Big Data Delays the Inevitable

Just because companies have cheaper storage hardware and more computing power it doesn’t mean they have to spend their savings on Big Data solutions. Most IT shops know their content better than their CIO thinks they do, plus it’s sexy to boast of a Big Data search engine applying algorithms to discover more revenue opportunities. For example, finding potential ICD10 billable work in doctor’s notes at a hospital.

But, aren't most Big Data solutions masking poor information management of the past? Is it really trying to help create better tools and quality control for potential negligent information processing?

In CIO (March 16, 2016) “Is Enterprise content management becoming obsolete and irrelevant?” article, Mitch De Felice builds on the common lament of AI and Big Data marketing that most data is unstructured. Unstructured by whose definition? I’ve seem search algorithms be applied to very structure databases to mine for gold. Some algorithms are benevolent, others are malignant. Some search for patterns and breakthroughs, others for revenue opportunities.

Mitch says, “ECM vendors need to shift their view from data storage to knowledge management.” This has been happening for 30 years. It’s not easy to squeeze knowledge out of “just good enough” data entry. ECM vendors have from day one been offering workflow, indexing, relationships between content and metadata, etc. It’s more fruitful to why “knowledge workers” continue to drag their feet and purchase only the bare minimum of ECM modules.

Inevitably, multiple waves of information management process overhaul will happen. These waves will force much more structure underneath the software tools. Big Data is the option now because most companies are stuck with poor information QC on top of applications that are expensive and difficult to change quickly, let alone retraining Users to provide more knowledge.