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Big Data Analysis and Data Visualization to Facilitate Decision-Making - Mega

Start Case Study

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-08954-1_34

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 Big Data Analysis and Data Visualization
to Facilitate Decision-Making - Mega Start Case
Study

Mohammad H. Allaymoun(B) , Leen Hussam Al Saad, Zahra Mohsin Majed,

and Sayed Mohamed Abbas Hashem

Gulf University, Sanad, Bahrain

[email protected], {180101114439,180101114447,
180101114507}@gulfuniversity.edu.bh

Abstract. Recently, there has been a surge in interest in data analysis to gain vital
information that aids decision-making, as well as a variety of report formats that
help clarify and show information in a detailed and flexible manner. Big data has
various qualities that set it apart from typical data, including volume, diversity,
and value. Which has necessitated the development of effective technical tools and
methods for its examination. The analysis of big data for a virtual corporation that
is engaged in retailing, owns multiple branches, and sells a variety of products will
be reviewed in this paper. The phases of the big data analysis life cycle will also
be examined in depth in order for Google Data Studio to produce visualizations
and reports. And, in order to make appropriate conclusions for the challenges and
hypotheses created during the discovery phase, discuss the data visualization, and
present it to the decision maker.

Keywords: Big data life cycle · Google data studio · Visualization · Decision
making

1 Introduction

In addition to management information systems, computer science, finance, and account-

ing, big data is a major topic. Big data has an impact on financial decisions, and the assis-
tant decision-making system is utilized in a variety of industries, including healthcare,
mobile devices, marketing, education, smart cities, manufacturing, and e-commerce [1].
Big data is frequently employed in this period, particularly in applications based
on the Internet of Things (IoT). As a result, data is kept in distributed databases in
various forms (organized, semi-structured, and unstructured). And it was done in a
timely, accurate, and effective manner. Additionally, data extraction, transformation,
and visualization aid modelling results. Big data, on the other hand, employs strategic
tools and strategies to collect, store, process, and turn massive amounts of data into
relevant data and information. Volume, variety, value, speed, honesty, diversity, and
visualization are all characteristics of big data [2, 3].

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023

B. Alareeni and A. Hamdan (Eds.): ICBT 2022, LNNS 495, pp. 370–379, 2023.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08954-1_34
 Big Data Analysis and Data Visualization 371

On the other side, there is a massive amount of data, as well as increased capabilities
in data collection and storage methods and large capabilities to accomplish this. To put
it bluntly and directly, things have become really simple and are frequently updated. A
higher number of data can be under construction. Big data and its storage have become
quite inexpensive in terms of cost, which is why firms are attempting to get the most
value from the data [4].
According to Marjani (2017), big data analytics can be used to derive important and
meaningful insights. There are a variety of approaches, including uncovering hidden
patterns and linkages that are unknown or known, as well as gaining insights that are
beneficial in understanding client demands and preferences and market trends [5].
In this paper, we will analyze the big data of a virtual company called Mega Start’s
in order to obtain graphical results so that decision makers can make the best decisions
possible. Google Data Studio will be used to analyze the big data of the organization [6],
to follow the steps of the life cycle phases of big data analysis, to create data models,
and to obtain results in the final phase.
The issue is that Mega Start’s sales are low, and Mega Mart’s management is seeking
for ways to increase revenues and profits. Assumptions were made, such as offers,
discounts, and marketing campaigns, and data was collected and analyzed on Data Studio
to arrive at the desired meaning, which was to increase Mega Start’s revenue and profit
rate. Decision makers will be able to make better judgments as a result of these solutions
and analyses, which have been built specifically for Mega Mart’s benefit and to solve
the problem.

2 Literature Review
Big data is information that is too large for typical database systems to handle. The data
is too big, or it’s growing too fast, or it’s in multiple formats that don’t fit into typical
database architectures. There must be another method to process this data in order to
extract value from it [7].
“Big data goes beyond the capabilities of regularly used hardware environments and
software tools to acquire, handle, and process it in the time allotted to its consumers” [8].
“Big data refers to data sets whose size exceeds the ability of standard database software
tools to acquire, store, manage, and analyze,” according to the McKinsey Global Institute
[9]. These definitions imply that as technology improves, what is referred to as big data
will evolve.
The data analysis tools are the most significant in this section since they allow the
data to be evaluated in order to achieve the desired goals and meaning. Hadoop is an
open-source platform for running applications and storing massive amounts of data on
a variety of devices. It possesses a one-of-a-kind skill in terms of outstanding handling
and, on the other hand, a one-of-a-kind capacity in terms of task handling [10]. In terms
of processing massive data, Spark does the same duties as Hadoop, but it is faster. Spark,
on the other hand, works with memory, which is referred to as RAM, and which is
employed in random access to complete its data processing tasks. And it’s used as a
backup memory for other files. This is how it differs from Hadoop [11].
Storm is compatible with Hadoop’s jobs and is concerned with storing and processing
enormous data, but it differs in that it processes large data in a way that handles failures
372 M. H. Allaymoun et al.

