Big data has become a big deal over the past few years. New technologies promise bigger and better growth if you use the tools to access and parse all that data that's just wasting away in your system.

It can be overwhelming for any distributor, but it doesn't have to be. In the latest episode of Executive Briefing, Evergreen Consulting's Brent Grover, author of the MDM-published The Little Black Book of Strategic Planning for Distributors, tackles the questions of where to begin when looking at the question of big data and how to determine which parts of your business can benefit most from taking a simpler approach to big data.

The problem with big data is it's a "compelling name" that gets your attention, Grover says. But at the same time, "the expression 'big data' itself is a little intimidating." But if you look at it from the perspective of the functional and operational needs of the business, it becomes a little bit less so, he says.

Access the latest episode of MDM Executive Briefing here to hear more from Grover on how distributors can cut big data down to size.