Business intelligence and analytics

British Gas uses SAS analytics to reach customers

British Gas, one of the UK’s energy suppliers, is to use SAS analytics to improve marketing efficiency Continue Reading

Thames Water pilots smart analytics with Accenture

Thames Water is six months into an 18 month pilot with Accenture Smart Grid to pilot real time monitoring to deliver an improved service Continue Reading

HP Autonomy unveils healthcare analytics system for textual data

HP has unveiled a new healthcare analytics product to enable medical staff to interrogate text and data in relational databases Continue Reading

Case study: Scottish Fire and Rescue advances national BI strategy with QlikView

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is using QlikView business intelligence software to bring together its data streams for external reporting and operational intelligence Continue Reading

Teradata launches analytics product as SAP BW replacement

Teradata has released an analytics product for SAP ERP, as a full-blown alternative to SAP BW Continue Reading

NHS clinical research body uses QlikView to forward open data

The clinical research delivery arm of the NHS is developing an open data platform using QlikView Continue Reading

Case study: London Borough of Islington’s smart working journey

The London Borough of Islington is using technology to ensure its staff are as productive as possible travelling along a ‘smart working journey’ Continue Reading

Nokia Solutions Networks HR rejects best of breed for best of platform

Nokia Solutions and Networks has chosen a ‘best of platform’ approach for its global HR programme in the wake of a reduction in staff from around 80,000 to 50,000, consequent to a restructure in 2011 Continue Reading

700,000 benefit claimants miss out on Universal Credit deadline

The secretary for work and pensions has admitted the Universal Credit benefit scheme will miss its 2017 deadline Continue Reading

Tech spend to increase in 2014 as executives explore big data

Over three-quarters of chief financial officers plan to increase technology investments in 2014 Continue Reading

Mobile business intelligence adoption slows, BARC BI survey finds

Mobile BI adoption is slowing and much vaunted social media analytics are little deployed, according to the latest BARC BI global survey Continue Reading

IT budgets to rise by 3% in 2014 as companies step up spending on mobile

IT spending will increase by 3% in 2014, up from 1.8% last year. But shadow IT spending will add another 40% to technology budgets Continue Reading

Case study: McGraw-Hill Education mobilises with Salesforce

The educational resources provider utilises Salesforce to develop a mobile app and get its sales reps selling more on campus Continue Reading

Human Capital Management

Computer Weekly looks at the steps companies have taken to improve talent management; bridging the gap between the cost savings promised by cloud technologies and the value they deliver. Continue Reading

Procter & Gamble uses Teradata cloud analytics for global marketing

Procter & Gamble has 15,000 websites, but sells almost exclusively through retailers. This makes gathering intelligence on customers tough Continue Reading

Future Gazing: The Future of IT in 2020

The next six years will see the influence of technology accelerate, and that will mean radical changes for the role of the IT department and the CIO Continue Reading

CIO interview: Paolo Cinelli, CIO, Ikea

Ikea's priority is to get closer to its customers using a multi-channel approach which combines digital and traditional methods Continue Reading

Big Data analytics: Adoption and employment trends

The report identifies current and future adoption rates for big data by type and size of organisation in the UK Continue Reading

Data on the Balance Sheet

This report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), discusses the economic arguments for placing 'data' as an asset on the company balance sheet. Continue Reading

Hands-on Oracle Application Express security

This book extract demonstrates how Oracle Application Express (APEX) can be vulnerable to SQL injection, using sample code. Continue Reading

IT spending up as companies invest in digital technology

Businesses are stepping up their spending on IT as they invest in strategic digital technologies, a CIO survey by Deloitte reveals Continue Reading

Companies are not taking advantage of data analytics, research says

Research by Bersin by Deloitte shows that 86% of businesses have yet to progress beyond using their HR data to generate basic reports Continue Reading

Government calls for more data scientists in the UK

The government is calling on industry and academia to help produce more data scientists in the UK Continue Reading

BT signs multimillion HR technology contract with Oracle

The project, one of the largest contracts signed so far for Oracle’s Fusion technology, is strategically important both to Oracle and BT Continue Reading

Case study: Pumps maker Hayward Tyler’s restructure sharpened ERP business focus

When a restructure arrives half way through an ERP upgrade, it could be a threat to the IT programme. But Hayward Tyler saw it as a chance to ensure business goals were at the heart of its Epicor project. Continue Reading

