Connor Ross

The Use of Big Data

As the years go by, we are hearing more and more about the importance of Big Data in Data Analytics. As you would guess, big data is just what it sounds like; a large collection of data. Before Big Data was used, organizations might not have had a clear and accurate understanding of their audience. Since Big Data was incorporated in analytics, it has helped organizations grow including new revenue opportunities, better marketing strategies, and competitive advantages over rival organizations.

Though my Data Analytics course at Temple University, I have used Big Data to gather information and conduct an accurate analysis to answer common questions that organizations face daily. In class, we have used different software to help analyze Big Data including MySQL and Tableau. MySQL is a database management system that can help businesses store, process, and retrieve their data. It also serves as a database server in which other software applications can use the data stored in MySQL. Tableau is an example of an application that can use the data stored in MySQL. Tableau extracts the data, transforms it into an analysis-ready format, and then loads the data into the analytical data store. This process helps businesses obtain a more accurate analysis.

A common example of the use of Big Data is how Amazon helps predict what you will buy based not only your shopping history but other customer’s shopping history as well. This can be seen on Amazon’s website as “Frequently bought together” or “Customers who bought this item also bought”. The use of big data has helped businesses in presenting new revenue opportunities, provide better and more accurate marketing strategies, and earn a competitive advantage over rival organizations.