Organizations of all stripes, shapes, and sizes are drowning in a tidal wave of data.
It can be alarming to see just how much big data has expanded. For example, Google receives more than 2 million search queries every minute. On a larger scale, humans are currently generating an estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every single day.
Here’s one way to look at this stat: 90 percent of the world’s data has been created in the last two years alone. The rise of a multitude of sources – from social media to the web to the expanded use of sensors – is making it difficult for organizations to make sense of the data. When this occurs, it is nearly impossible to translate the information into something actionable that provides a tangible return-on-investment (ROI).
Thankfully, the rise of visual data displays or data visualization is helping to meet this need.
Visualization works from a human perspective because we respond to and process visual data better than any other type of data. In fact, the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual. Since we are visual by nature, we can use this skill to enhance data processing and organizational effectiveness.
Businesses deal with highly complex data, with multidimensional relationships across many different, massive data sets. These could include sales, site locations, demographics, roads, and promotions—each as its own set of complex data.
The good news is that all of this data is geospatial and can be presented in visual ways. Data from various departments can be freed from their respective silos and create more rapid and accurate decision-making. In addition, visual information makes it easier to collaborate and generate new ideas that impact organizational performance.
Human beings are visual creatures. As such, the time is right for organizations to implement new solutions for leveraging data visualization and unlock their true potential to meet mission and business goals.