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Big Data Architectural Series: 
Creating a Business Case for Big Data 
facebook.com/perficient linkedin.com/company/perficient twitter.com/Perficient
About Perficient 
Perficient is a leading information technology consulting firm serving clients throughout 
North America. 
We help clients implement business-driven technology solutions that integrate business 
processes, improve worker productivity, increase customer loyalty and create a more agile 
enterprise to better respond to new business opportunities.
• Founded in 1997 
• Public, NASDAQ: PRFT 
• 2013 revenue ~$373 million 
Perficient Profile 
• Major market locations throughout North America 
• Allentown, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, 
Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fairfax, Houston, 
Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York City, Northern 
California, Oxford (UK), Philadelphia, Southern California, 
St. Louis, Toronto, Washington, D.C. 
• Global delivery centers in China, Europe and India 
• >2,200 colleagues 
• Dedicated solution practices 
• ~85% repeat business rate 
• Alliance partnerships with major technology vendors 
• Multiple vendor/industry technology and growth awards
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS 
Business Intelligence 
Business Process Management 
Customer Experience and CRM 
Enterprise Performance Management 
Enterprise Resource Planning 
Experience Design (XD) 
Management Consulting 
Our Solutions Expertise 
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 
Business Integration/SOA 
Cloud Services 
Commerce 
Content Management 
Custom Application Development 
Education 
Information Management 
Mobile Platforms 
Platform Integration 
Portal & Social
Our Speaker 
Bill Busch 
Sr. Solutions Architect, Enterprise Information Solutions, Perficient 
• Leads Perficient's enterprise data practice 
• Specializes in business-enabling BI solutions that enable the agile 
enterprise 
• Responsible for executive data strategy, roadmap development, and 
the delivery of high-impact solutions that enable organizations to 
leverage enterprise data 
• Bill has over 15 years of experience in executive leadership, business 
intelligence, data warehousing, data governance, master data 
management, information/data architecture and analytics 
5
Agenda 
Two Perspectives 
Big Data Business Case 
Challenges 
Four Keys To Big Data 
Business Case Building 
Do’s and Don’ts 
6
Big Data Business Case 
Two Perspectives 
7 
Big Data 
Information 
Technology 
Infrastructure 
 Data Integration 
 Data Hub 
 Data Lake 
 Appliances 
 Clusters 
 Data Warehouse 
Cost Out 
Business 
Stakeholders 
Analytics 
 New Product Design 
 Customer Experience 
 Operations 
Optimization 
 Reduce Fraud 
 Data Monetization 
Increased 
Profitability
8 
Optimizing 
Single 
Process 
Traditional Analytics 
Business Big Data Focus 
Business Case Challenge 
Optimizing 
Business 
Outcomes 
Big Data Analytics
Which business 
process should I 
use for the business 
case? 
9 
Business Big Data Focus 
Business Case Challenge 
Customer Experience Cycle
10 
Big Data 
Analytics 
Business Big Data Focus 
Business Case Challenge 
Decision 
Making 
Brand 
Management 
New Products 
& Services 
Customer 
Experience 
Reducing 
Operating 
Costs 
Optimize 
Supply 
Operations 
Pricing 
Optimization
IT Big Data Focus 
Business Case Challenge 
11 
Infrastructure modernization projects 
can be expensive 
Re-platform legacy systems 
Adjunct systems add to Op-Ex 
Support an additional system
Address 
the Who 
Layer the 
Benefits 
Link to 
Strategy 
Determine 
the 
Approach 
12 
Four Keys 
Building a Data Business Case
Address 
the Who 
Layer the 
Benefits 
Link to 
Strategy 
Determine 
the 
Approach 
13 
Four Keys 
Determine the Approach
Business or IT Focus? 
