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Anthony J. Scriffignano, chief data scientist from Dun & Bradstreet, one of world’s leading commercial data and insight provider. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
For Dun & Bradstreet, one of world’s leading commercial data and insight provider, big data has come to play a crucial role since it was founded in 1841. Chief Data Scientist Anthony J. Scriffignano recently visited Guiyang city, Guizhou province (China’s big data capital) to weigh in on the debates surrounding the industry.
“One of the challenges confronting big data application is that some customers cannot affirm their demands,” he said during an interview in Guiyang.
Anthony gave the example of a customer who demanded to know how many businesses there will be in China by the end of 2019. “I couldn’t give him answer until I learned that he dealt with maritime transportation insurance. Only when we are clear about the customers’ needs can an efficient analysis be made,” he said.
A chief concept of Dun & Bradstreet is to be “data inspired,” which refers to the power of data in helping companies unlock the potential value if a deep and sound analysis is made.
Anthony compared data to crude oil, noting that people buy products made from crude oil. In the same way, it is the product of unlocking the potential value of data that is desired, rather than simply owning copious amounts of data. For nearly two centuries, Dun & Bradstreet has helped customers and partners build valuable relationships with each other by uncovering truth and meaning from data.
The Chief Data Scientist also voiced his opinion about the characteristics of big data. “Big data not only means that the volume of data is very large. There are other characteristics that come into play, that is, data’s velocity, veracity, variety, and value.”
In view of these characteristics, Anthony gave suggestions for the development of companies. “With data, people can do good things and bad things. So it’s important for us to improve capabilities on data dealing. Businesses can grow and thrive and discover new customers if they use the data in the right way and we can help them achieve this goal.”
Edited by Jacob Hooson
