For those unfamiliar with the concept, small data is generated by everyday operations. It provides managers with insights into what projects consume the majority of time and effort, and where productivity levels can be improved. To compare it to big data would be liking comparing a walk along the ocean to climbing Mt. Everest. Everest, like big data, is a major challenge that few have truly conquered. However, they both garner the lion’s share of attention for their stature and mystique. A walk along the ocean can be enjoyed by most everyone and while it doesn’t hold the prestige of Everest, it can be just as rewarding.

In much the same way, small data can have an impact just as profound as big data, but without all of the headaches.

One of the main roadblocks plaguing big data today is the cost and scarcity of skilled big data professionals. In fact, a recent report from the Institute of Analytics Professionals of Australia showed that supply-side respondents with big data skills have a median salary of $200,000. It would be logical to think that professionals are flocking to the field in search of high salaries but the supply is still significantly lagging behind demand.

By contrast, when leveraged correctly with the right tools, insights from small data can be digested and acted on by managers and business leaders throughout the organisation.

The old adage, “You can’t improve what you can’t measure,” rings true with small data. While there are vast improvements to be made, organisations first have to collect the right data. The key is to capture the work in a record-keeping system with performance analytics to see what’s going on, and determine what needs to be done. For instance, how quickly does IT or the facilities team respond to incidents? What type of work does Human Resources focus its team on? Is that what they should be doing? If they want to change it then is it getting better or worse over time? What are the trends in the service that a business unit provides?

Transparency empowers managers to do their jobs. IT can provide the technologies and services to make this data collection happen – not just in IT, but in all other service-oriented departments.

With the insight of small data, IT can lead the creation and rollout of automated system or online portals for employees to do everything from submit IT service desk requests to select healthcare benefits. These systems not only streamline those processes but can capture the valuable small data needed to pave the way for strategic gains in productivity. With the maturation of cloud computing services and applications – be they public, private or a hybrid model – IT teams can now focus on these strategic tasks and spend less time on infrastructure concerns they have traditionally had to manage.

As those changes continue, IT teams can find themselves acting as chief drivers of productivity to HR, finance, legal and more. Small data will be at the heart of this productivity engine, providing actionable insight that can lead to immediate gains that have a significant impact on the bottom line.

This IT shift will see a spike in evolution over the coming year and CIOs that can lead the charge in this effort will find themselves proving their value in a variety of new ways.

ABOUT DAVID OAKLEY//

David Oakley, is ANZ MD at ServiceNow.

Did you know that managers in corporate environments spend two days a week on unnecessary day-to-day administrative tasks that are not core to their jobs? That’s almost as much time as they spend on real work.

This is predominately a result of using ill-suited tools at work. Routine tasks, like sending emails or completing spreadsheets, take up unnecessary time, inhibiting the ability to be as productive and efficient as possible. In fact, according to research by ServiceNow, eight in 10 companies – both large and small – still use manual tools such as email, spreadsheets and even personal visits, to drive routine work.

The survey also assessed the complexity of some common business processes and the interdependencies between departments. The study found that managers need to co-ordinate an average of 10 requests across four departments.

Businesses across the globe are still trying to navigate these complexities using tools from over two decades ago, so it’s no wonder that as a result, half of respondents stated there was simply no time for more strategic initiatives.

While this creates pains for the average worker, what is its impact on the whole organisation? A quick calculation shows that two days per week equates to 2,000 employees or 4 million hours a year for a firm with 5,000 employees. This extra administration equates to a whopping $575 billion a year.

Email was never intended to dictate a company’s business processes,­ rather it has been compromised to fill gaps that exist in the systems that permeated the enterprise.

It is therefore advantageous to move away from email and automate tasks to get work done. But how do you move from email to automation?

Start by whiteboarding the service. By first mapping processes from request, to approvals, to fulfilment, it is possible to build and automate practically any service. First, identify the services to be automated, then draw out the connections between the requestors, approvers and fulfillers. Based on this, assess the nature of the information flow in the process and where it is stored.

Secondly, design the end-user experience. Don’t just consider how other people want to interact with the service, also ask how productivity can be improved. For example, if all requests can be tracked, providing up-to-the-minute status, it eliminates the need for employees to send follow-up emails to check on progress. Instead, email is solely a notification tool, (“Your request has been approved”), just as consumer sites use them.

Thirdly, use software to automate, track and report, turning whiteboard processes into automated service workflows. Business teams can rapidly create new applications (without having to write computer code) which allow the entire organisation to use a common platform and a common approach service management.

The ability to automate complex, mundane and repeatable tasks frees up time to focus on the important things, rather than wasting time shuffling paper – even if that ‘paper’ is email. Employees can be more productive and effective, improving the overall state of work today.

ABOUT DAVID OAKLEY//

David Oakley is A/NZ MD at ServiceNow.