Big Data: Using SMART Big Data, Analytics and Metrics To Make Better Decisions and Improve Performance

259 Pages·2015·3.64 MB·English

by  Bernard Marr

BIG
‘Data and analytics
power everything that
we do. This book is the
go-to-guide on data
for 2015.’
– Henrik von Scheel,
Advisory Board Member
at Google
DATA
USING
SMART BIG DATA
ANAlyTIcS AND
MeTRIcS To MAke
BeTTeR DecISIoNS
AND IMpRove
peRfoRMANce
BERNARD
MARR

‘WhileBernardisclearlyaheadofthepackonBigData,thebrillianceof
hisbookisinitstiming.Justwhenwewerestartingtofeelletdownbythe
over-hypedpromise,hebringsBigDataintosharpfocusandspellsout
histriedandtrusted(“SMART”)approachtohelpustacklethegreatest
opportunity(orthreat)ofourgeneration.Nomoreexcuses!’
RichardPhillips,DirectorofAnalytics,Barclaycard
‘Whatathought-provokingandenjoyableread!Thepowerful,yetsimple,
SMARTmodelwillallowanyonetotakeadvantageofBigDatainsomany
different ways, from improving profitability and customer retention to
winningsportsgames!Eachchapterwilltriggerfreshideasandidentify
newopportunitiestobetterleveragedatainyourcompany.’
MarcusBarlow,OperationsDirectoratAmericanExpress
‘Dataandanalyticspowereverythingthatwedo.Thisbookisthego-to-
guideondatafor2015.Abrilliantpieceofwork!’
Henrik von Scheel, Advisory Board Member at Google, EMEA and
Gazprom,CEOofLEADingPractice
‘Bernard Marr is a master at synthesizing a complex set of topics into
salient points that practitioners need to know. In his newest book,
Bernard has boiled down the Big Data ocean into a simple and practi-
calSMARTmethodologythatwillhelporganizationsextractrealvalue
fromadizzyingarrayofdata,tools,andtechnologies.’
WayneEckerson,PrincipalConsultant,EckersonGroup
‘BernardMarrhasdoneitagain–takenacomplexsubjectandbroken
it down into simple pieces so that business leaders can devise practical
strategies for exploiting the opportunities presented by Big Data. This
book is a must-read for anyone trying to understand and leverage Big
Data.’
DaveKellogg,CEO,HostAnalyitcs
‘ThisisaSMARTbookbyaSMARTauthor.BernardMarrgoesbeyond
thehypeofBigData,providingreal-lifecasestudiesandactionpointsfor
themanagerlookingforthecompetitiveedge.’
LarsRinnan,CEO,Nextbridge
‘ThisbookwillhelpyouunravelthemysteryofBigData.Itsimplylifts
anyconfusioncausedbybuzzwordsandtechnicaltermsthatarethrown
aboutwhenpeopletalkaboutBigData.Thebookprovidesmanyexam-
ples of organizations making sense of a variety of data to achieve real
businessimpact.Thebook’s“SMART”approachwillhelpyouavoidthe
commonandexpensivemistakeofgatheringamountainofdatawithno
notionofwhattodowithit.’
RobertStackowiak,VicePresidentofInformationArchitectureandBig
Data,Oracle
‘Beingsmart,BernardMarrhascreatedanenjoyablebookthatdescribes
theworldofBigDataandanalyticsandhowthiswillcompletelychange
ourbusinessworld.’
ProfessorKaiMertins,President,InteropVLab
‘IsBigDataabuzzwordordoesithavepracticalapplicationsinbusiness?
BernardMarrgoesbeyondthehypeofBigDatatoprovidebusinesspeo-
plewithasmartsolutiontounderstandwhereweare,wherewearetrying
togettoandwhatdataandtoolswecanemploytohelpusgetthere.’
RobertoCroci,Manager,GoogleAnalytics(SEEMEA)
‘Iwouldrecommendthisbooktoanyonelookingtoputanefficientdata-
driven strategy in place. The SMART methodology is a simple way of
bringingtogetherthekeyconceptsofananalyticsstrategy.’
BenjaminMercier,VicePresident,SeniorDigitalAnalyticsManagerat
Barclays
‘BernardMarr’sBigDataprovidesalucid,practicalguideformanagers
seekingtoleveragetheexplosionindataanddataanalysisforproductiv-
ity.Inaconvincingfashion,Marrmovesbeyondtraditionalunderstand-
ingsoftheemergenceofBigDatainbusinesspracticesasatechnicalissue
andconstruesitasamanagerialissuerootedinbothleadershipandstrat-
egy.Themessageisthatdataismeaninglesswithouttheabilitytounder-
standitortocommunicatewhatthatunderstandingis.’
Robert M. Mauro, PhD, Director and Founder, Global Leadership
Institute,BostonCollege
‘Inaworldwhere90%ofalldatahasbeencreatedinthelasttwoyears,Big
