Big success with data stems from simplicity and strategy

Decision makers are too often dazzled by the allure of big data that they implement plans that do not help them achieve their business goals. Simply gathering piles of data from multiple channels and running them through an analytics tool does not guarantee users will see the results they expect, according to ?GigaOM. 

To demonstrate this conflict, the source quotes Basho CTO Justin Sheehy who recently presented at Structure:Data 2013. 

Sheehy said, "Strategy is not about how you do things. Strategy is about why you do things, and why you do things is about you ... Start asking questions about why your business should take a specific course of action or not."

Another misconception is that big data needs to be complicated to generate valuable insights, reports Phil Simon in a recent post for the Data Roundtable blog. Simon explains that while there are hidden gems of information in some data, which can be unleashed with the right tools, adding new content can actually hamper data quality. 

In an example of this circumstance, Simon describes an instance in which a company deployed a new (and "better") timekeeping system to gather data about employee absenteeism. However, the company's needs were relatively simple and the influx of codes, tables and reports actually made it more difficult to extract necessary facts.