14 
 Executive Summary 
 Introduction 
 Background 
 Business Drivers 
 Scope 
 Key Financial Metrics 
 Analysis 
 Assumptions 
 Business Process Changes 
 Costs 
 Benefits 
 Financial 
 Non-Financial 
 Cash Flow Statement (NPV) 
 Risk 
 Strategic Options 
 Opportunity Costs 
 Conclusion & Recommendation, 
and Next Steps 
 Appendix – Supporting Information 
Business Focused 
-Quantify Benefits 
IT Focus 
-Quantify Costs and Compare 
Options
Determine Your Approach 
Direct Evidence 
Initiative 
Optimization 
Business 
Outcome 
Corporate Asset 
15
Direct Evidence 
Positives 
Challenges Description 
Big Data Application 
16 
Proof from an 
experiment or actual 
implementation 
resulting in the claimed 
benefit 
Typically pilot or test & 
learn project 
With Big Data, direct 
evidence is the result of 
a business-focused 
proof-of-concept 
o Most convincing 
o Opportunity to 
become familiarly 
with Big Data 
Technologies 
o Can be used to 
“test” which 
business cases to 
pursue 
o May need a 
business case to get 
to a pilot 
o If the business case 
is not proven, 
program may be at 
risk
Positives 
Challenges Description 
Initiative Optimization 
Big Data Application 
17 
This business case type 
leverages a 
transformational 
program to fund 
optimization activities 
driven by analytics. 
Most common funding 
mechanism. Include 
description how the 
analytical capability 
supports the program’s 
goals. Consider 
presenting Big Data as 
an option compared to 
traditional solutions. 
o Easiest to create 
o Does not require a 
separate benefits 
analysis 
o Good way to fund 
architecture 
modernization 
o May require a 
business case if 
added to scope 
o Internal competition 
for funding 
o Corporate culture 
will determine the 
success of this 
approach
Positives 
Challenges Description 
Business Process Improvement 
Big Data Application 
18 
Leverages improvement 
in one or more business 
process without the 
benefit of piggy-backing 
on a transformational 
project 
Can require significant 
work since more than 
one business case will 
need to be analyzed 
o Best used to support 
the Big Data 
Analytics initiative 
o Information is readily 
available 
o May require a 
business case if 
added to scope after 
program 
commences 
o Funding may be put 
at risk if program 
goes over budget
Positives 
Challenges Description 
Corporate Asset 
Big Data Application 
19 
Approaches the 
business case that the 
company requires Big 
Data Analytics as a 
means to either remain 
competitive or lead its 
industry. 
Numerous industry 
benchmarks exist on 
the value of analytics. 
These can be used to 
build a financial 
business case for Big 
Data. 
o Best used to support 
the Big Data 
Analytics initiative 
o Information is readily 
available 
o Generally the 
hardest to defend 
o Can result in un-realistic 
numbers 
o Requires executive 
support or directive
Corporate Asset 
Bottom-Line Business Case 
20 
On average, 6 Data 
Scientists will generate 
$10M/year ROI from 
analyzing Big Data* 
*Intel Corporation
Address 
the Who 
Layer the 
Benefits 
Link to 
Strategy 
Determine 
the 
Approach 
21 
Four Keys 
Link to Strategy
22 
Big Data 
Analytics 
Decision 
Making 
Business Case 
Quick Review 
Brand 
Management 
New Products 
& Services 
Customer 
Experience 
Reducing 
Operating 
Costs 
Optimize 
Supply 
Operations 
Pricing 
Optimization
Linking to Corporate Strategy 
23 
Chose benefits that relate to the corporate strategy. 
Consider using combination of Financial and Non-Financial metrics. 
Strategic 
Imperatives
24 
Linking to Corporate Strategy 
Strategic Imperatives Actions Requiring Decisions 
Increase Gross Margin 
Reduce Fuel Expense 
Meet Website SLAs 
Improve Customer 
Satisfaction 
Resolve Customer 
Complaints more 
Quickly 
Run Maintenance cycle on 
Diesel Generators 
Frequency & Length of idle 
cycle 
Analytical Contribution 
 Identify and prioritize actions 
 Prescribe prioritized corrective 
actions 
 Model asset optimization 
capability 
 System-wide understanding of 
causal factors 
 Performance / health within time 
period 
 Assign a confidence factor to 
predictions 
 Identify casual factors impacting 
equipment life 
 Early detection of equipment 
failure 
 Supply-chain optimization 
 Better root-cause identification 
 Minimize decision time
Tell the Story 
Data Scientists in the 
Network Operations 
Department will use the Big 
Data Analytics capability to 
analyze generator run logs, 
weather data, fuel costs to 
identify, prioritize actions to 
reduce diesel generator idle 
time. These actions will 
reduce fuel costs and 
increasing gross margin. 
