Ten tips for big data analytics success

Organisations are only analysing a fraction of their data and could be missing out, according to Dean Dickinson

The core task of analytics - processing large quantities of information to generate valuable insight - is decades old and yet many organisations still struggle with how to get the most out of their data, because of poor planning.

We recently prepared a report that provides unique insight based on our extensive experiences to enable organisations to avoid common pitfalls and reap tangible benefits from their analytics projects.

We offer 10 tips for ensuring big data project success.

1. Clean all data first. Avoid the temptation to consolidate data from multiple sources without cleaning it first. Although this may take time it will pay dividends: simplifying report development, reducing project complexities and maximising associated cost savings.

2. Always consider the end goal. Think carefully about any business intelligence goals and the insight which will be of most value to your customer's organisation. Identify priorities such as improving operational performance, understanding customer behaviour or managing risk. Analytics solutions and data models can then be tailored to exact needs.

3. Ask the right questions. The most valuable insight into business performance is achieved by determining exactly what information is needed and then asking the data-specific questions. Many companies implement big data solutions and expect insight without first deciding what they need to know. Vague questions will not receive clear answers.

4. Take a partnering approach. In order to achieve the best results it's important to work with customers by involving key stakeholders from their own businesses at the outset. Collaboration will equip the customer with the knowledge and skills needed to maintain and extend the offering in future.

5. Review before recoding. Work with an experienced specialist developer to ensure existing reports are formatted in line with those included within a new analytics system. Standardisation of table structures and calculations, for example, will help eliminate inconsistencies that could be costly and time-consuming to resolve in the future.

6. Budget for flexibility, not fixed reports. Many organisations make the mistake of overestimating the number of reports they need as part of their new analytics project and this can be expensive in terms of third-party development fees. It is far more cost-effective for the customer to allocate budget to developing self-service, which enables users to build their own reports as the need arises.

7. Prioritise the executive dashboard. A user-friendly interface that provides senior managers with accurate information as easily as possible is key to ensuring the system is widely used. Once you have buy-in from the management team, the rest of the business will follow.

8. Focus on usability to reap greater returns. Ensuring an offering is easy to navigate is essential to producing accurate reports that improve decision-making. If querying a system requires advanced programming skills, it will be sidelined. Work with partners who can demonstrate their offerings are accessible to non-technical users.

9. Encourage investment in skills, not just solutions. Customer staff training is fundamental to project success. Teams that are equipped from day one with the skills they need to use a system fluently will ensure the customer receives a rapid return on its investment. It can also save large consultancy and development fees for work that can be completed in-house.

10. Never underestimate the impact of an upgrade. Modern back-office systems can reduce the time it takes to gather information from different sources and this is key to facilitating business intelligence reporting. Reducing the time it takes to round up information required for reports helps support faster decision-making.

We have delivered about 500 successful big data analytics projects since 1994, offering in-house solutions alongside systems developed by partners including IBM, SAP and Microsoft.

Dean Dickinson is managing director of public sector and enterprise at Advanced Business Solutions