While i was working at the niche consulting firm i remember the biggest chunk of the project time was spent in cleaning the data that the client used to send. The data used to come in all sorts of hues and colors. If someone wants to generate random numbers then i suggest they take any company and ask them in how many files they keep their business data. So on the outside data looks to be a absolute inorganic entity which exists on magnet tapes and hard drives (now flash drives) but fundamentally it is a truly organic entity that grows like any other basic organic life form i.e. grow in any and all possible directions till it fills the boundaries defined by the size of the drive.
Whatever the size of the company its data is always a goliath. And when i say this i mean it in metaphorically as well as literally. Its a giant over which anyone and everyone interested in doing quantitative analysis has to win the battle. Quite literally a battle it is since the tools are always either lousy or require u to become an advanced user from the first go otherwise they will not work for you. Just like a factory worker will not work for a newbie and makes him run round n round till the amateur accepts the worker is the actual boss (atleast for the time being).
Winning this battle requires skill as well as good tools to assist you. Mr Gates has done a good job for you by providing office tools like excel and access. But this doesnt mean that they will be effective tools even if you have skill in using them for the job on hand. Its one thing to know how to open a excel/access file and use it to create a bill / list, and entirely another to use it in data cleaning. You need to be a highly resourceful person to effectively utilize these tools since it is not an open ended job. There is a time limit for the job and the sooner you finish it the better it is since that is when u will actually start doing what you would like to do, i.e. developing a deeper understanding of what is happening through analysis and then envisioning strategies to achieve your goals. But whatever is your skill level, the goliath data will take time to be overpowered.
Whatever the size of the company its data is always a goliath. And when i say this i mean it in metaphorically as well as literally. Its a giant over which anyone and everyone interested in doing quantitative analysis has to win the battle. Quite literally a battle it is since the tools are always either lousy or require u to become an advanced user from the first go otherwise they will not work for you. Just like a factory worker will not work for a newbie and makes him run round n round till the amateur accepts the worker is the actual boss (atleast for the time being).
Winning this battle requires skill as well as good tools to assist you. Mr Gates has done a good job for you by providing office tools like excel and access. But this doesnt mean that they will be effective tools even if you have skill in using them for the job on hand. Its one thing to know how to open a excel/access file and use it to create a bill / list, and entirely another to use it in data cleaning. You need to be a highly resourceful person to effectively utilize these tools since it is not an open ended job. There is a time limit for the job and the sooner you finish it the better it is since that is when u will actually start doing what you would like to do, i.e. developing a deeper understanding of what is happening through analysis and then envisioning strategies to achieve your goals. But whatever is your skill level, the goliath data will take time to be overpowered.
