Big Data is here to stay; it is now radically changing the world of consumers, citizens and organizations. Turning organizations’ data to the best account is one of the key elements of the digital transformation, offering more groundbreaking solutions and services that enable us to optimize the resources to hand.

All sectors are now busy setting up Big Data strategies but some pacesetters have already experienced the benefits of using technologies of this type in several of their projects. In this context, and with the aim of instructing professionals in this new paradigm, the ProCom Conference, put on by the Aragon Investigation, Development and Innovation Association (Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Aragón: IDIA), has set out the possible applications of data science to maximize the likelihood of project success. During the day-long conference Pablo González, GMV Data Scientist, gave a paper dealing with the difficulties met and lessons learned throughout his wealth of experience in Big Data projects.

During his speech the GMV expert stressed the various factors to be taken into account, such as the advantages of cross referencing the organization’s data sources, on the assumption they are made accessible to all employees. The key lies in connecting points, patterns and doing so in such a way as to make the client feel that what you are offering is on hand at this moment, in real time and for that particular client. He also mentioned the importance of building up solutions, rather than infrastructure, that are scalable. “One technology may be useful for collation purposes, another for filing and the other for high-speed data analysis” he argued. Another of the lessons learned in his projects was the data-storage opportunities offered by the cloud or the use of open source technologies that are free of charge and really useful for achieving the best result.

The value of the data comes from proper understanding, asking ourselves the right practical questions and using the replies and perspectives to back up decision making, “focusing on the value of your solution”. It is crucial here to take the quality of the data into account, keep an open mind about results and pinpoint and shed the information that is not useful. “Our slogan is; get it wrong a lot to learn quickly” summed up Gonzalez about the strategy followed by his team in the company, exploring hypotheses and ideas and obtaining results as soon as possible.

For over three decades now GMV has been carrying out a great variety of Big Data projects such as the prevention of banking fraud based on artificial intelligence, detection of cyberthreats and anomalies in datacenters, monitoring and analysis of internet publicity campaigns, management of clinical and epidemiological data, evidence-based clinical rehabilitation, optimizing of industrial processes, precision agriculture based on earth observation, knowledge management, preventive management of IT infrastructure, classification of documents and cognitive solutions with IBM Watson. But this is not all: GMV’s Data Scientist team continues to take on new challenges and tailor itself to client needs to improve the future for all of us.