What is dark data?
Have you ever heard about utilizing dark data? All of us have quite heard about the magnificent usage and discussion of Big Data. It is simply a huge amount of data, mostly unstructured, which companies generate in the process of their work.
If you wonder what Dark Data is, it is just the Big Data that is not visible to the plain sight. It is a hidden component of this huge database. It must be a slight surprise but most of that data is dark. It is mostly an untouched and unexplored part of the database mostly because its use is not yet identified properly. It is an underused asset demanding more insight and attention.
The future of dark data will be an important indicator of how enterprises function. It would definitely give entrepreneurs an edge over the competitors the better they know how to extract the most useful data out of the hidden repository.
Missed opportunities because of dark data – security thing
Obviously, due to the huge amount of dark data which statistics reveal it is also evident that the opportunities are also let down in the same proportions. The lack of time and resources needed to look into the data lead to a huge potential loss of opportunities.
Most organizations are not willing to use the data because of the presumption that it may not be useful and the outdated data would do no good to the company while also involving costs and time in its unraveling. However, that is precisely what companies are missing while making their systems and approaches in a demanding industry better and more logical.
- Missed data for better and informed consumer profiles.
- Missed out understanding of demand behavior.
- Missed forecasting assets.
- Missed customer retention and satisfaction.
If we are talking about a large amount of data, broad safety in the network, it would be hard not to mention DevOps.
Concerns from dark data
The risks and concerns associated with dark data are not menial, in fact, they are much important to be considered while assessing the use of this technology. Dark Data has its dark side, too. A business or organization may have sensitive data being provoked to varying amounts of risks.
The data may be misled and may reach unimportant or unnecessary places on further revocation. Legal and problematic ramifications may follow.
More active data usage means more risk of hacking and it is evident that dark data will just add up to the already existing amount of active data companies use.
How to make sense of dark data and convert it into useful data?
Most importantly, while revisiting old data you may need to consider proper cost-benefit analysis because much of the data may end up being of no use after the costs of extracting it are realized. The unnecessary data if left to linger may cause many problems so it is better to manage data so that it does not cause further hindrances. Reviewing and relooking into the dark data you may have stored should be a regular process, anything extra would only increase liabilities.
Proper usage of Dark Data
The value of a company can be increased with the proper and insightful usage of dark data in the analytical section of the company.
Climate Predictions – Dark Data can keep a lookout on the changing patterns of climate and the change in populations of indicator habitats. The comparative statics can help make effective conclusions about the companies. Restoration of data may help you look into some important clues.
Help from other advancements – Data does not need to work singularly, it is supposed to work in coherence with the evolving technological advancements and cognitive analytics entering the forefront of this industry. Important informational and operational insights may lead to better experimentation and opportunities for better business deals.
Including dark data in data analytics
- Managing Unstructured Data under management – Digital transformations aid in the inherent process of revisiting and selecting data for further use. A strategic data plan may increase the utility of working with it manifold.
- Exploiting obtained stuff – Data that has been made white or recovered needs to critically analyzed for its usage capability.
- Complement it with other data – Data from outside can help one form rational expectations along with the previously hidden data to impact major decisions.
- Curating data – This step is much more necessary than placing the data to use. The privacy, integrity, and quality of the data should not be compromised.
- Innovate the processes for looking into IoT – Plans for further implementation and pooling up of data should be made.
- Results showcased – Results should be analyzed so that the data can be segregated, curated or eliminated on the basis of its use.
Machine Learning to handle dark data
If the data written for humans is evaluated by computers, it may help create more efficient, unbiased results in terms of usage and implementation thus increasing our possibilities. The machine learning may thus help us create a better database and insights for the process.
The huge scale of data available with companies needs more effort with respects to humans working on it, the possibility of making machines work makes it quicker and more promising to the cause. Artificial Intelligence and ML may help us create common setups to generalize the huge amount of data and make it easily readable. The accuracy rate of higher orders is also more probable in this case.
Short term and long term – dark data
In the short term, the structural changes may take up some cost associated with the learning of data. However, considering the long term this definitely sounds like a cost-cutting mechanism due to the efficiency and consistency it may create over time. Dark Data may have its own share of risks but when it comes to the effective utilization of this concept for business boosts and better understanding the initial costs do not matter much.
Dark data should not be missed out!
Companies in this competitive age will aim at maximizing most of their approaches to get maximum benefits and proper machine-learning assets to handle the dark data may prove useful and promising in the long run. The stagnancy of businesses may be eliminated as a company would try to self-improve upon its hidden data. Dark Data is a challenge that should be taken constructively to add positive advantages to the existing businesses.
Andrzej Kopera • Sep 05