Dataandanalyticsoffermassiveopportunitiesforconsumers,corporates
andgovernments.Bernard’sbookBigDatashouldbeessentialreadingfor
anymanagerbecauseitprovidesyouwithapragmaticguidetorealizing
the real value of the fourth production factor: data! It is a very practi-
calbookthatwilltakeyoubeyondthehypeofBigData.UsingBernard’s
SMARTmodelondataanalyticswillhelpyoudramaticallyimproveper-
formancethroughdata-drivendecisionmaking!’
BerryDiepeveen,Partner,EnterpriseIntelligence&Analytics,Ernst&
Young
‘This is a practical, insightful, no-nonsense book on Big Data that will
providea360-degreeviewofhowBigDataimpactsourlifeandbusiness.
Bernard is an awesome simplifier and thought leader who presents the
complexsubjectofBigDatainawaythateveryonecanunderstand.’
NandhiniSampath,Sr.ManagerofBusinessTransformation&Analyt-
ics,CiscoSystems
‘Bernardleverageshisyearsofexperiencetoprovideapracticalroadmap
forquicklyrealizingrealreturnsonyourBigDatajourney.’
KurtJ.Bilafer,VicePresident,ClearStoryData
‘Youcancutthroughthehypeassociatedwiththelatestmanagementfad,
whichisBigData,withthehelpofBernardMarrwhoremindsusthat
“therealvalueisnotinthelargevolumesofdatabutwhatwecannow
dowithit”.And“Therealityisthatmostbusinessesarealreadydatarich,
butinsightpoor”.Therecommendationis,focusontheSMARTData,not
theBigData.Indoingso,regardlessofsizeorbudget,youcanharnessthe
advantagesandbecomeaSMARTBusiness.’
PaulBarnett,Founder&CEO,StrategicManagementForum
‘In the midst of an unstructured world of novel possibilities, I finally
foundaconsistentframeworkthatwillhelpmakeBigDataarealityinour
businessstrategyexecution.It’snotabouttechnology,buthowtotrans-
formourbusinesstocopewiththenewcenturyofopportunities.’
PedroPereira,HeadofSAPBigData,SAP
‘UnlikesomanyotherbooksaboutBigData,thisoneisfocusedonthe
business value of Big Data. This practical book provides a step-by-step
approach and countless real-world examples of how to turn data into
smartinsightsthatcantransformnotonlybusinessesbutalsothewayswe
dealwithsocial,politicalandhealthissues.Bernardhaswrittenamust-
read book for anyone who wants to understand the data and analytics
revolution.’
Lucile Hyon-Le Gourrie`rec, BigData & Analytics MarketingLeader,
IBMFrance
‘Many boards and executives across the public and private sector stuck
their heads in the sand when it came to IT – at great shareholder and
taxpayercost.Don’tmakethesamemistakeagainwithBigData!Thereis
nodoubtthatBigDataandanalytics,drivenbytechnologyandbusiness
model innovation, is profoundly reshaping and disrupting industries,
economies and society at an unprecedented rate. Bernard Marr pro-
vides a thought provoking and gripping insight into the power of Big
Dataattheheartofthissmartrevolution.BigDataiscompellingreading.’
Marie Johnson, Chief Digital Officer, Centre for Digital Business
and formerly Microsoft’s Worldwide Director of Public Services and
eGovernment
BIG DATA
USING SMART BIG DATA,
ANALYTICS AND METRICS TO
MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
AND IMPROVE
PERFORMANCE
BERNARD MARR
Thiseditionfirstpublished2015
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Marr,Bernard.
Bigdata:usingsmartbigdata,analyticsandmetricstomakebetterdecisionsand
improveperformance/BernardMarr.
pagescm
Includesindex.
ISBN978-1-118-96583-2(pbk.)
1.Informationtechnology—Management.2.Bigdata.3.Management—Statistical
methods.
4.Decisionmaking—Statisticalmethods.I.Title.
HD30.2.M37442015
658.4′0380285574—dc23
2014040562
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
ISBN978-1-118-96583-2(pbk)
ISBN978-1-118-96582-5(ebk)ISBN978-1-118-96578-8(ebk)
CoverDesign:Wiley
CoverImage:iStockphoto.com/marigold 88
Setin10.5/14ptMinionProLightbyAptaraInc.,NewDelhi,India
PrintedinGreatBritainbyTJInternationalLtd,Padstow,Cornwall,UK
Tothemostimportantpeopleinmylife:
MywifeClaireandourthreechildrenSophia,
JamesandOliver;
aswellasmybrotherMarc,JulieandAlan,allmywonderful
friends,andinmemoryofmyparents.