A Unisys-sponsored survey says advanced data analytics technology has helped 93 percent federal executives with big data projects boost decision-making quality and speed and their predictive and risk management abilities.

The company said Tuesday 87 percent of the respondents also reported challenges, including their capability to analyze data and the compatibility of existing storage, network and computer infrastructure with their big data initiatives.

Thirty-five percent of federal executives pointed to difficulty in knowledge generation and retention among workers who support big data projects while 40 percent of agencies currently have no plans to pursue such projects.

“Forward-thinking agencies within the federal government have proven the value of advanced data analytics in mission areas ranging from protecting against potential threats related to goods and people crossing our borders to projects for evaluating the potential delinquency risk of federal loan programs,” said Rod Fontecilla, vice president for advanced data analytics at Unisys’ federal business.

Unisys noted that agencies plan to hire additional personnel and collaborate with contractors to support their big data initiatives.