Data Blending for Dummies: A Brief Review

Modern businesses require data. They must use that data to improve their products, customer service and support, and in the end, their profits. Using data to gain a competitive advantage over other businesses has many moving parts that need to be put together. One of them is data blending.

For non-technical users, all of the factors that go into becoming data-driven, including data blending, can be difficult to understand. In addition to being complex, deploying a data blending tool can backfire if the correct measures aren’t taken. Here at Solutions Review, we are ingrained in enterprise analytics, and a recent book on this topic stands out to us: Data Blending for Dummies. After taking the time to peruse the book, it’s obvious to us that this is something that can add value to your organization, so here’s our take.

Data Blending for Dummies digs deep into the topic without overwhelming the reader. The 5-chapter, 44-page publication introduces the topic outlines best practices and strategies surrounding data blending and how it can apply to your specific situation.

Even if this is new to you, the book spells it all out. It explains: “Data blending is important because it allows data analysts to access data from all the relevant data sources: big data, the cloud, social media, third-party data providers, in-house databases, department data stores, and more.” In a nutshell, data blending allows an organization to take data from a variety of sources and “blend” it all together in order to gain one organized view. This allows organizations to formulate a more widely angled vision of what’s happening within the business. The more a company can organize and understand the data it collects, the better informed it will be when it comes time to make decisions.

One of the great things about Data Blending for Dummies is that it is set up in such a way that is conducive to jumping around. It doesn’t have to be read from front to back. After reading, you will possess newfound knowledge on data blending and will be ready to suck up all of the data your organization is creating from a wide variety of sources. The author finishes the introduction with a bold claim: “I promise that you’ll put the book down thinking, “Wow, I didn’t know this stuff could be so easy!”

Remember, with the right training, anyone can be a good data analyst.

Download the free e-book.