Rugby Football Union uses analytics to educate and engage with users

The RFU is introducing data analytics technologies for public use to encourage engagement with existing fans and education of the sport Continue Reading

Oracle OpenWorld 2013: Oracle customers continue to invest in big data

Airbus, Thomson Reuters and the New York Stock Exchange have all implemented Oracle's big data products to improve their businesses Continue Reading

C-level executives cry out for data scientists

Board level executives are putting pressure on their IT organisations to find data scientists, according to Teradata research Continue Reading

Big trends from Oracle OpenWorld 2013: Big data and cloud

Oracle tackled issues of big data and cloud head on at its annual OpenWorld 2013 user conference in San Francisco Continue Reading

British Army’s manpower planning saves £770m through SAS BI

The British Army's headquarters is using SAS to analyse and more efficiently allocate manpower and resources Continue Reading

Businesses hit digital roadblock due to paper processes

A survey of business and IT leaders has found that paper-based processes are creating inefficiencies Continue Reading

Executive interview: Andrew Brem, Connected Homes, British Gas

British Gas is digitising energy. Andrew Brem speaks to Computer Weekly about the internet connected home Continue Reading

Unlocking the value of big data

This independent report provides the first in-depth assessment of the role that data-intensive technology can play in supporting jobs and growth in Ireland over the next five years. Continue Reading

Banks tighten data handling in race for compliance

Data is obviously a valuable asset to any company, but managed poorly it could also be a liability. Data in the financial sector continues to grow at a rapid pace, so getting your house in order will ensure you are not hit with any unwanted fines or receive any negative PR due to data loss. In this issue of CW Europe read how data discipline ensures you avoid data loss, as well as helping you to think clearer and to be organised. Continue Reading

eHarmony finds MongoDB the perfect match for data store

Online dating site eHarmony has used open source NoSQL database MongoDB for its data store, to speed up delivery of matches between users Continue Reading

Coca-Cola overcomes challenges to seize BI opportunities

The Coca-Cola Co. understands that analytics challenges can be overcome and that a team approach helps businesses take advantage of BI opportunities. Continue Reading

CW buyer's guide: data management

Effective use of data management systems will provide access to consistent, accurate and current information Continue Reading

Big Data in Big Companies 

The International Institute for Analytics (IIA) and SAS, assess how 20 large firms have deployed analytics to generate value from their big data assets. Continue Reading

Privacy and big data

Sixteen key questions companies need to answer when considering the privacy and governance aspects of big data Continue Reading

Online retailing means the industrialisation of analytics

Figleaves founder and eCommera chief scientist Michael Ross argues that online retailing requires a new type of action-oriented business intelligence Continue Reading

Case study: How Premier Inn uses mobile analytics

Premier Inn's mobile app has been downloaded more than two million times and 77% of room bookings are made via the app Continue Reading

Whiteboard it – the power of graph databases

Graph databases map relationships between entities in a network. They won’t replace conventional relational databases, but for harnessing the value of interconnectedness they mark a breakthrough Continue Reading

Taylor Wimpey builds cloud forecasting process with Anaplan

Homebuilder Taylor Wimpy teams up with Anaplan to ditch its old Excel suite and head for the cloud Continue Reading

Virgin Media uses ETAdirect to manage engineers more predictively

Virgin Media is using predictive analytics to get the right engineer out to the right problem. It believes its use of TOA Technologies cloud-based ETAdirect system gives it a competitive advantage Continue Reading

Big data journalism exposes offshore tax dodgers

How journalists harnessed big data to challenge offshore financial secrecy Continue Reading

The need for data speed

In this week's Computer Weekly, we find out how the McLaren Formula One team is using high-speed data analytics to improve race performance. Our new buyer's guide looks at best practices in data management. And we discuss IT leaders' frustrations about the unwanted complexities of software licensing. Continue Reading

CW500: Back to the Future: Big Data at Channel 4

Bob Harris, Chief Technology Officer of Channel 4 Television, explains the broadcaster's approach to big data in this presentation for Computer Weekly's 500 Club. Continue Reading

The Economic Value of Data

Big data analytics promises to boost the profits of financial services firms, according to this report from Cognizant. Continue Reading

Indian banks harness big data analysis amid competition

The increasing penetration of broadband and growth in smartphone usage in India are driving the development of IT-based services for bank consumers. Continue Reading

