Collecting and using data has been a part of doing business since at least the Second Industrial Revolution. However, right now, we’re in the middle of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also called Industry 4.0., and the way companies use business intelligence now and how they used it nearly 100 years ago are completely different.

Big data is behind many of the best business decisions over the past two decades. By using data appropriately, you can get incredible insights into best practices, your business processes, supply chain management, customer behavior analysis, and much more. If it sounds like that’s a lot of data, that’s because is, and that’s why it’s called “big data.” The good news is that you don’t have to have a master’s degree in data science to wield the power that advanced analytics holds. Continue reading to learn how to use data analysis to make your company more efficient, customer-friendly, and profitable.

What is big data?

It’s highly unlikely that you haven’t heard of big data, as it’s been one of the most pervasive phenomena of business technology over the past couple of decades. However, most people still don’t understand data analytics, what it has to do with their business, and how it affects everyday life.

Really, it’s quite simple. As you know, data is merely information, and big data simply means a lot of information, and we mean a lot! What makes big data special is the data science techniques used to extract, process, and yield obscure data in a format that’s tangible, palatable, and actionable, otherwise called actionable insights by data analysts.

Data scientists use data analysis to gain a better understanding of human behavior and how it relates to their industry and company. Using different enterprise applications, big data yields observations about the consumer psyche that you could only get in applied behavior analysis masters programs. However, with DaaS, anyone can get these insights. In the next section, you’ll learn what DaaS is and how it can help make any business more efficient and profitable.

DaaS, say what?

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If you’re not a data scientist, you’re probably wondering, “What is DaaS?” DaaS is short for data as a service, and once spelled out, it’s pretty self-explanatory. DaaS solutions are offered as a SaaS and offer everything from applied behavior analysis to get an understanding of what drives consumers and supply chain management analysis to help you find raw materials at premium prices.

DaaS providers offer their DaaS platform, as well as consulting, to help you utilize their SaaS and data storage in their data center to help save space on your on-premise systems. Being that the vendor manages the SaaS, you get the advantage of having an IT team that’s intimately familiar with the enterprise application and its functions.

DaaS makes data easier to use and more secure.

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If you were to go to every successful small business in the United States, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t use some form of DaaS system to help manage their data. In fact, DaaS is even used in online education to provide online students with as similar an experience to the on-premise or campus experience as possible.

Having a DaaS platform gives companies the agility, scalability, and reliability they need in a robust virtual data center that promotes streamlining and business continuity. With a virtual desktop or dashboard that yields data sets from various data sources, you get the insights your company needs to expand its customer base, cut operational costs, and develop new products.

Not all DaaS systems are created equally, and you need a system with a variety of settings and features like a virtual desktop interface (VDI) and data integration tools. Choosing the right DaaS and cloud provider could take your business to new heights.