Why Slow Data is Holding You Back

In today's dynamic business world, real-time data analysis is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. Business leaders aim to extract actionable insights from their transactional data in near real-time. The objective is to swiftly identify patterns and trends that enable informed decision-making, ensuring optimum customer experiences, faster time-to-value, and a competitive edge. However, a key challenge lies in the integration of analytical queries with transactional data, without which businesses risk basing their strategic decisions on outdated information.

Recognising this need, InterSystems UK offers cutting-edge solutions like InterSystems IRIS Data Platform, designed to bring together transactional data and analytics into a single, powerful, and comprehensive platform. This seamless integration facilitates real-time data analysis, a cornerstone for the success of any data-driven business in the modern age.

Traditionally, companies have used Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes to transfer data between transactional and analytical systems. ETL involves extracting data from various sources, transforming it to fit operational needs, and then loading it into the database. According to a study sponsored by InterSystems, an overwhelming 86.5% of organisations utilise ETL to shift at least a quarter of their enterprise data.

However, ETL processes come with inherent limitations. For instance, nearly two-thirds (63.9%) of the data moved via ETL is at least five days old by the time it reaches an analytical database. This significant time lag poses considerable challenges for businesses aiming to deliver the right customer experience at the right moment. In an age where real-time decisions can make or break business success, relying on week-old data for decision-making is far from ideal.

In addition, companies also grapple with a mounting need to support larger data sets, more diverse data types, and an accelerated path from analysis to action. This increased demand is driven by factors like mobile users, IoT/sensor data, and emerging trends, creating an urgent need for more sophisticated data management tools.

To overcome these challenges, a modern data platform lies at the heart of a data-driven business. InterSystems IRIS, a data management platform, acts as a centralised system for collecting, integrating, managing, and analysing vast sets of structured and unstructured transactional data from various sources. Its robust architecture is specifically designed to support multiple use-case scenarios and workloads.

Further, it ensures native data and application interoperability, offering a seamless experience for businesses. Unlike traditional systems that often silo data into separate transactional and analytical systems, a modern data platform integrates these into a cohesive unit. This integration is crucial in delivering real-time insights, optimising operations, and driving business success.

There are three primary characteristics of a modern data platform like InterSystems IRIS that set it apart from traditional data management tools:

Support for all data types and data processing methods: A high performance data platform must be equipped to handle both structured and unstructured data, as well as different data processing methods such as analytics and transactions. This ensures that businesses have the flexibility and agility to respond to dynamic business needs.

Scalability, flexibility, and interoperability: As businesses grow, their data management platform must be able to scale in line with increasing data volumes and complexity. Flexibility is key in catering to diverse use cases, and interoperability ensures that the platform can seamlessly interact with various systems and applications.

Reliable performance with zero latency: Lastly, a high performance data platform should provide reliable performance regardless of the data volume or complexity. Zero latency is critical to deliver real-time insights and support timely decision-making.

These characteristics empower businesses to simplify their architecture, reduce costs, accelerate innovation, and streamline operations. Consequently, they enable businesses to achieve their core IT-related business objectives effectively and efficiently.

Before investing in a data management platform, businesses need to thoroughly assess their data infrastructure needs. This involves understanding the current state of their data—where it resides, how frequently and by what means it is accessed, and the analytical methods used.

Historically, businesses have had to choose between real-time access to data and their preferred method of analysing data. However, with a modern data platform like InterSystems IRIS, businesses can have the best of both worlds. They can access data as and when required, ensuring data is actionable in real-time.

Timely access to data can fundamentally transform company operations and customer experiences. With the exponential growth in data generated by businesses and their customers, the ability to easily access, analyse, and utilise this information becomes paramount. A high performance data platform like InterSystems IRIS plays a pivotal role in enabling this.

InterSystems IRIS supports both analytical and transactional decisions, thereby driving intelligent insights across the entire organisation. It streamlines data infrastructure costs, ensuring businesses achieve maximum return on their data investments. This can revolutionise businesses by enabling faster, more informed decision-making, leading to improved customer experiences, optimised business operations, and ultimately, increased profitability.

In conclusion, with the surge in data volumes and the increasing demand for real-time insights, modern data platforms like InterSystems IRIS are indispensable tools for businesses. By facilitating real-time data analysis, supporting diverse data types, and ensuring zero latency, these platforms are paving the way for the future of data-driven decision-making.