How to Overcome Big Data Barriers

A clear majority of senior leaders feel that big data capabilities will determine whether their organizations remain relevant and competitive. But most say IT development processes are creating barriers with respect to arriving at crucial insights when needed, according to a recent survey from Capgemini and EMC. The accompanying report, titled "Big and Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business," indicates that investment in big data initiatives is expected to rise over the next three years. But a shortage of analytics specialists and overall IT systems performance issues are keeping senior executives from arriving at critical decisions within an acceptable time frame. Such shortcomings must be addressed for companies to transform data into a key, strategic asset. "We have reached an inflection point in the market," said John Brahim, head of global practice for Capgemini Insights and Data. "Information is at the heart of every business decision, and companies need to fully embrace the opportunities of big data or risk losing out in the marketplace. While some organizations are using big data to reduce cost and improve existing performance, others are using it to drive into new markets and ultimately to monetize data in its own right. Every enterprise must now define a path to become an insight-driven business." More than global 1,000 C-suite level executives and senior decision-makers took part in the research.