The current year is just days old, but it’s never too early for businesses to set goals on how to use big data more efficiently in 2015. Industry experts predict an exciting change for the year ahead, which means all organizations should develop strategies now to adapt. Businesses that don’t make and stick to big data New Year’s resolutions are likely to fall behind the competition and remain there indefinitely.
Retain Old Data While Also Planning New ApplicationsWhen the calendar turns over to January 1, most organizational leaders are focused on all things new. However, there is value in storing as much old data as possible. Big data users should resist the urge to delete old information with the rationalization that it is no longer relevant. Analyzing old data often proves extremely useful when companies are trying to improve the experience of end users.
For example, an Internet store that struggles with higher than normal shopping cart abandonment rates can utilize the data found in old logs to improve its percentage of completed transactions. Another time that old data proves useful is when companies are trying to get a better feel of the typical customer demographic.
It’s also critical for business leaders to plan ahead for new application developments in 2015. IT teams and company leadership should plan a brainstorming session on what they would like to see in the upcoming year as well as discuss how to develop those applications.
To ensure that development plans get off the ground, management should assign each person in the meeting a specific task and then reconvene a few weeks later to make sure everyone is making progress. Having an official strategy for new application development, such as a Proof of Concept, helps everyone to work towards the same goals.
Don’t Neglect Big Data Security
In the past few years, increasing numbers of companies are moving their data to public or private clouds. The biggest reason behind this trend is that storing data on the cloud allows users to access it from remote locations. However, IT professionals are in for a security headache if they don’t take the time to encrypt and protect all data store on the cloud. To avoid similar security breaches such as those that occurred at Target, Home Depot, and JPMorgan Chase in 2014, companies must make Big Data Security Analytics a top priority (Source: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/10/cyber-attacks-on-us-companies-in-2014).
Be Flexible and Open to Change
Long-term success depends on the ability of top management, program developers, and IT professionals to change course when something clearly is not working. At the same time, everyone needs to keep an open mind and constantly challenge himself or herself to produce new ideas.