Furthermore, this will reduce 
our carbon footprint and 
enhance our brand image as a 
socially responsible 
company. 
25
Quantifying Benefits 
26 
Most challenging 
portion of developing 
business case 
Not all benefits are 
quantifiable 
Both financial and 
non-financial can be 
quantified 
PoC may be required 
to either quantify or 
validate benefits
27 
Current Value 
(CVal) 
Coefficient of 
Improvement 
(Cof) 
Quantifying Benefits 
Simplified Model 
Future State 
Benefit 
(FVal)
28 
Quantifying Benefits 
Sum of Decisions 
Current Value 
(CVal) 
Coefficient of 
Improvement 
(Cof) 
Future State 
Benefit 
(FVal) 
n(CVal)(Cof) = FVal 
(CValn)(Cofn) = FVal 
Same 
Coefficient 
Different 
Coefficients
Quantifying Benefits 
Determining Coefficients 
• What: Leveraging Industry research to establish coefficients 
required to calculate a financial benefit 
• Most common and easiest to understand Industry 
Research 
• What: Leveraging the opinion of subject matter experts with 
unique knowledge to provide the coefficients required to 
calculate a benefit 
• A Delphi method can be used to utilize the opinion of many 
experts for a more accurate/substantiated result 
29 
Expert 
Estimation 
• What: Evaluating a group of like decisions before and after a 
process change and identifying the standard error before the 
and after a process change. The reduction of the standard 
deviation is then quantified to arrive at a financial benefit. 
• Hardest to understand 
Decision 
Risk 
Valuation
Business Case 
Solving the “Which Business Case” Problem 
Which business 
process should I 
use for the business 
case? 
30 
Customer Experience Cycle
31 
Big Data 
Analytics 
Business Big Data Focus 
Business Case Challenge 
Decision 
Making 
Which 
Business 
Process 
How to 
Optimize
) 
32 
Quantifying Benefits 
Average Benefits of Many Use Cases 
Current Value 
(CVal) 
Coefficient of 
Improvement 
(Cof) 
Future State 
Benefit 
(FVal) 
AVG ((CValn)(Cofn) = FVal
Address 
the Who 
Layer the 
Benefits 
Link to 
Strategy 
Determine 
the 
Approach 
33 
Four Keys 
Layer the Benefits
Layering Benefits 
Increasing Business Case Impact 
34 
Use 
Additional 
Approaches 
Evaluate 
Additional 
Use-Cases 
Include 
Additional 
Benefits
Different Approach 
Direct Evidence 
Initiative 
Optimization 
Business 
Outcome 
Corporate Asset 
35
36 
Additional Use Cases 
Sum of Benefits 
Current Value 
(CVal) 
Coefficient of 
Improvement 
(Cof) 
Future State 
Benefit 
(FVal) 
(CValn)(Cofn) = FVal
Tell the Story 
Example 
Data Scientists in the Network 
Operations Department will 
use the Big Data Analytics 
capability to analyze generator 
run logs, weather data, fuel 
costs to identify, prioritize 
actions to reduce diesel 
generator idle time. These 
actions will reduce fuel costs 
and increasing gross margin. 
Furthermore, this will reduce 
our carbon footprint and 
enhance our brand image as 
a socially responsible 
company. 
37
Four Keys 
Address the Who 
Address 
the Who 
Layer the 
Benefits 
Link to 
Strategy 
Determine 
the 
Approach 
38
Bottom-Line Corporate Asset 
39 
On average, 6 Data 
Scientists will generate 
$10M/year ROI from 
analyzing Big Data* 
*Intel Corporation
Addressing the Who 
 Leveraging Big Data 
Analytics requires Data 
Scientists to use the 
system 
 Companies may not have 
enough Data Scientists 
on staff to obtain the 
purported benefits 
 Include staffing and 
training Data Scientist in 
the business case 
Each Data Scientist can 
generate $1.6Million in 
annualized ROI. 
