Big data is another trend for 2013. Big data is meaningful analysis based on a significant amount of information. This growing trend has a lot of interest. In fact, Gartner research recently predicted that businesses will spend $34 billion next year on big data.
While there are many components and challenges to big data, data quality needs to be a part of any strategy. With the proliferation of data via a greater variety of channels, organizations are working with more information than ever before, but it can be hard to keep all of that information accurate.
The concept of big data can be divided into 5 categories and data quality fits within each.
- Volume is the amount of information stored and aggregated, which often lead to duplicate information and incorrect data entry.
- Variety focuses on the assortment of information, including structured and unstructured varieties. Most organizations struggle to even format data, thereby affecting analysis.
- Velocity is the speed at which data is acquired and accessed. Businesses need accurate data and a holistic view of the database to properly access data at the speeds required.
- Veracity is the accuracy of information, which is certainly related to data quality.
- Value is related to the business benefit for better data practices and aggregated analytics.
To gain the benefits of big data, businesses need to make sure the information feeding those analytics is accurate. Get as much structured information right within your system and put automated processes in place. These tools will allow you to ensure data quality and let staff spend more time on other aspects of your big data initiative.