Buzzword past: Big data
Regular readers will know that ‘big data’ is a real bug bear for us: a vague term that doesn’t really mean anything on its own. The way we collect, store and use data has shifted enormously in the last few years: when we talk about the concept of data now, we can all safely assume that we’re referring to something much bigger than an excel spreadsheet with a few product codes and prices.
But we have to admit, the term ‘big data’ has been instrumental to that change. It’s enabled us to accept data as information, collected across different technologies in a vast range of formats – from words and numbers to images and sounds. It’s allowed us to see ‘data’ for what it is: something that can be used and harnessed to grow our businesses and improve our insights.
However, for us to really learn from our data, we have to narrow the net, selecting and qualifying the data we collate – and this is where ‘big data’ as a buzzword has become a stumbling block for many businesses. The rush to incorporate big data into big business has left corporations with heaps of data that isn’t actually relevant or useful to them, making it more difficult to manage. When it comes to migrating this data into practical applications, it becomes a mammoth task – especially when it comes to MDM and PIM solutions.
While the concept of big data will live on, it’s time to leave this buzzword behind in 2018.
