Author: Justin Hesser

Big data has already helped doctors to diagnose and treat patients. Now, it can help to create the very drugs that will be prescribed.

Two researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, have created custom database software able to match cancer-linked genes to drugs, whether they be approved by the Food and Drug Administration or just entering the development pipeline. 

Obi Griffith, PhD, and Malachi Griffith, PhD, the identical twin brothers who developed the project, are experts in a field of science known as bioinformatics, which combines biology and computing. The discipline often involves analyzing large quantities of data, and after being repeatedly being asked whether lists of genes identified through cancer genome sequencing could be targeted with existing drugs, the brothers got their idea.

"It shouldn't take a computer wizard to answer that question," said Obi in an interview with the school's paper. "But in reality, we often had to write special software to find out. Now, researchers can quickly and easily search for themselves."

The custom database, which took years to develop, is freely available for all to use. It features more than 14,000 interactions involving 2,600 genes and 6,300 drugs that target those genes, along with another 6,700 genes that could eventually be the target of future drugs. The search function is easy and intuitive: users can enter the name of a single gene or lists of many genes to retrieve drugs targeting those genes. This data can inform researchers of how best to target genetic errors.

While it is informative, the database does not recommend treatment and is most valuable as an in-depth resource to further clinical research. Nonetheless, this is an exciting development in data management that will support life-saving experimentation.

There are few industries more straightforward, fundamentally, than trucking. You have a product and a destination, and you have to figure out the best way to get those two together. In an increasingly competitive economic landscape, however, this once-simple process could benefit from some complicated analysis. That's where custom web application development and big data could come in. 

A lot of companies already have business intelligence tools, which can effectively monitor past and present situations. The problem is, these sorts of tools are backwards-looking: They're very good at describing that a problem has already happened, but can't provide much predictive value. That's where large-scale data analysis comes in. 

Custom database models can be built to give past events greater forecasting value. Analytics can help determine the most fuel-efficient ways to travel, which in turn can give companies a better understanding of how fuel performance will affect their bottom line. Jeff Foster Trucking, a 225-truck carrier based in Superior, Wisconsin, is considering this variable heavily as it plans its purchase of 50 new trucks.

"In the purchasing world [0.1 to 0.2 miles per gallon] is a profound amount," says Dean Norrell, manager of operations and driver development in an interview to the Commercial Carrier Journal.

It can also help to map events. Knowing the likelihood of an outcome in a given situation could also prevent serious accidents. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, 456 truckers sustained fatal injuries on the job last year, the highest total of any single profession. While there is some danger inherent in any profession that involves driving, if companies can analyze patterns of when deadly accidents are most likely to happen, they can help to avoid them. 

Even for the most uncomplicated of tasks, the right application of big data principles can save time, money, and even lives. 

You might soon be able to help meteorologists as easily as you check your email. That’s the goal of the developers at OpenSignal, who have launched a new app called WeatherSignal that uses existing smartphone sensors to build a live map of atmospheric readings. The developers hope to use the application to eventually build custom database software that will be able to apply big data principles to weather forecasting.

There are some inherent drawbacks to using smartphones as weather sensors, however. People often keep their phones in their pockets, which obscures readings, and even the most advanced smartphones aren’t deliberately designed for meteorology. However, the first issue can be solved by using multiple sensor readings: The amount of light recorded can determine whether a phone is actually outside. The second issue can be alleviated through the power of big data.

One of the values of big data is that it allows imperfect data to be collected in large enough quantities to glean valuable insight. Smartphones are everywhere, and using them as weather sensors would mean millions of granular data points that could be used to derive correlative insight. Not only could such information be used to predict small shifts in daily weather, it could also help determine the probability of “outlier” weather events, such as hurricanes – knowledge that could save lives.

The next step is determining what role this massive amount of information can play when it comes to forecasting weather. The Birmingham University Climate Lab is working with the developers of WeatherSignal to determine the exact utility of this crowdsourced information. If successful, this would be a huge breakthrough for meteorology, and another example of the utility of custom database software.

While it may be lost in the hoopla that is big data, there is one very important element to the strategy that cannot be ignored: big data is going to change the way you do business. 

What do we mean by this? On the surface, it probably sounds like we're overstating the obvious. Of course big data is going to change the way business is done. It's going to allow decision makers to view and analyze information that was previously unavailable, providing companies with the ability to do things never thought possible. But there's far more to it than that. In short, big data is going to change everything about standard business operations.

