Interview with Carme Artigas from Synergic Partners

This blog post is part of the Big Data Week Speaker interviews series. Enjoy reading!

1. Why is it important for businesses to be more data driven nowadays?

In the past, business decisions were made based on speculations and intuitions that lead to misleading results. Today, thanks to Data Science and Advanced Analytics we rely more on accurate data that makes the business decisions approach from being reactive to becoming predictive.

This predictive approach leads to gaining new insights from your business and customers and it gives the possibility of adapting your product or service to what the customer requires making you stand out from your competitors.

2. What are the main challenges a company encounters when trying to leverage their data?

The main challenge many businesses face today is not knowing what to do with their data, how to analyze it or how to get readable results from it. In addition, there is a lack of organizational structure that hampers the needed cultural change in the business. Finally, there is a lack of profiles that can work with data as they need new capacities, skills and technological knowledge from a business perspective.

3. How do you see the impact of big data in the business landscape?

The impact of Big Data has been a game changer in the past years and there are two perspectives. On the one hand, from a business point of view, Big Data is shaking the business as now the big fish is not eating the small one but the skilled and agile fish is eating the slow one. The successful one is the one who adjusts to changes. On the other hand, from a consumer´s perspective, Big Data is changing the way products or services are demanded as they expect them to be more personalized.

4. What do you foresee as being the growing big data challenge you will face in your role over the coming 3 years, and how are you preparing to face it?

The most important growing area for Big Data in the following years will be the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact in all aspects of business, from customer relationships to production chain automation. This, along with the exponential growth in the number of sensors (IoT) and new paradigms such as blockchain will dramatically change the face of many industries. We are already adopting these two key technologies in our projects and are developing new areas of expertise to support our client companies in the challenges they will face both in their organizations and the disruptions this will bring to their industries.

5. Can you give us a sneak peek into your talk at the “Big Data in Use” Conference | Big Data Week London 2016?

I will talk about the concept of blockchain and the impact of these new technologies in the finance sector. I will also cover other topics such as making best business decisions using prediction markets and making microfinance profitable using smart contracts.

6. Who do you think should attend your talk at Big Data Week? Why?

My talk will be oriented to all types of executives from the more sceptical that refuse to admit that things are changing to the ones who think this will evolve to a bigger revolution. Directors, Team Leaders, CEOs, analysts all are invited if they are interested in this sector and are data lovers.

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