OpenCorporates makes company data public

Company data is being made available as part of an initiative to place more government data in the public domain Continue Reading

Davenport: Travel industry data pioneer has lost way but can be saved

Tom Davenport sees the travel industry as a data pioneer that has lost its way, but can be redeemed Continue Reading

Case study: Toyota fleet management system gathers global fork-lift truck data remotely

Toyota Material Handling Europe develops operational data management system that monitors and controls fork-lift trucks globally Continue Reading

From chess to ping pong: How Pegasystems is capturing the Fortune 500

Pegasystems is winning business from the world's leading companies as business process management technology enters the mainstream Continue Reading

Ocado delivers with in-house software development

Online grocery retailer Ocado built its own software for its own business – and now it delivers for Morrisons Continue Reading

Business value from the internet of things

In this week's Computer Weekly, we hear from manufacturing giant GE about its plan for gaining business value from the "internet of things", analysing huge amounts of machine data in an industrial internet. Our latest buyer's guide looks at HR management systems. And we look at ways to improve the detection of data breaches. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Paul Clarke, director of technology, Ocado

Paul Clarke is responsible for the technology strategy at online grocer Ocado, where IT is used in every aspect of the business Continue Reading

BI program rescue strategy: Breaking the rules

If business users are losing faith in a business intelligence team, it might be time to throw out the BI rule book and do what needs to be done, writes TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson. Continue Reading

Is it time to outsource your BI program?

TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson writes that if your business intelligence efforts aren't producing the desired business results, one option to consider might be -- yes -- outsourcing the BI initiative. Continue Reading

Inadequate datacentre infrastructure is a barrier to big data analytics

Inadequate datacentre infrastructure and siloed work practices are preventing UK enterprises from benefiting from big data analytics, shows study Continue Reading

An Information Architecture Vision

The Open Group assesses the "big data" problem and offers an Enterprise Information Planning and Architecture Model to help organisations make the most of their information. Continue Reading

SAP buys e-commerce company Hybris to move into CRM market

SAP is moving into the CRM market with its purchase of Hybris, a Swiss customer relationship management (CRM) supplier Continue Reading

Sports performance data analytics fuels Opta’s business expansion

Football performance data could play a role in clubs’ scouting efforts, and even in footballer market evaluation, according to OptaSports Data Continue Reading

Gartner: Deriving value from Big Data for CRM

Kimberly Collins, research vice-president of Gartner highlights the critical steps organisations should to take to integrate big data into Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Continue Reading

CW500: Back to the Future: Big Data at Channel 4

Bob Harris, Chief Technology Officer of Channel 4 Television, explains the broadcaster's approach to big data in this presentation for Computer Weekly's 500 Club. Continue Reading

Six steps to creating a BI competency center

TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson lays out a roadmap for setting up a successful business intelligence competency center, and breaking down BI silos, in a decentralized company. Continue Reading

Aadhaar project data collection: An interview with Mindtree's CEO

Get a view into the data collection efforts for the Aadhaar project from Krishnakumar Natarajan, the CEO at service provider Mindtree. Continue Reading

ARI uses HANA to power self-service BI for fleet management

ARI, the leasing and fleet management business, has used SAP HANA to boost business intelligence (BI) and predictive analytics Continue Reading

Embedded BI: Largely invisible, but not for long

TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson tracks the ongoing evolution of embedded business intelligence tools and sees big things ahead for the technology. Make that very big things. Continue Reading

McLaren uses high-speed data analytics to gain Formula 1 edge

The McLaren Group uses high-speed data analytics as it seeks a competitive edge for its Formula 1 racing team engineers Continue Reading

Tesco uses big data to cut cooling costs by up to €20m

Tesco is aiming to save over €20m a year by using sophisticated analytical technology to ensure its chillers work at optimum temperature Continue Reading

Gartner: Big data will transform customer relationship management technology

CIOs need to start thinking how to integrate big data into their customer relationship management (CRM) systems, says technology analyst Continue Reading

Lean analytics to change business decision making

Attending to the “one metric that really matters” is one principle of a “lean analytics” approach Continue Reading

SAP readies the Hana-powered enterprise cloud

SAP is making its Hana in-memory database available as a hosted service to power enterprise applications Continue Reading

British Army data quality programme tackles ‘whole army’ concept

The British Army’s data quality programme faces a challenge with moves to unify regular and territorial soldiers into one force Continue Reading