That's the sentiment of a recent Forbes article titled "Why Big Data Matters." The article talks about the Bayesian inference, the act of making educated guesses and updating them after collecting new data that theoretically enhances the accuracy of these guesses. This was popular during World War II as it allowed soldiers to project the location of German subs, but it never caught on in the business world because there was simply not enough information for it to be practical. 

Instead, businesses mostly adopted the approach created by Ronald Fisher, which involves controlling every aspect of the prediction process. Essentially, it's a less effective method, but it was the best individuals could do with the limited information they have. However, given the growth of data volumes, that is changing dramatically. Because users have access to so much information, they can now trust that new data will consistently flow into their systems, allowing them to constantly update their projections. 

Greg Satell, the article's author, explained this in further detail.

"What you really need to know about big data is this:  [big data] represents a fundamental shift in how we do things," he wrote. "In effect, big data opens the door to a Bayesian approach to strategy where we no longer try to be 'right' based on controlled research and small samples, but rather become less wrong over time as real world information floods in."

The big data revolution is underway, but the only way your company can take advantage of it is if you have the right tools. A custom database software system made by FileMaker developers will allow you to embrace big data and change the way you do business for the better. 

No company wants to be behind the times or its competition when it comes to the latest technology. If other businesses hop on the bandwagon of innovative tools that customers flock to, those organizations are going to progress at a different rate than companies that sit back and wait. However, with so many "must have" devices and services hitting the market, which ones should business owners invest in?

A recent article from ZDNet attempted to answer this by looking at the top 2014 enterprise IT trends. While certain items, like the cloud and smart machines dominate the list, also near the top is software solutions. Whether it is mobile applications or HTML5, this is an area that cannot be ignored.

"Software defined everything," the article reads. "You've heard of software defined networking. And software defined data centers. Now get ready for software-defined everything. Vendors will beat this term to death because they are all trying to defend their turf while growing via adjacent markets. Here's the catch: Vendors aren't likely to support standards that in practice will take their core businesses away."

With more physical IT hardware options like servers going virtual, software appears to be on the verge of taking over. However, it is a system that can be complicated, especially for businesses that lack strong internal tech knowledge. By partnering with a software development firm, organizations receive a hand with custom application creation and ensure they have a solid foot in the future of business operations.

The concept of big data has been around for a number of years, and most organizations have learned how to leverage information into smart, profitable business decisions, but plenty of companies still struggle with the execution of information management strategies.

To maximize the impact of their information and to truly be successful as a business, organizations have to learn what roadblocks stand in the way between them and an effective big data strategy. An article in the online publication Health Data Management offers three possibilities: a failure to understand the right data management technologies, budgetary constraints and a lack of understanding of the breadth of big data possibilities.

While this article is focused on health care data, its principles can be applied in virtually every industry.

“Big data technologies offer a different model for managing, maintaining and mobilizing data,” the article says. “Implementing them provides an opportunity to look at the workload currently managed by those traditional – and possibly crumbling – environments in order to find ways to reach better outcomes more quickly and cost-effectively.”

So how do businesses clear these  hurdles? Finding the right technology is the most important component of a big data strategy, as it can help solve all three.

Consider FileMaker development. Using this platform to build data management tools can give you the functionality you need to properly monitor and process your seemingly endless volumes of information. A custom database software system is designed specifically for your operations, meaning it is the best solution for your needs.

FileMaker development can also help you get around budgetary concerns. While money is always a factor in any business decision, many FileMaker projects, particularly if you work with the right development firm, can be completed with less money and in a shorter amount of time than you might expect. FileMaker is a cost-effective platform designed to produce positive results and start delivering a return on investment right away.

Finally, the functionality of a FileMaker-based system will not only help you with your data management initiatives, it will allow you to do things with your information you may have never thought possible. A fully functional solution will let you collect, process and store information in a way that promotes efficiency and increases business productivity.

Databases and spreadsheets are used in companies all across the world. While each of these systems seems like a simple solution, there are a number of ways that individual businesses can implement them and find service providers to partner with. One of the top solutions is FileMaker.

A recent eHow article explained why a number of companies are turning toward FileMaker as their relational database engine software. It features an easy to use interface to retrieve, store and organize data without losing its capacity to handle large amounts of information. The usability is not determined by the user's level of computer literacy but with how easy it can be picked up and mastered.

"Small businesses and other groups, organizations and individuals also have uses and needs for databases," the article reads. "FileMaker Pro's user interface makes it so that these smaller users, with little to no financial resources, can start a database of their own without having to invest too much money or effort."

This means businesses do not need to outsource the construction of a database to an expensive third party but can instead create something more easily that is internal.

FileMaker also has a mobile application version known as FileMaker Go, which allows businesses to use the system and pair it with mobility, another major trend in the corporate landscape.

