Viewpoint: Adrian Simpson, SAP UK & Ireland

 

Big data is a term we are starting to hear more and more about across all industries. However, there is no doubt that the public sector was the first to face the big data challenge. As the sector holds some of the most important data the country has, it is vital that it is not only stored correctly but can be easily accessed at any moment, from any place and by any means – but with the necessary security in place.

 

Increasingly, UK public sector organisations are declaring that breaking down big data is high on their list of priorities, in particular to keep up to speed with the changing regulatory and political environments. But there is a need for a cultural change within the sector; in the way both big data and IT solutions are viewed. Organisations need to better understand how data impacts their work and directly links with business drivers, as well as how technology can help manage data in a timely and cost effective way.

 

As data is doubling every 18 months it is becoming increasingly problematic for organisations to cope with the data explosion. This means it is imperative that organisations move on from acknowledging the problem and look to find a solution. Organisations need insight across their ever growing data, and the ability to analyse it in real time and on the go, but to do this they need to have the right processes in place. In 2012, managing the data explosion will be the defining factor in the UK’s ability to maintain competitive advantage.

 

Recent reports have named the UK as lagging behind the rest of Europe when it comes to managing big data. Organisations understand that we have certainly passed the time when employees can manually update data, but just having a system that can store data is no longer enough. Organisations now need to be able to access all relevant information at a moment’s notice, and trust that it is accurate and reliable. 

 

It is now the time for the public sector to make the necessary next step with its technology systems. If no action is taken then the public sector will quickly realise the implications of not being able to make the fast, informed and accurate decisions that will make and shape 2012.

 

By taking a closer look at the overall business processes, including those that are associated with the management of documents and information, organisations can fully harness the benefits of big data.

 

In the past, the public sector has been cautious in its adoption of technology as a solution to big data, largely due to the perception that it cannot be tackled in a quick and effective way. Replacing your whole IT system would be time consuming and expensive – however, at SAP we have a simple approach “think big but start small”. Every organisation is different and requires different platforms and therefore each individual organisation needs to assess and choose a solution that is right for them. These new platforms can transform the way the sector works – and open up new opportunities and cost efficiencies.

 

Technology has truly evolved and there are now innovations for the public sector that were not previously available, which can significantly help the running of a company. For example, with the right technology system in place it is possible to ensure that the right people are eligible for benefits in real time and at the same time look at patterns within the available data to spot fraudulent activity.

 

There is also a wealth of possibilities for the future of the healthcare systems. There have been ongoing problems with patient information, but at SAP we are looking to make this mobile so doctors have the ability to check patient records on the go. A prime example is Berlin’s Charité hospital that saw an opportunity to improve patient care through mobile technology. The hospital has been using the first SAP iPad-based application for the healthcare sector based on in-memory technology. This has made the anaylsis of vast quantities of medical information possible within seconds and improved the IT-aided treatment of patients suffering from cancer and cancer-related diseases. As a result, cancer therapies are adjusted for individual patients, reducing stress for patients through the better choice of appropriate therapies and supporting the medical staff in their decision-making process and reducing their workload.

 

Fundamentally, solving the big data conundrum doesn’t have to be about problems – with the right systems in place, it can be turned around to focus on the desired goals of efficiency and public sector accountability without massive disruption to infrastructure.