Role of big data in open innovation practices: The case of Serbian ICT industry

Abstract

Sažetak Big data (veliki podaci) predstavlja termin kojim se opisuju podaci čiji obim, raznovrsnost, struktura i brzina generisanja prevazilaze mogućnosti tradicionalnih baza podataka i softvera za njihovo prikupljanje, obradu, upravljanje i analiziranje. Primenom praksi otvorenih inovacija kompanije stupaju u partnerske odnose sa proizvođačima, dobavljačima, konkurentima, akademskom zajednicom, konsultantima, drugim kompanijama i prikupljaju velike količine podataka iz različitih izvora sa znatno većom frenkventnošću. Koncept otvorenih inovacija zahteva primenu tehnika i tehnologija koje poseduju mogućnosti integrisanja, obrade i analiziranja eksternih i internih izvora podataka i njihovog transformisanja u vrednost. Cilj rada je da ukaže na značaj i ulogu big data koncepta prilikom stupanja u prakse otvorenih inovacija, na primeru kompanija iz informaciono-komunikacione industrije u Srbiji. Rezultati pokazuju da je big data realnost u srpskim IKT kompanijama i da u 91% anketiranih kompanija postoje big data inicijative koje su u toku ili su planirane. Ključni razlozi za primenu big data tehnologija su mogućnosti da se analiziraju potpuno novi tipovi i izvori podataka, što ukazuje da big data nije primarno uzrokovan veličinom podataka, već njihovom raznovrsnošću i strukturom. Stupanjem u prakse otvorenih inovacija kompanije prikupljaju nestrukturirane, relevantnije i detaljnije podatke u realnom vremenu i transformišu ih u odluke kojima će poboljšati kvalitet proizvoda i usluga i povećati efikasnost poslovnih procesa. Big data koncept je još uvek u ranim fazama razvoja u anketiranim IKT kompanijama, ali postoje jasni indikatori da među ovim kompanijama postoji svest o značaju big data za sticanje konkurentske prednosti. Abstract Big data is the term for data sets that are characterized by great volume, variety, velocity, veracity, and which are very hard or impossible to capture, manage, store, and analyze with traditional data management tools. By engaging in open innovation practices companies interact with producers, suppliers, customers, competitors, academics, consultants, other companies, which enables them to collect large amounts of data from a variety of sources with greater frequency. Open innovation concept requires techniques and technologies with the ability to integrate, process and analyze both external and internal data sources and translate them into value. The aim of this paper is to show the role and importance of big data concept for companies which are pursuing open innovation practices with a special focus on Serbian information and communication industry (ICT). The results indicate that big data is becoming a reality within the Serbian ICT companies as 91% of surveyed companies responded that they have big data initiative planned or in progress. The primary data issues that drive investment in big data include the possibilities of analyzing data from diverse sources and analyzing new data types, which indicates that big data in surveyed companies is not about volume, but variety and velocity. Engaging in open innovation practices allows companies to gather real-time data, unstructured data, higher quality data, and more granular data and transform them into fact-based decisions in order to achieve higher quality products and services and more efficient operations. Big data concept is still in early development phase in surveyed ICT companies, with clear signs of increased awareness of its importance for competitive advantage.