It’s not new to anyone that companies face problems ranging from low performance to high costs with obsolete systems and operational errors. The good news is that these business challenges can be overcome through digital transformation.
Digital Transformation is a process of organisational change in which companies use digital technologies to solve complex problems. It brings more agility and efficiency to business processes, more satisfaction and productivity for employees, and increased revenue for business owners.
But anyone who believes that digital transformation is just adopting technological tools is far from the truth. The process involves a few steps, such as the use of data analytics to bring more precision and reliability to strategic actions and help in making more assertive decisions.
In this article, we share with you the roles of big data analytics in accelerating digital transformation.
But first, why do businesses need data?
Data at the Heart of the Business
A company produces more data every day. This data can be regarded as a treasure, because it contains a lot of information on the operations of the company, its products, its customers, the market, etc. Employees and customers use connected tools, smart devices allow data to be exchanged, and even robots and machines on assembly or production lines produce data.
To exploit this data and transform it into value, the company must operate its digital transformation and equip itself with the right tools and the necessary skills. It is not enough to collect the data to store it. You have to know how to utilise it, analyse and interpret it, and extract as much information as possible to further improve the value produced, optimise processes, improve products and production lines, logistics, etc.
Big Data at the Heart of Digital Transformation
When we talk about the digital transformation of a company, we immediately think of two pillars: big data and artificial intelligence. Since the 2000s, we have heard about Big Data in digital transformation. In the beginning, what we had was a huge database with millions of pieces of information and no guidance on what to do with them.
Without a doubt, information is power in this new era, but it is important to know how to use it in favour of your business.
Big Data is one of the major trends in digital technology today, and is even presented as the hallmark of the next transformations in the market and society. This phenomenon is possible due to the massive amount of information generated and circulated around the world with the use of technology. Big Data works with the objective of improving the work processes of its users to obtain quick and valuable information about market trends, consumer behaviour and potential opportunities.
The role of Big Data is to combine structured data with unstructured data to obtain insights, bringing new solutions and previously unthinkable actions. The differential that can take your company to another level in the digital world is knowing how to look at your data, both structured and unstructured, and having the keen sensitivity to pinpoint a detail that can be combined with existing numbers.
Big Data and Analytics
Within the different applied technologies, Big Data and its analysis become one of the most relevant. Its focus on customer loyalty and experience make it a key tool in the development and growth of any company.
These concepts are part of business development in this new industrial revolution known as 4.0. Its objective is to save and process the large amount of data that is generated today.
Influence of Big Data on digital transformation
Big Data refers to a set of data that has a volume, growth rate and complexity that is impossible to treat in a conventional way. Its arrival in the business world was a breakthrough as it provided solutions to questions that companies didn’t even know they had.
Having a large amount of data allows you to optimise the search for trends to foster business growth. The possibility of having this large bank is essential for the analyses to be efficient and help performance and decision-making.
Influence of Analytics on digital transformation
When talking about Analytics, reference is made to the need to process the different data that a company has. With this, great advantages are achieved for the company:
Decision Making
The analysis of data in real time allows companies to improve decision making when facing a problem, both internal and external.
Purchase Decision
The digital customer is faster and has a greater number of demands when making a purchase. Thanks to the speed of analysis, it is possible to identify expectations and improve the relationship.
Behaviour Patterns
The final data on the purchase and customer satisfaction are processed in order to identify patterns that allow the company to be more agile in a more global and competitive market.
Thanks to the analysis tools, it is possible to improve in various fields that also include sales planning or marketing.
A new concept, Big Data Analytics
Putting together the two previous concepts allows generating a mechanism that works quickly and with a large amount of data. Its process is simple; collect, store, process, analyse and obtain a pattern with data. That is, work with the generated data and give it a useful meaning for the company.
There are four main types of big data analytics.
Descriptive Analytics
Its objective is to know the behaviour prior to the current moment, thanks to reports and statistics. It’s the first step to analysing raw data.
Diagnosis Analytics
It is the evolution of the previous one since it seeks the reason for analysing data. It is used to investigate data and content.
Predictive Analytics
This looks to the future, trying to respond to what is going to happen, that is, to the behaviour of the market.
Prescriptive Analytics
It is based on the predictive, but implements possible solutions to the future behaviour of consumers or customers.
Big Data analytics continues to be constantly developed with the aim of facing new challenges: growth and structuring of data and integration of data in the business world.
The Role of Big Data Analytics in Accelerating Digital Transformation
As the digital economy continues to grow and evolve, businesses are increasingly turning to big data analytics to help them drive digital transformation. By leveraging the power of big data analytics, businesses can gain insights into customer behaviour, trends, and preferences, and use that insight to develop more effective strategies, products, and services.
- Big data analytics can provide organisations with valuable insights into customer preferences, usage patterns, and preferences. This can help businesses create more personalised experiences for their customers. Organisations can use this information to improve their customer service, create more targeted marketing campaigns, and develop new products and services. Additionally, big data analytics can help organisations predict customer behaviour and respond more quickly to changing market conditions.
- Data-driven decision making is becoming increasingly important for businesses in all industries. Big data analytics can help organisations quickly and efficiently analyse large amounts of data, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their operations. Businesses can use this data to identify opportunities for growth, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction.
- Big data analytics can also help organisations drive digital transformation. By leveraging the power of Big Data, companies can improve the efficiency of their operations, identify new growth opportunities and improve customer service. Big data analytics can help businesses understand customer needs and preferences, enabling them to develop more effective products and services. Additionally, big data analytics can help organisations understand customer behaviour, identify trends, and make more accurate predictions about customer behaviour.
- Big data analytics can help organisations make more informed decisions. By leveraging the power of big data, organisations can gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, trends, and preferences, and use that insight to develop more effective strategies, products, and services. With the help of big data analytics, businesses can stay competitive in the digital economy and stay nimble enough to adapt to changing market conditions.
What is the importance of Big Data Analytics in Digital Transformation?
The advent of big data analytics has made digital transformation more accessible than ever. The potential benefits of this technology are immense, as businesses can leverage its insights to drive innovation and uncover new opportunities for growth.
On the one hand, the digital transformation enabled by big data analytics can provide businesses with a wealth of information and insights to help them make better decisions. For example, predictive analytics can help companies anticipate customer needs and trends, allowing them to better tailor their products and services. It can also be used to identify patterns and correlations between different data points, allowing companies to better understand their customers and target their marketing efforts more effectively.
On the other hand, the digital transformation enabled by big data analytics has some potential downsides. For example, data privacy and security can be at risk if companies are not careful about how they collect and store data. Additionally, companies must ensure that their data is accurate and up-to-date, otherwise the information they obtain may not be reliable. Finally, there is a risk of bias in the data if the dataset is not representative of the population.
Conclusion
Overall, the digital transformation enabled by big data analytics can be a powerful tool for businesses to uncover new insights and opportunities. However, it is important that companies take steps to protect data privacy and security and ensure that the data they use is accurate and representative. With the right precautions in place, businesses can reap the benefits of big data analytics and digital transformation.
Are you looking to leverage big data analytics to digitally transform your business?
Partner with Hidden Brains Africa today.
We are a Software and IT consulting company that helps African businesses scale their businesses through technology.
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