Analysts Require Three Major Skills Plus Technological Solutions to Derive Information from Big Data

Value is no longer immediately visible now that the possibilities big data presents have surfaced. Businesses have realized the power that big data holds once it is translated to knowledge and information. The Harvard Business Review adds to this conversation with their recent article, "Are You Big Data Literate."

Thanks to the new Avanade survey, we know that many organizations believe that their employees need to develop new skills to translate big data into insights and business value. More than 60 percent of respondents answered that to be true.

In addition to possessing mathematical reasoning skills and the ability to see the bird's eye view of big data, analysts must be willing to experiment:

Managers and business analysts must be able to apply the principles of scientific experimentation to their business. They must know how to construct intelligent hypotheses. They also need to understand the principles of experimental testing and design, including population selection and sampling, in order to evaluate the validity of data analyses.

Enthusiasm for big data has never been stronger. There is no reason that analysts cannot get up to speed in the same way that technology has. Take a look at big data solutions such as PolySpot and it is clear to see that the idea of next-generation has arrived.

Megan Feil, September 17, 2012

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