If a business case has a 
$20Million annual ROI this 
suggests that 12 Data 
Scientists are required. 
40
Final Thoughts 
Do’s 
• Chose the appropriate approach(s) 
• Tell how solution supports the corporate 
strategy 
• Quantify benefits in dollars where 
possible 
• Use the business case to setup the PoC 
• Include Data Scientist staffing and 
training in business case costs 
Don’ts 
• Select an infrastructure only use case 
• Create a build it and they will approach 
• Single-use case business case 
• Use an inappropriate level of detail for 
the company culture 
41
42
As a reminder, please submit your 
questions in the chat box. 
We will get to as many as possible. 
11/5/2014
Daily unique content 
about content 
management, user 
experience, portals 
and other enterprise 
information technology 
solutions across a 
variety of industries. 
Perficient.com/SocialMedia 
Facebook.com/Perficient 
Twitter.com/Perficient 
For more information contact: 
(Phone Number and Email Here)
Thank you for your participation today. 
Please fill out the survey at the close of this session.

More Related Content

Creating a Business Case for Big Data

  • 1. Big Data Architectural Series: Creating a Business Case for Big Data facebook.com/perficient linkedin.com/company/perficient twitter.com/Perficient
  • 2. About Perficient Perficient is a leading information technology consulting firm serving clients throughout North America. We help clients implement business-driven technology solutions that integrate business processes, improve worker productivity, increase customer loyalty and create a more agile enterprise to better respond to new business opportunities.
  • 3. • Founded in 1997 • Public, NASDAQ: PRFT • 2013 revenue ~$373 million Perficient Profile • Major market locations throughout North America • Allentown, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fairfax, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York City, Northern California, Oxford (UK), Philadelphia, Southern California, St. Louis, Toronto, Washington, D.C. • Global delivery centers in China, Europe and India • >2,200 colleagues • Dedicated solution practices • ~85% repeat business rate • Alliance partnerships with major technology vendors • Multiple vendor/industry technology and growth awards
  • 4. BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Business Intelligence Business Process Management Customer Experience and CRM Enterprise Performance Management Enterprise Resource Planning Experience Design (XD) Management Consulting Our Solutions Expertise TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Business Integration/SOA Cloud Services Commerce Content Management Custom Application Development Education Information Management Mobile Platforms Platform Integration Portal & Social
  • 5. Our Speaker Bill Busch Sr. Solutions Architect, Enterprise Information Solutions, Perficient • Leads Perficient's enterprise data practice • Specializes in business-enabling BI solutions that enable the agile enterprise • Responsible for executive data strategy, roadmap development, and the delivery of high-impact solutions that enable organizations to leverage enterprise data • Bill has over 15 years of experience in executive leadership, business intelligence, data warehousing, data governance, master data management, information/data architecture and analytics 5
  • 6. Agenda Two Perspectives Big Data Business Case Challenges Four Keys To Big Data Business Case Building Do’s and Don’ts 6
  • 7. Big Data Business Case Two Perspectives 7 Big Data Information Technology Infrastructure  Data Integration  Data Hub  Data Lake  Appliances  Clusters  Data Warehouse Cost Out Business Stakeholders Analytics  New Product Design  Customer Experience  Operations Optimization  Reduce Fraud  Data Monetization Increased Profitability
  • 8. 8 Optimizing Single Process Traditional Analytics Business Big Data Focus Business Case Challenge Optimizing Business Outcomes Big Data Analytics
  • 9. Which business process should I use for the business case? 9 Business Big Data Focus Business Case Challenge Customer Experience Cycle
  • 10. 10 Big Data Analytics Business Big Data Focus Business Case Challenge Decision Making Brand Management New Products & Services Customer Experience Reducing Operating Costs Optimize Supply Operations Pricing Optimization
  • 11. IT Big Data Focus Business Case Challenge 11 Infrastructure modernization projects can be expensive Re-platform legacy systems Adjunct systems add to Op-Ex Support an additional system
