How to Avoid the Most Common Mistakes of Implementing Big Data Solutions

16th January 2015 Leave a comment

Posted in Big Data

Ok, we agree that you don’t have a Big Data problem, but you do need to manage and extract value from your ever-growing data sets.

And we agree that unnecessarily complex approaches to dealing with data hinder our ability to create value. We don’t benefit from complicating the solution.
Big Data solutions can leverage enterprise data to build market share, develop more responsive systems, and conduct more effective research, among other things.

So when you find yourself in need of purchasing a “Big Data Solution,” what can you do to minimize the risks and maximize the opportunities afforded by the project?
Here are my top 6 recommendations for avoiding the most common mistakes of implementing Big Data Solutions:

1. Choose the correct partner – Whatever solution you choose, the technology will outlive the tenure of the team choosing it and the CIO blessing it. For the investment to bear long-term gains, you need to consider the solution that can best adapt to future needs and uses.

2. Fully plan the project before implementation – It may sound basic but it bears repeating, plan the project in advance. This allows you to identify project owners within the organization and address project risks in advance. You can consider current needs and uses, but also consider future applications. It helps you choose the right partner (see above) and it helps ensure a successful roll out.

3. Remember: Big Data is NOT just about the analytics – When choosing a Big Data solution, there are considerations beyond the analytics that often get left out of the decision process. Beyond analytics, it is important to plan for data capture, search, sharing, storage, transfer, and privacy, to name just a few considerations.

4. Account for live data AND historical data – Know which of your project stake holders require access to live data and which will need to work with historical data so you can plan accordingly.

5. Keep the data accessible – Your data is only valuable to you if you can access it readily and work with it easily.

6. Remember to secure the data – Yes, you need to access the data easily and readily, but if it’s not secure you risk exposing enterprise assets. Is any of your data being stored in the cloud? If so, is the data encrypted and at what level? Are the keys secured? These are important questions to answer as you plan the project in order to ensure the security of your enterprise information.

Good luck!