and tolerates them gracefully. Storm, on the other hand, is a tool that is at the heart of
horizontal development. Its significance is defined by its high and effective capacities to
reach the highest rates of ingestion [12].
According to Data Life Cycle Analytics, “any organization or application where data
is used and processed to deliver outcomes is extremely significant” (Munawar,2020). The
ability to access and use data for a given period of time is provided by the presentation
of data for a set period of time. Data comes from a variety of places and is available in
a number of formats. A big data-based application, such as in the healthcare industry,
generates a vast quantity of data via sensors and other electronic devices, which may
then be categorized into a model for report generation and prediction for a number of
reasons to the advantage of patients and hospitals. The data life cycle represents the
entire data process in the system. The production, storage, use, sharing, archiving, and
destruction of data in the system and applications begin with its creation, storage, use,
sharing, archiving, and destruction. It establishes the data flow within a business. For
the concept to be applied successfully, the data life cycle must be kept under a secure
data management system [13].
There has been a lot of research using big data analysis to achieve graphical results,
such as doing a study regarding tourism dashboard on mobile web app by accessing
tourist data in southern Thailand using a big data analysis platform. Tourism data analy-
sis, data storage, data processing, data visualization, and user interface are all part of the
proposed system (UI). For attracting tourists in southern Thailand, a tourist dashboard
system on mobile web applications is particularly useful [14].
Data visualization is an important tool for creating visuals, graphs, and animations
that convey a message of understanding. Many things are readily and successfully clar-
ified and explained using the illustrations. Without having to read the textual details,
this aids decision-making [15]. The purpose of visualization is to extract relevant infor-
mation from data and represent it so that decision-makers may make more informed
decisions. Data visualization is the art of presenting data to the right people at the right
time so that they can get insights more quickly. You can interact with data and go beyond
analysis using data visualization. The audience’s attention is kept on the screen, and they
become engaged in the data visualization. Data visualization has numerous advantages,
including being an excellent means of communicating both an abstract and a concrete
idea [16].
Google Data Studio is a new data visualization program aimed to be an easy-to-use
tool for presenting large data sets in a visually appealing and understandable manner, with
graphical results in formats suitable for a wide range of analytical research. Data Studio’s
primary purpose is to understand data and online analytics; nevertheless, it supports a
wide range of data sources, including MySQL and spreadsheets, implying that academics
can use Data Studio to easily evaluate their data. While Data Studio uses the standard
combination of charts and graphs to present information, it adds features such as the
ability to combine numerous sources into a single report, dynamic data updates, and
interactive visualizations. However, Data Studio’s support for third-party data sources
might be improved, making it a viable resource for aspiring data photographers [17].
 Big Data Analysis and Data Visualization 373

3 Research Design
This study drew on past research on the subject to define the foundations and procedures
needed to create a prototype for the proposed solution mechanism. In addition to studying
and analysing several situations and challenges confronting commercial organisations,
particularly sales, to arrive at a general notion of how to find a solution and a mechanism
for extracting appropriate visuals for the problems that Businesses face by analysing
their big data.
This study obtains primary data and develops the model through interviews and gen-
eral chats. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the establishment’s owners
and sales experts. Semi-structured interviews allow the researcher to ask as many ques-
tions as he or she needs while keeping the overall impressions of constructing a solution
prototype to a minimum. The technical components must be linked to the desired objec-
tives to test efficacy. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted. More
information about the solution model, the mechanism for tracking results, and how to
implement the solutions was provided. Furthermore, solutions must be examined and
verified at every level to ensure that they can be implemented and achieve the desired
outcomes.
Mega Start Company (Virtual) handled the data, which covered all private sales oper-
ations in Muharraq, Juffair, Riffa, and Hamad Town from January 1, 2020 to December
30, 2020. The date of sale and branch, as well as the customer type, gender, product line,
unit price, 5% tax, payment, gross income, gross margin percentage, and rating are all
included.

4 Proposed Model
Mega Start is a virtual firm with its headquarters in Manama, Bahrain’s capital. It is a
private firm with a supermarket and retail network as its core business operation. Mega
Start provides a diverse range of products and services in a variety of locations, catering
to a variety of consumers, including regular customers and wholesale customers.
Most commercial projects encounter problems; the supermarket is a commercial
project that necessitates the project owner’s constant attention. It can only succeed after
overcoming several obstacles. Anticipating potential barriers will help you avoid them,
and there are a few common difficulties to take care of first.
Some of the challenges that Mega Start Company may face, the most serious of
which could result in the project owner losing money due to blunders are:

• Ineffective cost and quality control.

