Elucidation of big data analytics in banking: a four-stage Delphi study

PurposeIn today's networked business environment, a huge amount of data is being generated and processed in different industries, which banking is amongst the most important ones. The aim of this study is to understand and prioritize strategic applications, main drivers, and key challenges of implementing big data analytics in banks.Design/methodology/approachTo take advantage of experts' viewpoints, the authors designed and implemented a four-round Delphi study. Totally, 25 eligible experts have contributed to this survey in collecting and analyzing the data.FindingsThe results revealed that the most important applications of big data in banks are “fraud detection” and “credit risk analysis.” The main drivers to start big data endeavors are “decision-making enhancement” and “new product/service development,” and finally the focal challenge threatening the efforts and expected outputs is “information silos and unintegrated data.”Originality/valueIn addition to stepping forward in the literature, the findings advance our understanding of the main managerial issues of big data in a dynamic business environment, by proposing effective further actions for both scholars and decision-makers.