  • 12. Address the Who Layer the Benefits Link to Strategy Determine the Approach 12 Four Keys Building a Data Business Case
  • 13. Address the Who Layer the Benefits Link to Strategy Determine the Approach 13 Four Keys Determine the Approach
  • 14. Business or IT Focus? 14  Executive Summary  Introduction  Background  Business Drivers  Scope  Key Financial Metrics  Analysis  Assumptions  Business Process Changes  Costs  Benefits  Financial  Non-Financial  Cash Flow Statement (NPV)  Risk  Strategic Options  Opportunity Costs  Conclusion & Recommendation, and Next Steps  Appendix – Supporting Information Business Focused -Quantify Benefits IT Focus -Quantify Costs and Compare Options
  • 15. Determine Your Approach Direct Evidence Initiative Optimization Business Outcome Corporate Asset 15
  • 16. Direct Evidence Positives Challenges Description Big Data Application 16 Proof from an experiment or actual implementation resulting in the claimed benefit Typically pilot or test & learn project With Big Data, direct evidence is the result of a business-focused proof-of-concept o Most convincing o Opportunity to become familiarly with Big Data Technologies o Can be used to “test” which business cases to pursue o May need a business case to get to a pilot o If the business case is not proven, program may be at risk
  • 17. Positives Challenges Description Initiative Optimization Big Data Application 17 This business case type leverages a transformational program to fund optimization activities driven by analytics. Most common funding mechanism. Include description how the analytical capability supports the program’s goals. Consider presenting Big Data as an option compared to traditional solutions. o Easiest to create o Does not require a separate benefits analysis o Good way to fund architecture modernization o May require a business case if added to scope o Internal competition for funding o Corporate culture will determine the success of this approach
  • 18. Positives Challenges Description Business Process Improvement Big Data Application 18 Leverages improvement in one or more business process without the benefit of piggy-backing on a transformational project Can require significant work since more than one business case will need to be analyzed o Best used to support the Big Data Analytics initiative o Information is readily available o May require a business case if added to scope after program commences o Funding may be put at risk if program goes over budget
  • 19. Positives Challenges Description Corporate Asset Big Data Application 19 Approaches the business case that the company requires Big Data Analytics as a means to either remain competitive or lead its industry. Numerous industry benchmarks exist on the value of analytics. These can be used to build a financial business case for Big Data. o Best used to support the Big Data Analytics initiative o Information is readily available o Generally the hardest to defend o Can result in un-realistic numbers o Requires executive support or directive
  • 20. Corporate Asset Bottom-Line Business Case 20 On average, 6 Data Scientists will generate $10M/year ROI from analyzing Big Data* *Intel Corporation
  • 21. Address the Who Layer the Benefits Link to Strategy Determine the Approach 21 Four Keys Link to Strategy
  • 22. 22 Big Data Analytics Decision Making Business Case Quick Review Brand Management New Products & Services Customer Experience Reducing Operating Costs Optimize Supply Operations Pricing Optimization
  • 23. Linking to Corporate Strategy 23 Chose benefits that relate to the corporate strategy. Consider using combination of Financial and Non-Financial metrics. Strategic Imperatives
  • 24. 24 Linking to Corporate Strategy Strategic Imperatives Actions Requiring Decisions Increase Gross Margin Reduce Fuel Expense Meet Website SLAs Improve Customer Satisfaction Resolve Customer Complaints more Quickly Run Maintenance cycle on Diesel Generators Frequency & Length of idle cycle Analytical Contribution  Identify and prioritize actions  Prescribe prioritized corrective actions  Model asset optimization capability  System-wide understanding of causal factors  Performance / health within time period  Assign a confidence factor to predictions  Identify casual factors impacting equipment life  Early detection of equipment failure  Supply-chain optimization  Better root-cause identification  Minimize decision time
  • 25. Tell the Story Data Scientists in the Network Operations Department will use the Big Data Analytics capability to analyze generator run logs, weather data, fuel costs to identify, prioritize actions to reduce diesel generator idle time. These actions will reduce fuel costs and increasing gross margin. Furthermore, this will reduce our carbon footprint and enhance our brand image as a socially responsible company. 25