• Poor supplier relations.
• Management’s failure to formulate and execute on decisions.
• Insufficient insurance.
• Lack of sales.
• Key personnel departures.
374 M. H. Allaymoun et al.

Mega Start Company is having trouble producing sales, thus this case study explains
how you can improve their sales process by using the data analytics lifecycle of big data
analysis.
According to Mega Start’s data, this corresponds to all private sales of the company
in the year 2020. It turns out that the organization is experiencing a shortfall of private
sales this year, which is why the topic of lack of sales was chosen. Also, conduct a big
data analysis to find a solution to this problem.
The basic approach includes data preparation, data exploration, potential graphics
efficiency assessment, outcomes efficiency analysis by discovery phase, model valida-
tion, and report generation, as illustrated on the left side of Fig. 1. On the right, you’ll
find a collection of reusable approaches and tools for overcoming visualization issues,
including Rapid data processing that supports hypotheses. Obtaining drawings and build-
ing models from the model construction stage using Google Data Studio; Descriptive
statistics provide a summary of the proposed models; hence, statistical validation, which
ensures that the recommended patterns in the data are statistically sound and actionable
reports. And report automation that ensures a set of results is delivered to the decision
maker.

Fig. 1. The overall approach of big data analysis and data visualization.

Table 1 shows a portion of the big data acquired from the virtual corporation to
analyse and visualize the outcomes. It also depicts the most essential characteristics
that can be combined to form integrated models using assumptions produced during the
research phase.
 Big Data Analysis and Data Visualization 375

Table 1. A part of data.

5 Results and Discussion

The outcomes of big data analysis will be described in this section, with a focus on
the phases of the big data analysis life cycle and the usage of Google Data Studio to
generate visualizations and statistical tables that aid decision-makers in making informed
decisions.

Discovery
While the Mega Start group has some facts and opinions on a range of topics, here’s
another chance to contribute some context: The Mega Start team began gathering data
during the discovery phase of a project Mega Start since they have some opinions and
data on a variety of difficulties. Following the team’s discussion, the expert analyst
discovered a sales issue, and the organization needed to raise sales to increase revenue.
Data is a collection of structured and unstructured data, such as numbers, concepts,
dates, locations, and other elements. Mega Start data also includes a historical budget,
prediction, and comparison, all of which will be utilized to verify the team’s assumptions.
Structured and unstructured data are both included in this category, but unstructured data
is frequently shared within research teams.
Here are the three IHs of the Mega Start team, which are as follows:

IH1: Rewarding the most loyal consumers.

IH2: Marketing Campaigns.
IH3: Offers and Discounts.

Data Preparations
Mega Start collaborated with IT to create and test a new data storage and analytics
sandbox. Data scientists and engineers discovered that some data needed to be updated
and standardized during the data exploration process. Furthermore, more missing data
sets were needed to validate key analytical assumptions.

Model Planning
The Mega Start group demonstrated, for the most part, that the database could be used
376 M. H. Allaymoun et al.

to make reasonable decisions in order to solve the problem. It’s been challenging to
develop effective hypothesis testing methodologies due to a lack of data. By initiating
longitudinal research, the team decided to begin tracking database revenue growth over
time. With this information, the team will be able to test the following two ideas:

IH1: Marketing Campaigns.

IH2: Offers and Discounts.

The study aims to develop objective criteria for planned longitudinal studies. They
wanted to establish a fantastic concept that he would keep with him throughout the
adventure. The study scope criteria comprised the following items:

• Decide on a product name.

• The product’s initial price is renewed.
• The price of the sold product is renewed.
• Calculate the percentage of products that were sold.
• Define the pattern of product repetition.

Model Building
In the fourth stage, the Mega Start group used a range of analytical methodologies. This
includes work by a data scientist who solved the task by applying techniques to textual
descriptions of the concepts listed above. In addition, he analyzed social networks using
histograms and statistics.

Communicate the Results

At this step, the team has arrived at and retrieved crucial results by various means and
procedures, including analyses and assessment of the outcomes that are at the forefront
and at the top in terms of influences and links. As a result, this project is deemed a success,
and Mega Start’s revenues are favorable and successful as a result of the analyses and
hypotheses that were applied in it. With the help of volunteer forces with specialized
knowledge and abilities, this project was completed on a shoestring budget. The main
consequence of the Mega Start project is an increase in revenue, which is attributable to
improved customer loyalty and its enhancement through programs of the most important
approach, which is the loyalty programme. Encouragement and attraction of customers
through Mega Start discounts and exclusive offers, as well as the presentation of prizes
and instant gifts to customers, builds sentimentality toward Mega Start and increases
customer value for them, all thanks to marketing campaigns and what Mega Start offers
to customers in a competitive manner.

