Can big data lead to smarter customer engagement? That’s the question pondered by Jasper Schneider, NISC’s Vice President of Member & Industry, during a panel at Touchstone Energy’s 2018 New and Emerging Technologies (NET) Conference.

Schneider joined John Lee, Customer Engineer at Google Cloud, to lead a panel called “Big Data. Smart Engagement?” on Monday, Feb. 5 at the NET Conference in St. Petersberg, Fla.

Schneider and Lee discussed how big data, along with smarter analytics, can lead to more efficient and effective customer service. From new tools to simply understanding consumers better, big data is revolutionizing how organizations operate, leading to smarter and more nimble operations focused on consumer value and satisfaction.

“Big data is a movement from documentation to discovery,” Schneider said. “We have been in information silos. When you put them together and start connecting the dots, that’s when the possibilities unfold.”

Schneider said Members’ are increasingly becoming more engaged and interested in their own energy usage, which is helping to drive NISC’s solution development.

“Electric cooperatives are generating greater volumes of data, largely through AMI devices,” Schneider said.  “We’re seeing our Members begin to embrace the use of big data. This is a big driver of how NISC develops tools to help its members make the most of their data resources.”

Touchstone Energy’s annual NET Conference showcases innovation and provides evolving perspectives on industry issues, along with  emerging technologies that can help take co-ops and other businesses into the future.