Article # 008 2019 - 1st Draft

What is Data Science and how is it Different from

Big Data and Data Analytics?
Meta Description: In this article, we will define and differentiate Data Science, Big Data and
Data Analytics. We will also list down how and where they are used and the skills to look for
experts in these fields.

Big Data: Where it All Starts

Humanity has often divided and categorized history according to the most prominent feature of
a time period. With the advent of digital computers, we entered the digital age. In the early ’90s,
during the mass accessibility of the world wide web came the age of the internet. Today we
have just passed the precipice on another age: the age of Big Data.

Big Data is defined as data sets that are so large in volume and diverse in complexity. This data
is impossible to interpret meaningfully through traditional statistical and computational methods.
Most of this data is generated by 4.4 billion internet users around the globe. According to the
IDC, all of us are producing 44 zettabytes (that is a billion gigabytes) per day in 2016 and it will
increase to about 463 zettabytes by 2025.

What started out as a buzzword to define a large amount of data we are continuously producing,
it transformed into something that can be processed and analyzed. This process leads to
gaining useful insights, which in turn are made into solutions that help businesses to improve
their business.

Data Science: Transforming Data

Data Science is a catch-all term for everything related to data gathering, storage, preparation,
and analysis. It is the amalgamation of different techniques derived from diverse fields such as
Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science, Programming, and Information Technology.

Data Science springs forth a number of different areas of specialization, depending on the
processes they handle. Data generation is often done on the software level, with data collected
using applications created by Software Developers. This data is transported via pipelines. In
these pipelines, Data Engineers clean, store and reformat raw data into something that can be
processed by the next step: Data Analytics.
Data Analytics: Deriving Insights and Value
After being processed, data is now ready for analysis. Data Analysts derive workable
information from this data which in turn is used by people in Business Intelligence to make
improvements to the business process or to software. Modern methods of Data Analytics make
use of AI algorithms to perform statistical analysis. Through inferential statistics, data analysts
derive conclusions derived from inference.

Data Analytics is divided according to degrees of maturity: descriptive, predictive, and

prescriptive analytics. Descriptive analytics is data analytics in its simplest form. It is used to
diagnose the properties and relationships between variables found in data sets. The next level
of analysis, predictive analytics, deals with forecasting events based on data trends. This allows
a business to proactively adapt to change. The last and most thorough data analysis is
prescriptive analytics. Often called smart analytics by some companies, this level of analysis
not only gives out predictions, but it also helps determine the best course of action to reach an
intended goal.

Applying Data Science to Businesses*

According to Mike Shane, President of FilAm Software Technology; you almost cannot interact
with something or someone today without being affected by Data Science. With every browse,
search, purchase, post, tweet, among many other activities, people who do Data Science either
collect data or present you with relevant choices or information from analyzing data. It is hard to
imagine modern society without Data Science. Here is how Data Analytics helps specific types
of businesses or industries:

Search Engines and E-Commerce: Easily the sector with the biggest share of use of Data
Analytics, Data Science provides algorithms to handle search functions and return queries with
the best possible answers. Data science also helps determine effective ad and product
placements; decisions that translate to actual sales.

Media and Publications: Data Science offers a more in-depth look at the habits and preferences
of their consumers, fine-tuning their content to better suit the market. Through proper selection
of content for mass publication, analyzing data helps media companies get new subscribers,
retain existing customers, and expand their market shares significantly.

Healthcare Industry: Collecting and analyzing data from patients and clients leads to
improvements in medical treatments, pharmaceutical research, and public health. Data Science
can also help insurance providers deal with fraudulent claims and help give better service
offerings to those who need it the most.

These are but some of the many industries that have gained many benefits from the successful
use of Big Data through Data Science and Data Analytics and methodologies. Some of these
companies dedicated large amounts of resources to their Data Science teams. These resources
are allocated to hiring, training and paying people to work on a permanent basis within their
companies. This often costs a lot and most companies are hesitant to fully commit to having
internal Data Science teams. Thankfully, there’s an outsourcing option available that can
provide the same benefits of having a Data Science team, with only a fraction of the investment.
Even the biggest companies have utilized one form of Data Science outsourcing or another. Not
all third-party data service providers can be trusted to deliver useful results. The problem lies in
selecting an effective partner to handle Data Science that will translate into business value.

Choosing an Effective Data Science Partner

When business innovators realized that there’s a lot of lucrative opportunities with Data Science
as a marketable service, data companies have started rising up left and right. There are lots of
companies available nowadays and choosing the right one can be difficult at the very least.
Here are some of the skills and characteristics any business owner should look for when
selecting a long-term Data Science partner or an expert service provider for a limited-time
project:

Industry Certified Expertise - It is not enough to choose a company with lots of people who have
post-graduate degrees. If a company has earned certifications and/or recognitions, such as the
Microsoft Partner Network, for competencies related to Data Science from organizations of
repute, then these companies have industry acknowledged skills and expertise to actually do
what they claim they can do.

The Right Balance Between Business and Technical Skills - Any business owner would want to
work with companies that understand their client’s business process, as well as have the actual
skill to improve upon them. Look for companies who have mastered balancing between
business intelligence, the ability to comprehend who and what they’re working with and how
they could provide value, and technical capability, the knowledge of the various tools and
techniques to successfully perform Data science.

Experience is still the best indicator - Does the Data Science service provider have upwards of a
hundred different projects successfully completed? Have they worked with industry leaders or
clients that are similar to your own? Did their partnerships, existing or otherwise, resulting in a
harmonious and productive relationship? If the answer is yes to all these questions then there’s
a large chance you have found what you are looking for. Data science remains as the younger
brother to other service sectors in the tech industry. This means there are a lot of young service
providers out there who are eager for gaining clients but often fail to deliver meaningful value.
Look for companies that have significant statistics when it comes to experience in Data Science.

According to experts from Ecuiti, there are more factors to consider when selecting a business
partner. Every case and situation has different requirements. We have only listed points that
should be a significant component of your selection process. Do you have anything else you like
to add to the list above, or any stories to tell regarding your own experience with Data Science?
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