of the 21st century.” At the same time, there is a well-documented global shortage of data scientists. Not every company can have a data scientist, or needs one. Technology innovation is bringing a lot of data science functions out of the realm of PhDs and putting them within reach of ordinary business users. These days, whatever your actual job title is, you also need to be a data analyst.

Beyond big: Solving for data variety

Kurt J. Bilafer - January 27, 2017 - Big Data, Business Intelligence

Big Data is now mainstream at large companies, says a recent study, but many people still dislike the term.

Add me to the list. Size is only one part of the Big Data challenge, and the word “big” is preventing organizations from solving for the whole equation—volume, velocity and variety. IT can help the business get the most value from Big Data initiatives by thinking beyond volume and velocity and helping solve for data variety.

The Data Chic Quadrant

Kurt J. Bilafer - January 27, 2017 - Big Data, Business Intelligence

A lot has been written, and continues to be written about ‘knowledge workers’. The term was first coined by Peter Drucker in 1959 and scholars and thought leaders have been working to define what a knowledge worker is and does ever since. It’s hard to pin down, because it’s still evolving and there are so many different knowledge worker roles. I like this definition I found on Quizlet: Knowledge workers are professionals who create, modify, and/or synthesize knowledge as a fundamental part of their jobs.

My Story on Why I’m Joining ClearStory Data

Kurt J. Bilafer - November 4, 2014 - Big Data

While traveling the globe talking to customers about big data analytics for the past several years, one thing I’ve heard from Singapore to San Francisco is that businesses want solutions to analyze their ever-changing business problems quickly and effectively while minimizing IT engagement and costs.

With that in the back of my mind, something clicked when I came across Silicon Valley-based startup ClearStory Data. ClearStory has developed a cloud-based solution for big data discovery that lets businesses move many disparate data sources into the cloud, where they are harmonized, enriched with relevant third-party data and translated into stunning visual representations.

To start with big data, start small and use your “I”s

Kurt J. Bilafer - March 7, 2014 - Big Data, Business Intelligence, Predictive Analytics

To get started with big data analytics, think small. Pick one problem to solve, and build an analytics solution for it. What kind of problem? One that leverages your two I’s: impact and influence. Picking a project with the potential to have a big impact, and getting the right people talking about it is the best way to build an appetite for analytics.

I’ve seen this work myself, in the sales organization at SAP. We are very much a sales driven company, and we use our own solutions. We salespeople spend most of our day in our CRM, our customer relationship management solution, and we also used to spend a fair amount of time in Excel.