There is beginning to be a backlash against the idea of “Big Data” in retail. This backlash does not stem from a rejection of Big Data itself, but from the frustration of trying to make the Big Data trend work in the real world of omni-channel retailing. The problem often stems from the idea that compiling more data is the only thing a retailer needs for success. It is true that one needs to collect a lot of data in E-Commerce, but that is only the beginning.
Data Is Useless Unless It Is Used
The reason why some retailers are beginning to weary of the Big Data bandwagon is simple: they have no idea what to do with all that information.
It’s like a hungry person who never learned to cook wandering into a kitchen stocked with basic ingredients. The stuff to make a meal is there, but the knowledge and confidence to combine those ingredients successfully is not. Another illustration would be a thirsty person standing by Niagara Falls, knowing that if a cup is put into the water it will be swept out of your hand.
Big Data is like that — lots of potential, lots of power, but useless unless it is used. For the retailer who has added an online channel, the stream of data turns into a waterfall of potential power that needs to be harnessed or a fully-stocked kitchen ready for the chef.
Data Must Be Accessible End-To-End
ChainDrive’s E-Commerce Gateway does more than add to the data being collected by the retailer’s online channel. It utilizes the centralized database and connects the webstore to everything else — from the back office to the plans for the future.
That connection is the beginning of great things. The power of having all the data is harnessed for intelligent analysis. The potential of having all the basic ingredients at hand is fulfilled by creative action that satisfies the specific need. It’s Big Data better.
See how it happens in this free live demo.