Big Data

Gaining a competitive
advantage
Student ID: 1209882
BS2907

2014 CGI GROUP INC.

Proprietary and confidential

Table of contents
1

What is big data___________________________________________________________1

How is big data being used_________________________________________________2

2.1

UNDERSTAND AND TARGET CLIENTS________________________________________2

2.2

UNDERSTAND AND OPTIMISE BUSINESS PROCESSES__________________________2

2.3

PERSONAL QUANTIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE OPTIMISATION_______________2

2.4

OPTIMISE MACHINE AND DEVICE PERFORMANCE_____________________________2

How are competitors within the same sector using big data______________________4

Why should CGI invest and develop__________________________________________6

How will it give CGI a competitive advantage in the market_______________________7

What is the potential for growth______________________________________________9

Conclusion______________________________________________________________12

Appendix A___________________________________________________________________________14

2014 CGI GROUP INC.

Proprietary and confidential

What is big data

The word Big Data is used to describe information that is of an immense size which
has not previously been known. It references to the use of a technology which assesses
and analyses the huge quantities of data, this enables the analyser to gain a greater
understanding and more information about organisations, machines, people and groups
of people and their behavior. Big Data refers the huge growth in the availability and
automated use of information and the speed of which it can be accessed, analysed and
used. The term also refers to the incredibly sized digital data sets hosted by
corporations, governments and large organisations. The data is analysed by using
computer algorithms. The main use of big data is to identify trends and correlations
from collected information, this enables organisations to adapt their marketing
strategies, and improve both external and internal processes. The business world has
only recently begun to realise the potential benefits that big data could impose. 1

In abstract, big data is just another name for the same old data marketers have always
used, except, with the potential for more information. The data is collated into a
database, and then tools run analytics against the data to find relevant correlations
and information. It is something that organisations and employees should be
embracing not fearing. 2

How is big data being used

Big data is currently being used within organisations to perform analysis to capture
numerous trends in information. These enable the performing organisation to do the
following:

2.1

Understand and Target Clients

Using an example from Amazon, they are able to learn everything about their
customers during a customer service call. This enables Amazon to understand their
clients needs thoroughly and be able to target them with the information the customer
wants to hear. This keeps the customers happy and content. 14

2.2

Understand and Optimise business processes

Big data is being used to optimise business processes. An example is that retailers are
able to optimise their stock based on predictions gathered from forms such as social
media data, web search trends and something as farfetched as weather forecasts. 15

2.3

Personal Quantification and Performance Optimisation

Big data isnt just for companies and governments but also for people like you and me.
We can now benefit from the data generated from newly released wearable devices,
like smart watches or smart bracelets. The wearable device collects data on our activity
levels, calorie consumption and even our sleep patterns. It enables individuals to gain
useful insights. 15

2.4

Optimise Machine and Device Performance

Big data analytics enable machines and devices become smarter. An example being
the Google self driving car. The car is fitted with cameras, GPS and powerful computers
enabling the car to safely drive on the road without any input from human beings. 15

There are many more ways that big data is being used, but there are too much to
include in this document.
A book that I would recommend for further reading would be; Big Data: A Revolution that will transform how
we live, work and think. By Viktor Mayer-Schonberger.

How are competitors within the same sector

using big data

According to a survey conducted by research house Gartner, some 64% of companies

planned to invest in big data technology in 2013, if they had not already done so.

A separate Gartner survey of 398 government CIOs based around the World revealed
that big data analytics is viewed as a top two priority, the other being replacing legacy
systems. 3

The majority of datasets that the Ministry Of Defence creates or collates falls into the
big data category.
An example of a competitor that is using big data in the same sector (defence) is EMC.
EMC is a global leader in enabling organisations in both private and public sector to
transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. In the past 10 years EMC has

The UK does not have a single national identity database so it is

not possible to retrieve reference information relating to an
individual citizen from a single authoritative source. With
previous generations of technology, this often meant there was
no alternative to storing multiple copies of the same data (or
simply coping without some of the data altogether). Modern
technology, however, can enable fragments of related
information to be matched and linked together quickly and nonpersistently. This can be used to streamline transactions
reducing the scope for errors and avoiding asking people to
provide the same information multiple times.
For example, when you apply for a UK driving license online, the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA) requires a photograph and signature for your new license. If you
have a UK passport then the DVLA will try to capture these electronically from the
information already held by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS). This is often held up
as an example of how simple changes can deliver practical improvements for end-users.

invested $33billion to build industry leading capabilities in cloud, and big data.

14

Why should CGI invest and develop

CGI should invest and develop in big data because it has the potential to improve the
quality of products and services. It can help CGI better understand customers. It can
reduce liability risks.

Businesses that fail to construct and implement a big data strategy are putting
themselves at a competitive disadvantage.

