Tag: data collection

I quickly realised during my accounting articles that technology would have a massive impact on the profession and that I would have to continuously upskill to keep up. Even today, things are changing so fast, one can never just sit back and rely on existing knowledge - I now cultivate a habit of continuous learning.

In today’s corporate world, data is power, and for a business strategy to be worthwhile, it must be supported by substantial data. Moreover, without research, it will be difficult for organisations to identify areas of improvement.

In many ways, 2021 was a landmark year for online privacy. In April 2021, Apple rolled out an update allowing users to opt out of app tracking, with most iPhone users having done so by the end of the year. There were even talks to disable tracking technology on the world’s most popular web browser.

The world of digital marketing is in a state of upheaval. With everyone from government policymakers to independent web browsers changing and updating privacy policies, businesses are faced with a digital advertising minefield.

Business Intelligence (BI) has undergone significant transformation in recent years and certainly is not being superseded by artificial intelligence. In fact, it has become more efficient and user friendly since moving to the cloud, utilising AI and machine learning, and its embedded implementation.

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) will protect South Africans’ constitutional right to privacy. This includes a requirement for lawful justification to exist before a data subject’s personal information (PI) may be processed.

While COVID-19 is certainly not a thing of the past, as a society we appear to be starting to find ways of living with the virus and, for most people at least, taking the necessary precautions to protect ourselves from being infected by it. The same can be said for many businesses.

Technology has permeated all facets of business. Today, it has become less about the bits and bytes and more about unlocking the efficiency of processes, improving the customer experience, and better understanding data to deliver on the company strategy.

While the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) has been in effect for a while, most employers are still not grasping the far-reaching consequences the Act poses on how they collect, store and dispose of information. POPIA affects so many aspects of the business such as the information technology systems, customer processes and information handling practices. Therefore, POPIA cannot be ignored.

The events of 2020 have placed renewed importance on organisations’ ability to deal with widespread uncertainty, disruption and change. Modern organisations are faced with the daunting task of collecting, storing and analysing vast amounts of data and deriving insights from that data that inform decisions and lead to improved business outcomes.