With the help of an IT consulting firm that specializes in FileMaker development, businesses of any size can implement the database solution and make sure the entire team is on the same page.

This blog has recently spent a considerable amount of time covering data governance, its relationship with big data and its impact on information quality. And while we are learning more about it all the time, we are still working to establish a true definition and the official role of those tasked with data governance. 

An article in the online publication Information Management attempts this by declaring data governance as the act of serving and protecting the organization. This makes sense to some extent. Data governance helps identify risk that can have severe consequences for the company and it also processes information in a way that best serves the business. For example, data governance can identify quality metrics to help with the sales and marketing teams.

This sounds simple, but as Michele Goetz, the article's author, points out, there's a bit more to it than that. For instance, one policy doesn't fit all when it comes to managing information. And, in many cases, data governance may only really mean to protect, because service is actually redundant.

Essentially, if there's a data governance plan in place that corrects mistakes and weeds out inappropriate information, there shouldn't be a need to spoon-feed certain individuals or departments with the information they need. Instead, a well orchestrated data governance plan will create an environment where users can extract information as needed. They will be trusted to use appropriate data because it is organized due to governance. 

"In the grand scheme of things for the enterprise, especially as a chief data officer, the responsibility is to executives," Goetz writes. "They need to trust the data. The controls and processes at an enterprise level are tailored to their needs and expectations of information. Yet, in the world of big data, empowerment of the business to outsource IT, the number of increasingly tech savvy business people, and the ability to serve creates a more faceted data strategy — in turn a multi-faceted need for data governance."

This actually puts a heavier burden of responsibility on data governance. Giving users the flexibility to extract information for individual needs can add new layers of operational efficiency, but any issues pertaining to poorly governed data could result in major consequences. Creating a custom database software system to manage information can help companies govern their data and improve the overall quality of decision making.

Data and risk management go hand-in-hand. The ability to process information and identify key components that could potentially lead to future problems for the organization is of the utmost importance.

There will always be an element of uncertainty in business decision making. This is typically related to company financials, but that’s not always the case. While it’s impossible to completely mitigate the risks associated with the unknown, companies can do themselves a big favor by collecting proper information and using it to identify whether it is a risk or not and handling it accordingly.

The question is, how do companies identify risks hidden within their information? There are a few schools of thought regarding this.

The online publication Waters Technology addresses two of them. One is data quality. Having the best, most up-to-date and accurate information will provide major assistance to an organization’s risk management efforts. This can become more challenging as information volumes rise, but having a higher quantity of data can actually give businesses more resources and a greater chance to identify and manage risk.

Data governance also plays a big role in risk management, even if two processes are independent of one another. The reason for this is that data governance impacts a number of departments within the organization and has far more uses than simply helping identify risk. Essentially, ensuring the accuracy of information will certainly help companies trying to identify risk, but it can provide a number of other advantages as well.

As this blog has discussed in the past, data governance and data quality are directly related. According to Fidelity ActionsXchange’s Deborah Culhane, who spoke with the news source, “data quality is being improved by more mature data governance processes.”

Ultimately, building a custom database software system will allow you to concentrate your efforts on data governance and improving quality, which will pay dividends in your risk management initiatives. FileMaker development can play a sizeable role by providing you with the resources you need to discover any potential risks. This system can scale and adjust to the volume of your information, which will allow you to maintain an effective risk management process, regardless of any changes that occur to your data.

The importance of proper data management is not exclusive to for-profit companies. In fact, non-profit organizations may have a greater need for data management, considering that many have a responsibility to provide assistance with social issues. Improper data management in the non-profit sector can have consequences that extend far beyond the organization.

However, many non-profits are struggling with handling their information. According to a study conducted by the Washington-based CPA and consulting firm Tate & Tryon, the main obstacle these organizations are facing is missing and inaccurate data. Perhaps most disconcerting is the fact that while the majority of organizations know what their problem is, they don't necessarily understand what's causing that problem. "Without understanding what is truly preventing your organization from fully leveraging your data, you may end up wasting time and money – such as buying new database software – fixing something that wasn't broken," the report says.

While that assertion makes sense in theory, companies shouldn't simply negate the importance of database software. The purpose of the statement is to implore users not to invest anything they don't need, but know that they will still need some way to monitor and track information. Buying a solution for the sake of having one might not be the answer, but if you are able to build a custom database software system that fits your information management needs, you can identify data issues and solve them without having to take any unnecessary action.

FileMaker development is an ideal solution because it allows you to create a system that fits specifically with your organization. You can maximize your data management efforts and alleviate any issues such as lost or inaccurate information.