Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad…Data?

Those of you familiar with the children’s story, “The Three Little Pigs,” know that a big bad wolf visits each of the pigs’ houses in anticipation of a savory meal. However, (spoiler alert here) only one little pig’s house ends up being strong enough not to be blown over by the big bad wolf. Well, that’s because that smart little pig knew that having a strong foundation for his house—in this case building it with bricks and mortar —would shield and protect his investment and literally save his skin when he needed it most.

What does the data management foundation look like in our organizations?

Big Data Isn’t Like Every Other IT Project

Indeed, “a big data project can’t be treated like a conventional, large IT project, with its defined outcomes, required tasks, and detailed plans for carrying them out … Commissioned to address a problem or opportunity that someone has sensed, such a project frames questions to which data might provide answers, develops hypotheses, and then iteratively experiments to gain knowledge and understanding.”

Why CFOs Should Care About Big Data

The topic of “big data” clearly has reached a tipping point in 2012. With plenty of coverage over the past few years in the IT press, we are now starting to see the topic of “big data” covered in mainstream business press, including a cover story in the October 2012 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

To help customers understand the challenges of managing “big data” as well as the opportunities that can be created by leveraging “big data”, Oracle has recently run and published the results of a customer survey, as well as white papers and articles on this topic.

The Business Intelligence Operations Center

A presentation by Wired contributing editor Gary Wolf at [email protected] showing what is available for tracking and analyzing your body, mood, diet, spending—just about everything measurable in daily life. (Wolf also is also the co founder of the Quantified Self, a blog about “self-knowledge through numbers.”)

Gary talks about the importance of becoming aware of our own personal data by turning inward for self improvement, discovery and knowledge. By knowing ourselves better we can be more effective in the world. The same is true for knowing our data and analysis better. How do we connect with the data that we analyze day to day in our quest to provide meaningful solutions to day-to-day organizational issues?

Why We Like to Play with Shiny Toys

Are these fads and fashions or the real deal? Are CFOs attracted to them as the shiny new toys they must have on their resume for their next bigger job and employer? My belief is these four “hot” managerial methods and tools are essential. But they need to be thought through and properly designed and customized; and not just slapped in willy-nilly just to have them as shiny new toys.

What are these “four hot tools”, you ask? Read on for insight by author Gary Cokins.