  • 26. Quantifying Benefits 26 Most challenging portion of developing business case Not all benefits are quantifiable Both financial and non-financial can be quantified PoC may be required to either quantify or validate benefits
  • 27. 27 Current Value (CVal) Coefficient of Improvement (Cof) Quantifying Benefits Simplified Model Future State Benefit (FVal)
  • 28. 28 Quantifying Benefits Sum of Decisions Current Value (CVal) Coefficient of Improvement (Cof) Future State Benefit (FVal) n(CVal)(Cof) = FVal (CValn)(Cofn) = FVal Same Coefficient Different Coefficients
  • 29. Quantifying Benefits Determining Coefficients • What: Leveraging Industry research to establish coefficients required to calculate a financial benefit • Most common and easiest to understand Industry Research • What: Leveraging the opinion of subject matter experts with unique knowledge to provide the coefficients required to calculate a benefit • A Delphi method can be used to utilize the opinion of many experts for a more accurate/substantiated result 29 Expert Estimation • What: Evaluating a group of like decisions before and after a process change and identifying the standard error before the and after a process change. The reduction of the standard deviation is then quantified to arrive at a financial benefit. • Hardest to understand Decision Risk Valuation
  • 30. Business Case Solving the “Which Business Case” Problem Which business process should I use for the business case? 30 Customer Experience Cycle
  • 31. 31 Big Data Analytics Business Big Data Focus Business Case Challenge Decision Making Which Business Process How to Optimize
  • 32. ) 32 Quantifying Benefits Average Benefits of Many Use Cases Current Value (CVal) Coefficient of Improvement (Cof) Future State Benefit (FVal) AVG ((CValn)(Cofn) = FVal
  • 33. Address the Who Layer the Benefits Link to Strategy Determine the Approach 33 Four Keys Layer the Benefits
  • 34. Layering Benefits Increasing Business Case Impact 34 Use Additional Approaches Evaluate Additional Use-Cases Include Additional Benefits
  • 35. Different Approach Direct Evidence Initiative Optimization Business Outcome Corporate Asset 35
  • 36. 36 Additional Use Cases Sum of Benefits Current Value (CVal) Coefficient of Improvement (Cof) Future State Benefit (FVal) (CValn)(Cofn) = FVal
  • 37. Tell the Story Example Data Scientists in the Network Operations Department will use the Big Data Analytics capability to analyze generator run logs, weather data, fuel costs to identify, prioritize actions to reduce diesel generator idle time. These actions will reduce fuel costs and increasing gross margin. Furthermore, this will reduce our carbon footprint and enhance our brand image as a socially responsible company. 37
  • 38. Four Keys Address the Who Address the Who Layer the Benefits Link to Strategy Determine the Approach 38
  • 39. Bottom-Line Corporate Asset 39 On average, 6 Data Scientists will generate $10M/year ROI from analyzing Big Data* *Intel Corporation
  • 40. Addressing the Who  Leveraging Big Data Analytics requires Data Scientists to use the system  Companies may not have enough Data Scientists on staff to obtain the purported benefits  Include staffing and training Data Scientist in the business case Each Data Scientist can generate $1.6Million in annualized ROI. If a business case has a $20Million annual ROI this suggests that 12 Data Scientists are required. 40
  • 41. Final Thoughts Do’s • Chose the appropriate approach(s) • Tell how solution supports the corporate strategy • Quantify benefits in dollars where possible • Use the business case to setup the PoC • Include Data Scientist staffing and training in business case costs Don’ts • Select an infrastructure only use case • Create a build it and they will approach • Single-use case business case • Use an inappropriate level of detail for the company culture 41
  • 42. 42
  • 43. As a reminder, please submit your questions in the chat box. We will get to as many as possible. 11/5/2014
  • 44. Daily unique content about content management, user experience, portals and other enterprise information technology solutions across a variety of industries. Perficient.com/SocialMedia Facebook.com/Perficient Twitter.com/Perficient For more information contact: (Phone Number and Email Here)
  • 45. Thank you for your participation today. Please fill out the survey at the close of this session.