Big data is an emerging phenomenon that has enormous implications and impacts upon business strategy, profitability, and process improvements. All service systems generate big data these days, especially human-centered service systems. It has been characterized as the collection, analysis and use of data characterized by the five Vs: volume, velocity, variety, veracity, and value (of data).

This booklet will help middle, senior, and executive managers to understand what big data is; how to recognize, collect, process, and analyze it; how to store and manage it; how to obtain useful information from it; and how to assess its contribution to operational, tactical, and strategic decision-making in service-oriented organizations.