Still new and disruptive, Big Data technology can be complex to implement and use. The cultural and process implications can be daunting. Sand Hill Group conducted in-depth interviews with executives responsible for Big Data initiatives at 25 large enterprises with combined annual revenues exceeding $1.4 trillion, in addition to surveying 160 real-world practitioners, to understand their successes and setbacks in the adoption of Big Data. Their insights and recommendations are the basis for the Sand Hill Group’s prescription for implementing and using Big Data solutions. This presentation shares some of Sand Hill Group’s research findings. The full 54-page report is available for purchase from http://bit.ly/SH_BD_14_S.

1. Mindset over Data Set
Big Data Prescription for Setting the Market Pace
January 2014
Bradley Graham
M. R. Rangaswami
© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

2. "Using the status quo approaches, tools and
applications moving forward is like bringing
a knife to a gun fight."
- CIO, Financial Services Company
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

3. The Situation
• The market conversation is split
– Lofty strategic-level opportunities and impact (consultants)
– Detailed product-specific capabilities and
applications (vendors)
• Resulted in a challenging situation for
corporate management
– Given the hype, noise, confusion, cost, etc.
how do we move forward in a thoughtful
and responsible way?
• Created a need for a practical,
lightweight and scalable prescription
for implementing Big Data
– Based on the experiences and insights
of those who have successfully navigated
the complexities
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

4. Research Methodology
Panel
Executive Panel
Technology Panel
Membership
• 25
• 135
Company Size
• Global 1000-class
• Range of sizes (small to large)
Titles
• Vice president and above (80%)
• Director (20%)
• Mix of titles (from analytic
developer to CEO)
Roles
• Big Data thought leaders and
practitioners
• Big Data practitioners and
business sponsors/users
Focus
• Successes and setbacks in the
adoption and use
• Current/future uses
• Satisfaction
Methodology
• Confidential 1:1 interviews
• Questionnaire (completed by 23)
• Electronic survey
• Panel encompassed technology and non-technology, consumer and
industrial, and regulated and unregulated businesses
• Enabled the identification of common and transferable practices
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

5. A Strategic Priority
• The preponderance of companies
view Big Data as a strategic
priority
– Few explicitly reference Big Data in
their strategic plan
24%
Big Data
as a
Strategic Priority
76%
– Primarily an enabler to attaining a
strategic objective
• Those that don't fall into three
distinct categories of companies:
– De rigueur
– Early adopter
– Limited applicability
Yes
No or Not Sure
All agree that getting started is critical
5
© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

6. The Transformative Potential
Transformation
Operational
Enhance the way the
business operates today
Tactical
Enhance customer
relationships and
competitive agility
Strategic
Enhance the long-term
business potential
Type of Results
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improved customer service
Improved quality
More efficient processes
Increased productivity and effectiveness
Reduced downtime
Improved inventory management (reduced outages and excesses)
Reduced fraud rates
•
•
•
•
•
•
Better customer segmentation and more targeted offers
Increased revenue per sale
Improved customer loyalty (reduced churn)
Improved products
Development of new products
Development of new applications for existing products
•
•
•
•
Identify new lines of business
Identify new product categories within existing lines of business
Access new customer segments
Access new geographical markets
Accomplishing 2 or 3 of these can be market changing
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

7. "Big Data is more than just about databases
and tools. If we as a company don't change,
we'll never be able to harness the value of
the data."
- CIO, Consumer Products Company
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

8. The Big Data Mindset
• Big Data requires a cultural shift:
– A new view of the company
– Exploration with a clear purpose and
a fail early approach
– Willingness to change perspectives
– Act based on causation rather
than correlation
• Must be driven from the top level
of the company
The Big Data mindset is critical to uncovering and
exploiting the latent potential of data
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

9. Data Fusion Continuum
Data Aware
Lower
Data Driven
Data Derived
Data Fusion
Higher
"You don't need to be Google. You just need
to think like Google. Constantly explore,
learn and adapt."
- Director, Technology Company
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

10. Applying Big Data
Application Area
Targeting
Using
Marketing
61%
39%
Product/Service Development
61%
30%
Internet Presence
52%
35%
• The business impact depends on the question posed (i.e.,
what Big Data solutions are intended to illuminate)
• Initial use: Well-contained yet addresses a meaningful need
• Follow-on applications: Opportunities that flow directly from
the strategy are a prudent place to start
10
© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

11. Solid Progress with More to Come
• Significant progress in both
panels
Initiative Status
(by Panel)
48%
Using multiple analytics
11%
22%
Deployed first solution
10%
– Results are justifying
continued investment
– Implemented a systematic
approach
13%
19%
Developing first solution
9%
Planning/Prioritizing
16%
9%
Exploring and educating
44%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Percent of Panel
Executive Panel
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.
• Executive panel has
progressed further in its
adoption of Big Data
solutions
Technology Panel
• Use of multiple analytics
can encompass both basic
and advanced solutions
• Expect a significant move
toward advanced analytics
over the next 12 - 18 months

12. Satisfaction is Driving Continued Investment
• Higher overall satisfaction
among business sponsors
and users relates to:
Satisfaction with Big Data
(By Role)
– More profound insights
– More effective actions
10%
Business sponsor/user
61%
29%
• Technology panel's higher
than expected satisfaction
is likely attributed to:
49%
35%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Percent of Role
Better Than
12
– Success with the technology
– Producing results that
satisfied the business
stakeholders
16%
Technology/Analytics
professional
Meets
© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.
Less Than
80%
• Technology panel was
frustrated by:
– Skills and resource shortage
– Evolving nature of the
technology

13. The Impact of Big Data
Industry
Use Case
Distribution
Health Care
Reservoir management
Retail
© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.
Patient readmission
Oil and Gas
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Inventory management
Seasonal promotions

14. The Big Data Realities
• Big Data can generate
substantial benefits
• It is a still new and
disruptive technology that
can be complex
to implement and use
• The cultural, organizational
and process implications
can be daunting
• The learning curve can be
long and expensive
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

15. The Prescriptive Answer
• People
– Cultivating the Big Data mindset and building the organizational
capabilities
• Approach
– Implementing a collaborative process to ensure a portfolio-level view when
assessing, making and tracking Big Data investments
• Core platform
– Establishing the necessary competencies, functions and assets
• Ecosystem partners
– Building a critical group of product and service providers that augment
and edify internal resources
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

16. Big Data Research from Sand Hill Group
• Mindset over Data Set: A Big Data Prescription
for Setting the Market Pace
– Presents powerful learnings of some of the most
successful implementers of enterprise Big Data
– Provides prescriptive executive-level guidance for
adopting and using Big Data
– Use as a planning guide or benchmarking tool
– Purchase at http://bit.ly/SH_BD_14_S
• Do You Hadoop? A Survey of Big Data
Practitioners
– Clarifies Big Data (Hadoop-based) initiative status
– Identifies pain points and barriers to adoption
– Illuminates usage changes over the next 12-18
months
– Use as a benchmarking tool
– Download at http://bit.ly/SH_H2014
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.

17. Thank you!
Bradley Graham
Executive Director, Carpe Datum Rx
bgraham@Amberoon.com
CarpeDatumRx.com
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© 2014 Sand Hill Group. All rights reserved.