There have been a number of revolutions throughout history. From the Gracchi-inspired uprisings of Rome to the Russian Revolution that ousted the Tsars, the world has seen a number of historical contingencies that have changed the face of the world.

However, none compare to the data revolution that has taken control of the commercial, public and social spheres. With advances such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things, organisations have been forced to change their business plans as customers no longer follow traditional trajectories. 

What is the Data Revolution?

The sheer scale of change that is currently ongoing can make it hard to take the new order of things in. It will most probably lead to a transformation similar to the Industrial Revolution, where new wealth, prosperity and convenience were created on a massive scale. 

One of the reasons so many struggle to grasp the increasable vastness of the revolution is because it seems all to similar to what we already know. We have been using data and analytics for generations, using the insights collected to shape strategy and influence the decision-making process. Phrases such as data driven are not offspring of the digital age, but have been around for generations. 

Yet, data today is in no way the same as it was in the past. It is different for a number of reasons. We have the Internet of Things to thank for much of this. It facilities the capture of information automatically from a huge array of sensors embedded in just about anything we can think of. 

Speaking in Sydney, chief technology officer at Amazon Web Services, put this into perspective, the ABC reported. 

"Almost anything that draws a current will eventually become connected to a network," Mr Vogels told The World Today. "You will be able to talk to your oven, switch it on, and set the temperature to 200°."

New protocols such as Hadoop and Spark allow organisations to expand their data net further afield. These protocols allow us to aggregate that data and interpret and reinterpret it from millions of servers across the world. 

Add to the mix artificial intelligence machines such as IBM's Watson and our nearly unlimited computing power, we're able to identify and interpret patterns from both structured and unstructured data. The ability to analyse text, voice and even video means that our technology is not just connected to the physical world, but it can also understand it too.

Why should you become data driven?

The ways data is created and used in today's world create value for businesses in a number of ways. So let's take a look at some novel examples to examine how and where data is being used. 

One of the most illustrative use of data to drive business improvement is from the US. Courier company UPS installed tracking and telematic devices into more than 11,000 of its delivery vehicles back in 2010 and another 10,000 trucks by 2011. 

The device capture a range of information from more than 200 crucial data sources, including speed, RPM and oil pressure. The company's senior leadership team were using sensors in the fleet to determine a truck's performance and condition, as well as identify the actions drivers could take to yield improvements. 

The insights extrapolated from the data sets were used to enhance driver training and coaching. The results were (foreseeably) incredible: UPS significantly reduced its fuel consumption, emissions and maintenance costs, while also seeing enhancements in customer service and driver safety. 

How can you make data work for you?

When business leaders approach big data, they can forget that, like all projects, a big data initiative can fail if not executed correctly. First, you need to start with a problem. 

Many companies think that it's important to start with the solution: the product or service that is going to fix everything. However, if you begin your big data initiative with a problem, addressing a customer pain point or a stuck operational process, you know you are engaging with something that needs a remedy. UPS, for instance, wanted to lower maintenance costs, and by starting at this point, it allowed them to ensure that they were focussed.

Secondly, you need to ensure that your big data imitative begins at the core of your business, as that is where it is most needed. Humans process information poorly, it's a fact of nature. However, as information is important, workers find themselves spending a lot of time on informational tasks. 

Big data can free up time and space for workers so that they can focus on their core mission. Big data is most effective when it is improving workers' ability to do their jobs. 

If you would like to know more about the ways you company can do big data, talk to the experts at ANATAS.