Objective and main results

The purpose of this study is to identify firm-level capabilities required to create value from big data.

Main findings:

The study identifies 24 types of capabilities related to the following aspects:

• IT-related capabilities
• Process-related capabilities
• Performance-related capabilities
• Human-related capabilities
• Strategic-related capabilities
• Organizational-related capabilities

Summary of practical implications

IT strategies should consider the disruptive nature of big data and be supplemented with measures to show how analytics capabilities can turn data into value.

Organizations should adopt holistic business process management practices in the context of big data. The utilization of big data is a cross-functional endeavor, which means that data should be collected, managed, and utilized in all business processes intersecting functional departments and other organizational practices.

Organizations can use the identified capabilities in their quest for a digital transformation based on big data. Organizations should focus on IT practices to cope with data while maturing their business process practices and transforming other firm-level practices.

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