With big data, it’s the little things that count

Big data has become one of the most notable enterprise IT trends to emerge in recent years. This stems largely from other industry developments, including the emergence of social media, video and IP telephony – all of which present companies with a wealth of valuable, albeit unstructured, information.

To make sense of this information, many companies are turning to big data analytics, which enables them to leverage the data found in these various resources to improve their decision-making capabilities. Companies process massive amounts of data to help them determine what areas of business are working, what needs to be adjusted and how this can be accomplished.

However, even though large volumes of information are being processed, one industry observer noted that it is often the little things that make the biggest differences. Writing for CNET, Peter Yared, CTO of CBS Interactive, asserted that “little data constitutes the nuts and bolts metrics of running a business.”

Monitoring and managing “little metrics,” Yared stated, can create significant opportunity for companies, giving them greater insight to their operations. Yared noted that it is often the simple things that make the differences here, as adjusting one small obstacle – as opposed to sweeping changes – can make everyone’s life easier in a pinch.

As more companies embrace cutting-edge technology trends, they are likely to be drawn to big data analytics as well. As this development unfolds, businesses will establish best practices – like looking for the little things – to help make big data more valuable.