On Data Analytics

I wanted to compile a list of questions that  I usually get asked by various customers on Data Analytics.

1. What can analytics do to my business?

• For starters, do you know why people leave your organisation? If you do not have a solid way of seeing and understanding the reasons, you are in for the ride.

2. Who can help me with data analytics?

• Treat it as a feedback - a virtuous cycle, back to your system, to make amends.

3. How do these engagement or projects look like?

• The engagements are different. Data management and analytics projects do follow a different route compared to traditional software projects. You can refer to CRISP-DM to get more insights.

4. How much time and resources are required to get data analytics done?

• Depends on where you are and how much ground work has been down already. It differs from case to case.

5. What kid of data is required to get analytics done?

• This is s soul searching exercise. It is like deciding between Red Wine and Scotch! You need to really know what you are looking at - to achieve.

6. Is it very costly?

7. How predictive analysis used across business functions?

• This is a separate article in itself. But look at it this way - from this angle: Who is looking at the outcome and what function do they have?
• Is it - Executive, R&D & IT, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance & HR.
• If you just look at Supply chain, which to me is a dear topic, analytics helps in demand planning, procurement analysis, measure supplier performance, inventory & warehouse management, logistics & fulfilment.

8. Is Open source ready for prime time?

• Yes and no. In the world of Big Data Management and Analytics, open source is ready for business.

9. Do I need to have data analytics done?

• Sure, you do. If you do not want a natural death.

10. Can I move from my traditional BI to Hadoop?

• This is a complex answer, yes but this in itself is a project. Not a plug-in and play. I shall project a layer by layer outlaw, in my next article.

11. Are there enough people to help us out?

• Reach out to me.