More Reasons as to why CGI should invest and develop are detailed throughout this
document. For direct identification please refer to pages XX.

What capabilities would CGI require to make

money in this market

How will it give CGI a competitive advantage in

the market

A Statement from Intel states the following:

Firms that actively invest in big data can achieve a 20% Competitive advantage 5

Big Data has the potential to give CGI a competitive advantage in the market, because
it is an opportunity for CGI to deliver innovative changes to current organisational
processes.
It would enable CGI to utilise the most modern technologies and data analytic
techniques to capture trends and insights in the information that is gathered.

This

could be that needed differentiating factor that separates CGI from their competition. 6

In 2013 SAS institute Incorporated ran a survey of over 2,500 participants within 24
different

industries.

The

survey

had

over

30

detailed

questions

about

how

organisations are using data to advance their business objectives. The companies in
this survey included known names such as Linked In, PayPal and PepsiCo.
67 percent of participants in this survey reported that their companies are gaining a
competitive advantage from their use of analytics within big data; this is an
improvement from 58 percent in 2012 and 37 percent in 2010. 7. This is something
that CGI could be part of, and be at the positive, beneficial and competitive end of
these statistics.

The term big data or analytics is sometimes misunderstood and seen as a scary subject
for many managers, but analytics within big data does have the potential to inform the
key decision makers, which could pave the way to improved decisions. Although by
using analytics itself does not actually make the decisions, input from analytics can
help existing knowledgeable, experienced and intelligent people make better decisions,
such as managers.
Creating a competitive advantage in the market from big data requires both the big
data itself and also the skills of the analytics professional. 8

What is the potential for growth

For organisations to be able to compete in a worldwide connected economy, they need

to be able to have a thorough understanding of their clients and potential clients,
products, competitors, suppliers and employees, just to name a few.

To gain this type of understanding, it requires the efficient usage of information and
analytics siphoned from big data. Including their employees, most organisations
consider information to be their most valuable and competitive asset, and I agree with
this, it is not possible, or every easy at the least to be able to compete in a market
place if you have no information about it.

Organisations across the globe are finding out about new ways to compete and win
within the very competitive market place. Organisations are adapting themselves to
take the full advantage of the vast mass of available information to improve decision
making and performance throughout the organisation. 9

By adapting these big data analytical techniques would potentially enable CGI to be at
the forefront of innovation and enable them to expand and grow in the market place.
This will be able to be put into motion because CGI will then have a great
understanding of the market place, enabling them to pursue and create products that
will win the market over and expand the organisation in large.

An increase in growth cannot just be had by CGI using the data effectively, but by the
actual big data market growing. A report from Pinsent Masons statistically reports that
the big data market net will grow from 3.2 billion dollars in 2010 to 16.8 billion dollars
in 2015. 10 A drastic increase of 425% over 5 years, the big data market currently sits

at 16.1 billion dollars. 11 An increase of 4.25 is then predicted over the course of the
next year.

Big data has much potential to unlock large value by making information more
transparent.
There is still a large amount of data that is not yet captured in digital form, such as
data that is on paper, once this is eventually transferred into databases, it will unlock
much more value. And CGI could be doing this, as CGI create and store more data in
digital form, they would be able to collate more accurate and detailed performance
information in basically every subject area such as sick days and product inventories,
this would enable CGI to display variability and boost performance.
Currently some organisations are using the ability to collect and analyse big data to
create controlled experiments to make better management decisions.
Having CGI use sophisticated analytics could help improve decision making, minimise
potential risks, and uncover valuable information that may previously have stayed
hidden. For example, manufactures, such as apple, are using data obtained from
sensors that are embedded in their products to create innovative and market leading
after sales offerings, such as proactive maintenance to avoid failures in new products.
12

In Europe, government administrators have the potential to create more that $123
billion in operational efficiency improvements just by using big data. CGI could be at
the lead of this innovative technology, and have their name in $123 billion worth of
savings. 13

Conclusion

From this document I conclude that big data is something that should be grasped by
CGI, it is innovative and has the potential to make a whole load of differences to CGI
processes, enabling CGI to understand their clients better, cut down costs, and improve
security to name just a few.
Something that I had in mind was a big data solution for all the staff and products
within SD&NS.
There could be a solution that sits in the middle with all the BUs staff members
entered in and collated, with all their technical expertise. This would enable projects to
search for the right people they require, rather than rely on resourcing, which from
personal experience I have noted that they are not very reliable.

Also, it could be used as an inventory of stock, so projects can be loaned, or even

purchase products from other projects, rather than buying the items from external
suppliers, this would save the BU a whole load of money. SD&NS will also be able to
run analysis against the data to form trends, such as the times of year people are sick.

With this in mind, I am for SD&NS adopting big data analytical techniques, it has the
ability to organise everything, and make processes much easier.

Bibliography

There are no sources in the current document.