Foreword
Undoubtedly, you’ve heard about big data, as it’s been all over the media for the last few years. But do you
really understand big data—as it relates to data and supply chain integration—and its impact on your busi-
ness, both now and in the future? No matter how you answered that question, this ebook will help you better
grasp the intricacies of big data and how to harness its power for the betterment of
your organization.
This ebook features a well-organized collection of insights from some of the
leading supply chain integration experts and thought leaders in the field, and it
covers a variety of pertinent topics related to big data and data integration:
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Separating facts from hype
Need for data scientists
Relational database relevancy
Corporate governance for data security and risk management
Managing data on a budget
Data’s impact on how you should look at your other systems
Ownership, asset value, and legal ramifications of data
The last chapter features an in-depth interview with Sandy Carter, IBM’s General Manager of Cloud Eco-
system & Developers. That discussion focuses on how Sandy defines social business, why data is integral to
that concept, and how any business can embed “social” in all of its processes to connect people, information,
and data to produce insights.
As a seasoned marketer who has evolved from a “marketing artist” to a “marketing scientist” over the past
decade or so, I really appreciate and have already benefitted from many of the ideas and insights in this eb-
ook. I have no doubt you will, too.
Kent Huffman
Fractional Chief Marketing
Officer & Principal
DigiMark Partners, LLC
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