Beyond Big Data – The New Information Economy

How information is managed is more important than 'big data', say analysts Clive Longbottom and Rob Bamforth. Continue Reading

Information Security Breaches Survey 2013

Security breaches cost large businesses an average of £850,000, the 2013 Information Security Breaches Survey reveals. Continue Reading

Tesco uses supply chain analytics to save £100m a year

Understanding return on capital employed was a driving force behind an analytics programme which saves Tesco £100m in supply chain costs Continue Reading

Case study: Telefonica Ireland uses business intelligence to reduce churn

O2 Ireland, part of Telefonica, has been using Teradata’s data warehousing and Cognos BI to stop customers leaving and entice them with location-based offers Continue Reading

Change management tips for BI program managers

TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson writes that business intelligence managers can learn some valuable lessons from the book "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard." Continue Reading

Business Outcomes from Big Data

This research study from CEB evaluates the CIO's role in making big data attainable and useful for the business. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Mary Hensher, IT director, Cancer Research UK

Charity Cancer Research has felt the impact of recession on fundraising and the need to innovate through technology is more important than ever Continue Reading

Is EMC Greenplum the real Hadoop company?

EMC Greenplum launched two new Hadoop-related technologies to support Big Data deployments. Analyst Group, Nucleus Research assesses their importance. Continue Reading

Business intelligence program needs long-term tending to fully blossom

The evolution of Quicken Loans' business intelligence strategy from static reporting to self-service BI holds useful lessons for other organizations. Continue Reading

42% of businesses use existing IT department for big data projects

Businesses are creating in--house big data functions with 42% of big data pioneers use existing IT resources and 37% creating separate functions Continue Reading

CIO interview: Darrell Stein, IT director, Marks & Spencer

As M&S develops its multi-channel capability, Darrell Stein and his team are delivering projects focused on innovation and profitability Continue Reading

Accenture delivers rapid reporting for Six Nations

In sponsoring the Six Nations Rugby tournament, Accenture has shown how rapid prototyping can be applied to building enterprise reports Continue Reading

CW Buyer's Guide: Big Data Infrastructure

Computer Weekly looks at the mindset and technology infrastructure businesses need to analyse big data. Continue Reading

Businesses and IT suppliers to collaborate on big data

Businesses are to collaborate to work out how to exploit the rapidly growing volume of data generated by social media, mobile devices and the internet of things. Continue Reading

Innovative business technologies in a converging world

This independently researched report investigates converging business technologies, including cloud computing, big data analytics and business intelligence. Continue Reading

Business applications, data analytics can make business lean

Centralised business apps, such as ERP and CRM can frustrate, but also make a business lean. Data analytics has a fresh Six Sigma role to play Continue Reading

Gartner: analytics will be more transparent, real-time and automated

Analyst firm Gartner has identified three trends for analytics and BI: transparency, real-time and automation Continue Reading

Rugby Football Union uses IBM predictive analytics for Six Nations

IBM tries out predictive analytics software, TryTracker, developed in association with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Continue Reading

Sap business suite now available on Sap Hana

This analyst report from Nucleus Research assess the impact of SAPs decision to power SAP Business Suite by its SAP HANA in memory database technology. Continue Reading

CW Special Report on Oracle

This special report, updated for 2012, gives an independent view of the challenges facing Oracle, its financial performance, the services it offers, its place in the IT market and its future strategy. Continue Reading

Interview: John Harris, vice-president of global enterprise architecture, Aimia

Aimia, the organisation behind retail loyalty programme Nectar, is overhauling its IT to make the most of customer data Continue Reading

Without analytics, it's 'big data, big schmada'

Data -- including big data -- has no value by itself, says TechTarget's Wayne Eckerson. It's what you do with data to gain business insights that counts. Continue Reading

Don’t make big data stand alone, warns Gartner

Gartner cautions organisations against treating big data as unique and criticises business intelligence suppliers for failing to exploit mobility Continue Reading

Online gambling sector bets on business intelligence

Online gambling and gaming industries crave structured business data. Volumes can be huge and they need to react to customer behaviour Continue Reading

GE uses big data to power machine services business

GE, one of the UK's largest manufacturers, is using big data analytics with data generated from machine sensors to predict maintenance needs Continue Reading

Betting site YouWin speeds response times with MongoDB database

Bookmaker WinUnited has deployed a MongoDB open source non-relational database from 10gen to help it better update betting odds in real time Continue Reading