Operationalize
This is the final stage, during which the team works to publicize the positive outcomes and
benefits of Mega Start on a big scale while also working on experimental developments
under supervision.
Risks can be controlled appropriately and effectively, and before implementing
operations on a large scale, the team can do so experimentally and in a small scale.
 Big Data Analysis and Data Visualization 377

Mega Start’s revenue is remarkable as a result of its presentations and analysis, and
the following are the primary Mega Start results:

• Mega Start’s marketing strategies and attracting and retaining consumers are depen-
dent on Mega Start’s vision of the future and effectively focusing on it for the sake of
boosting interest and benefit.
• its as well as revenues.
• Filling out forms and showing the results are two instances of sensitive data that fall
under the category of privacy and security.
• Providing advantages and incentives to regular consumers is an example of a running
model, which is linked to the company’s business and intelligence.

The analyses were given, along with their favorable results, and the difficulty that
Mega Start was having was solved, resulting in an increase in revenue.

Google Data Studio

By converting massive business sales data into a report that explains and makes the
data easy to grasp, the simple report on Mega Start virtual company data was created
using Google Data Studio. This enables firm decision-makers to clearly examine data,
understand the situation, and use the report to identify a solution to the problem.
Creating a data report from Mega Start virtual corporation for Big Data Research
using Data Studio. Figure 2 illustrates that the virtual Mega Start company has four
branches, with the names of the branches and the gross income of each branch displayed
in Fig. 2, as well as a vertical analysis of the four branches’ income. We concluded
that the Madinat Hamad branch earns the most money. This means that the remaining
branches are earning less money, and Mega Start’s profits can be increased simply by
raising sales.
Mega Start (virtual) corporation has six production lines, as shown in Fig. 2. The
income for each of the lines is shown in the remaining numbers, and it appears that the
Food and Beverage industry is the most important and profitable. This means that the
remainder of Mega Start’s divisions earn less than Food and Beverages, and thus Mega
Start’s revenue may be boosted simply by boosting sales in the lower-earning divisions.
Mega Start is a virtual firm, and the team chooses the Lifecycle phases. Mega Mart’s
massive data was reviewed and processed to produce results relating to the problem that
needed to be solved, and the problem was reached. Suggestion of appropriate ways to
tackle this problem, which are hypotheses, and these hypotheses are the main key to
overcoming this problem and improving Mega Start’s revenues and achieving success
through the provided solutions in Mega Start’s best interests. The results were outstand-
ing, indicating that if decision makers made decisions based on the offered solutions
after analyzing big data to solve the Mega Start challenge, they would be successful.
Mega Start’s work activity, location, and branches were clarified in order to compare
them and identify the branches and items that needed to apply the recommended solu-
tions in order to address the problem and meet Mega Mart’s goals, which were regarded
a success indicator.
378 M. H. Allaymoun et al.

Fig. 2. Mega start report.

6 Conclusions

This paper will introduce the concept of big data, analyze it, and generate graphical
results to aid decision-making, and it will be applied to Mega Start Company (virtual).
At this point, the details of the big data will be entered first, followed by a presentation
of an overview of the big data, the big data and tools connected to the big data, and the
analyses that will be performed on the big data. The importance and effectiveness of Mega
Start Company in accounting and finance, as well as the relationships between them and
their benefits, will be highlighted after adopting big data analyses. Following this stage,
the problem that Mega Start is facing will be identified, and graphical findings from big
data analysis will be acquired. Google Data Studio is the platform via which Mega Start’s
large data will be evaluated in stages with the goal of implementing models for the data,
and after these analyses are completed, the results will be available to solve this problem.
The most important prior studies on the issue of Mega Start’s problem, which explain
big data tools and their characteristics, analytical courses, and challenges related with
the Mega Start problem, will be presented, along with the most important solutions that
have been investigated. The research methodology is concerned with implementing the
first model after implementing the big data analysis for Mega Start, with the assistance of
sales experts and business owners, in order to link these auxiliary factors with potential
outputs in order to achieve an important goal, which is to achieve the effectiveness and
display the proposed model. Exhibiting the drawings that were taken from Data Studio,
which strongly and effectively aid individuals who make decisions, and the summary of
the study of this topic evaluates and analyses the big data for Mega Start and achieves the
purpose Which is concerned with graphical findings to aid decision-making processes
by obtaining effective results in the form of images and graphics, as well as increasing
sales and profits through the solutions and hypotheses examined in the research.
 Big Data Analysis and Data Visualization 379

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