Josh Helms

Josh Helms

Submitted by on Fri, 01/09/2026 - 11:45
Lieutenant Colonel Josh Helms is a data analyst in the Army serving as a Research Fellow in the Army's Training With Industry program, through which he works with IBM for one year before returning to the Army. His research fellowship is intended to help him learn how industry analyzes big data and communicates strategic insights to senior leaders to take this knowledge base back to the Army.

Big Data: It’s About Complexity, Not Size

Submitted by on Mon, 01/22/2018 - 20:59

Big data should not be defined as “big” based on the size of the data alone. As defined by an important Commission on Big Data, big data is “a phenomenon that is a result of the rapid acceleration and exponential growth in the expanding volume of high velocity, complex and diverse types of data.” Organizations that do not necessarily have a large volume of data can benefit from a better understanding of the art of the possible with the new generation of analytic tools designed for big data.

Challenges in Adopting a Big Data Strategy (Part 1 of 2)

Submitted by on Mon, 01/22/2018 - 20:28
Adopting a big data strategy presents four challenges for public sector organizations. This is the first entry of a two part blog post that identifies those challenges (talent management, interoperability, trust in the data, and cyber infrastructure) and poses a few solutions to help mitigate the risk these challenges present.

Introduction

Challenges in Adopting a Big Data Strategy (Part 2 of 2)

Submitted by on Mon, 01/22/2018 - 20:23

Big data should not be defined as “big” based on the size of the data alone. As defined by an important Commission on Big Data, big data is “a phenomenon that is a result of the rapid acceleration and exponential growth in the expanding volume of high velocity, complex and diverse types of data.” Organizations that do not necessarily have a large volume of data can benefit from a better understanding of the art of the possible with the new generation of analytic tools designed for big data.

Five Examples of How Federal Agencies Use Big Data

Submitted by on Mon, 01/22/2018 - 20:18

This blog entry provides examples of how federal agencies and other levels of government are developing and applying big data strategies in the areas of fraud detection, financial market analysis, health related research, government oversight, education, criminology, environmental protection, and energy exploration.

Introduction

Five Myths and Five Ways to Create an Analytics Culture

Submitted by on Mon, 01/22/2018 - 19:14
An organization's culture is often the biggest impediment to embracing analytics and adopting a big data strategy. This blog entry poses 5 myths that inhibit culture change and the adoption of a big data strategy, and suggests 5 ways to create a culture that embraces analytics and is open to a big data strategy.

Introduction

Lieutenant Colonel
U.S. Army

Lieutenant Colonel Josh Helms is a data analyst in the Army serving as a Research Fellow in the Army's Training With Industry program, through which he works with IBM for one year before returning to the Army. His research fellowship is intended to help him learn how industry analyzes big data and communicates strategic insights to senior leaders to take this knowledge base back to the Army. LTC Helms is working with the IBM Center for several months; this is the first in a series of blog posts in which he discussed research designed to address the challenges that the government faces in regards to big data.