The payoff from joining the big-data and advanced-analytics management revolution is no longer in doubt. The tally of successful case studies continues to build, reinforcing broader research suggesting that when companies inject data and analytics deep into their operations, they can deliver productivity and profit gains that are 5 percent to 6 percent higher than those of the competition.

Despite increased business investment in innovation, only 18 percent of executives believe their company's innovation efforts deliver a competitive advantage, according to an Accenture study that also revealed a risk-averse approach to product and service development.