Big Data and Data Analytics

06/02/2025
Externa World

A strategic revolution in the way of doing business

Big Data is capable of solving multiple business challenges

The use of Big Data and Data Analytics has become a core business need for today’s business world.

In an increasingly digitalised and globalized market, entrepreneurial success will depend even more on the ability to transform data into concrete and effective actions. It is in this highly competitive business environment that companies are constantly looking for different ways to optimize their business strategies.

Therefore, to maximize their business results, improve the operational efficiency of production processes and personalize the experience with customers, organizations are using Big Data and data analytics. Both, if well implemented, are strategic and effective tools for achieving success in the business world.

In the book Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier, authors explore how massive data analytics has changed the way we make decisions, work, and live. The ability to handle large volumes of data has radically changed the way we make decisions, removing the limitations of working with only small samples and allowing deeper analysis in real time.

As Mayer-Schönberger and Cukier point out in their book, we are in the age of big data, and organizations that don’t harness their potential will fall behind their competition.

In sales outsourcing, this transformation is reflected in the way data is captured, processed and used to improve operational efficiency. Businesses no longer rely solely on historical surveys or analyses; they can now base their strategies on constantly updated data and algorithms that predict trends with great accuracy.

What is Big Data?

Big Data is a process that analyzes and interprets large volumes of data, both structured and unstructured, and allows remotely stored data to be used by companies as a basis for decision-making.

Therefore, the use of Big Data in sectors such as marketing, finance, sales, customer service, among others; it is a way to take advantage of the data that are generated on a daily basis and that well used and managed, can promote the growth and development of the company. Their practical use in sales, human resource management, finance, marketing strategies, new product development and design, inventory control, etc.; is essential.

Its use process consists of analysing and interpreting large volumes of data, in order to identify: new business opportunities, processes whose costs can be reduced, Definition and reformulation of product characteristics/uses according to new needs identified in the consumer; increase customer satisfaction by responding promptly to their concerns and needs; more assertive decision making; etc.

Why is the use of Big Data important today?

Collecting large volumes of data and finding trends within the world of data is enabling companies to move faster, more effectively, efficiently and with the ability to measure results.

It is proven that the use of big data has provided organizations with answers to many questions they didn’t even know they had. Data analysis provides a reference point for them to understand their problems in a more affordable way and thus be able to find solutions aligned with business objectives. It enables them to reduce costs, make decisions more effectively and consciously, and promotes their ability to know and measure customer needs and openness to offer new products that are more in line with their personal needs.

Transforming decision making with Data Analytics

Strategic data-driven decisions have replaced intuition in most industries, and the sales sector is no exception.

Companies outsourcing their sales can use data analysis to adjust business strategies in real time; measure the performance of sales teams: KPIs like conversion rate, closing time and ROI, to assess the effectiveness of sales outsourcing; reduce operating costs, as detailed data analysis helps optimize resources and reduce waste in unnecessary business efforts; identify opportunities for cross-sellingselling and up-selling through a detailed analysis of customer behaviour, where opportunities to increase the value of each sale can be identified; among many other measurable actions.

In business terms, Big Data is the process by which data is collected, analyzed and converted into readable information that is feasible to be used for the benefit of a company. Its basic operation consists of three phases which can be summarized in: data capture and storage, data processing, and subsequent analysis.

Innovative proposals in the data revolution

We live in a time when the data revolution allows us to approach innovative proposals in the world of business and sales, recognizing then some fundamental ideas and possibilities that provide us Big Data and data analysis, which we must value:

Shift focus on data analysis: Instead of relying on small samples and extrapolations, Big Data allows you to work with huge volumes of information, reducing the margin of error and increasing the accuracy in decision making.

Importance of correlation over causality: With Big Data, the focus shifts from finding exact causes to identifying patterns and correlations in data that can predict trends or behaviors.

The value of imperfect data: In large volumes, data does not need to be perfect to be useful. Small errors are diluted and analysis continues to provide valuable information.

New business opportunities: The ability to analyze data in real time has allowed for the emergence of new industries and information-based business models, such as extreme personalization in marketing and supply chain optimization.

Risks and challenges: The authors also warn of the dangers of big data, such as loss of privacy, algorithmic bias and concentration of power in those who control this data.

Big data allows you to anticipate trends and predict future behaviors, and with it, a company can anticipate market demands and satisfy consumers' needs, even long before they can recognize the need or manifest it.

Therefore, through this strategic tool, some of its most important functions are: accurate predictions (to anticipate trends and predict behaviors); process optimization (data analysis allows identifying problems and areas of improvement); customer proximity and personalization (to improve satisfaction and loyalty); and informed decision making.

Benefits of using Big Data in the sales area

When companies decide to use big data for decision-making, sales teams can:
• Identify potential customers accurately, as data analysis allows you to segment audiences and focus commercial efforts on prospects with the highest conversion potential.
• Optimize lead management, because automation and predictive analytics help prioritize opportunities and design more effective approach strategies.
• Personalize the customer experience since, by studying consumer behaviour, it is possible to offer products or services tailored to their specific needs.
• Anticipate market trends by the opportunity of data intelligence to anticipate changes in demand and identify emerging opportunities.

Big data and data analytics represent a significant competitive advantage for those companies that decide to employ these strategies. However, success in its implementation will depend on how data is handled, ensuring its quality, security and ethical use as, as technology advances, opportunities for improvement will continue to expand but so will the associated challenges, as privacy and algorithmic bias.

In this scenario, those organizations that manage to balance innovation and responsibility will be the ones leading the digital transformation of the future.