by Jake Tomkins
We are in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution, where change has become second nature to us. Technology and data prevails, and businesses that do not get on board with the technical advancements risk falling far behind the rest. Data-driven strategies are now at the forefront of business agendas globally, and the data revolution shows no signs of slowing down.
The past vs. the present
Successful business leaders have always relied on some form of data to help them make decisions. Data can relate to the information you obtain from users, such as demographic, behaviour, or user activity. In the past, data collection was naturally more manual, and businesses relied on talking with customers face-to-face or taking surveys via phone, mail, or in-person, to understand their customers and market better. Due to the complex and costly nature of this process, many companies operated with limited data.
Today, data volumes are exploding, thanks to the progress in technology, and the nationwide embrace of digital transformation across many sectors. We have access to more data than ever before and it touches every aspect of our businesses. In fact, more data has been created in the last two years than in the entire history of the human race.[1] ‘Big data’ is becoming the new norm as businesses collect user data across a multitude of channels including apps on your smartphone, social media platforms, email, and even web browsing.
Making use of data to uncover trends
For businesses, the potential data trails are virtual gold mines. The user patterns identifiable by data can be leveraged to make businesses more efficient, target the right customers and provide enhanced customer experience. However, data is inadequate if it does not produce rich insights. And to produce insights, you need data analytics. Whether a third party platform, or integrated with a company’s own website or internal systems, these platforms can provide businesses with a wealth of information that they can leverage.
While such large volumes of data provide enormous opportunities, they also present a rather large challenge. The complexity of big data sets can be so great that conventional data processing systems and techniques are not sufficient to analyse them to produce these desired results.
The demand for digital skills
This is where big data signals a call for action, and drives demand for data related technology skills. In many cases, even the most powerful data programmes will help to sort, relate and quantify data, but still require analytical skills to make it meaningful. In these cases, it is up to skilled employees to bridge this gap between the data gathered and the intricate requirements of the business in question. Bridging this gap calls on a wide range of roles, to put big data to work.
After insights are gathered, it is time to leverage the new founded information. Data specialists are usually employed to combine their understanding of the data with their understanding of the business to develop prosperous business strategies, whether that is sales or marketing approaches, or even implementing automated features that respond intelligently when data is gathered. Lastly, of course, is maintenance and platform design. Data platforms that store and collect the data also require data specialists to be involved in their design, development and maintenance.
As big data is set to continue to grow and evolve, so will the demand for jobs to cultivate it. Refining those data related skills and attracting the right talent to leverage rich data insights is essential to succeed in this data driven market. At Advento, we focus on supporting organisations to become more data driven, by connecting them to the best talent in the market, to help you deliver exceptional results.
If you are interested in a career in technology, take a look at our website for job openings: https://www.adventostaffing.com/jobs. Or if you would like to get in touch for general enquiries, please email info@adventostaffing.com or call us on (0)1892512494.
[1] https://www.ibm.com/blogs/nordic-msp/transforming-traditional-outsourcing-ibms-new-cognitive-services/