The impact of big data on company decision making…

“Just because you can measure everything doesn’t mean you should” said W. Edwards Deming the American engineer, statistician and professor. I wonder what he would make of the era of big data.

Today the amount of data available for analysis in organisations continues increase exponentially. Creating the significant challenge of how to translate the data effectively into useful information. New roles appear in organisations such Analytics Translators who work between Data Scientists, Data Architects, Data Analysts and the rest of the organisation. These roles created to manage the overwhelming wave of data washing over organisations and individuals. But how many organisations really start by looking at what information is significant and why before seeking the data they need?

Looking at too much data can be as harmful as looking at the wrong data. Looking at the right data means asking the right questions first and foremost. Another W. Edwards Deming quote “If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.” He might have added – no matter how big your data is…