A Focus on the Human Side of Business Analytics

Business Analytics - more than just numbers!

More than a decade ago, I began to notice discussions about data mining in the press. The inference was that humans were no longer necessary—computers and software would digest data for us and identify patterns and trends. As a sociologist—and a human—this bugged me. I suspected that if you looked at an organization that is highly analytical, you would find a lot of very smart analytical humans. And my research then—and now—strongly supports that hypothesis.

I have built my career with regard to analytics on two assertions:

• It’s not (primarily) about the technology;
• It’s not (primarily) about the math.

Admittedly, we wouldn’t be talking about analytics if we didn’t have some great analytical technology, and I will occasionally blog about that topic here. But the hardware and software firms have already solved a lot of the problems that many organizations have with analyzing data—it’s well ahead of the “wetware.”

Similarly, the math itself is seldom the obstacle to success with quantitative analytics. Karl Kempf, a very smart fellow who is Intel’s chief mathematician and head of a “decision engineering” group, told me recently that the math is almost always pretty tractable when his group is working on improving a process or decision. Most quantitative methods have been around for awhile, and there are plenty of people who know how to wield them.

So what’s left? Unfortunately there is a plentitude of remaining issues in dealing effectively with analytics. I will focus in this blog on such topics as:

• How do analytics fit your business strategy?
• Where do you get great analysts, and what skills do they need?
• What’s the best way to organize your analytical people?
• How do you get different analytical groups to collaborate on important problems?
• How do you find some data that’s really powerful and unique?
• What’s the right level of analytical ambition for a particular organization?

Clearly we won’t run out of things to say anytime soon!

You may already have noted that this site is sponsored by SAS, and hosted by IDG. I have worked closely with both organizations in the past, and they are class acts. Neither has ever tried to muzzle me. Both are full of smart and pleasant people. I have worked and will work with other software companies and publishers, but I can’t think of a better set of partners for this site. A quick nod also to Eamon Walsh, a smart young analyst who is getting his MBA at Babson. He’s the primary source for the analytics-oriented links you will find on this site.

Next time I’ll post about what the heck we mean when we use the term “business analytics.” Look for me here a couple of times a week.

• Business Analytics
• SAS