This document provides an overview and agenda for building an analytics capability. It discusses key topics such as:
- The importance of big data and analytics for business decisions
- Building an analytics capability requires the right people, processes, and technology
- Companies can build capabilities internally, outsource work, or use a hybrid approach
- When outsourcing analytics work, firms need to consider issues like vendor skills, data protection, and intellectual property ownership
1 of 44
More Related Content
Building the Analytics Capability
1. Big Data & Business Analytics:
Building the Capability
Prof. Bala Iyer
@BalaIyer
March 04, 2014
1
2. Agenda
Big Data Context
Big Data for business
Building the capability
Questions to ask
Ecosystem Analysis
Recommendations
2
3. ―we now uncover as much data in
48 hours – 1.8 zettabytes (that's
1,800,000,000,000,000,000,000
bytes) – as humans gathered from
"the dawn of civilization to the year
2003."
3
5. What do we mean by
―Analytical‖?
Analytical Decision-making: the use of
data, analysis, models & systematic
reasoning to make decisions
Questions to answer:
What decisions or business areas should
analytics be applied?
What kind of data do we have now & do we
need?
What kinds of analysis do we do?
Source: ―What it Means to Put Analytics to Work‖, Davenport, Harris & Morrison, chapter from
Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results, 2010.
5
11. Data Scientist
A data scientist is an engineer who employs the
scientific method and applies data-discovery tools to
find new insights in data. The scientific method—the
formulation of a hypothesis, the testing, the careful
design of experiments, the verification by others—is
something they take from their knowledge of
statistics and their training in scientific disciplines.
Data Scientists: The Definition of Sexy, Forbes 2013 link
11
12. Competencies or Stack
Change Management
Insights
(Experimentation/Visualization)
Domain Knowledge
(best practices)
Model Building
(tools and techniques)
Infrastructure
(Data, Models/architecture)
T
O
O
L
S
12
13. Obstacles
Shortage of data scientists
Huge technical challenges
Accessing talent in India
Lack of modeling knowledge
Decision-making culture (HIPPO)
Use cases emerging
According to Wikibon the market is expected
to reach USD53.4 billion in 2016
13
14. Target used data mining to predict buying habits
of customers going through major life events
Target was able to identify 25 products (e.g., vitamin
supplements) that when analyzed together helped
determine a ―pregnancy prediction‖ score
Sent baby-related promotions to women based on this
score
Outcome:
Sales of Target’s Mom and Baby products sharply
increased soon after new advertising campaigns
Privacy concerns: Target had to adjust how it
communicated the new promotions
Source: ―How Companies Learn Your Secrets‖, Duhigg, The New York Times, Feb. 16, 2012.
14
15. Many industries using data analytics
for improving value disciplines
General Electric using Big Data to optimize the service
contracts & maintenance1 The industrial internet.
Netflix used Big Data to predict if a TV show will be
successful- ―House of Cards‖ series, Director & promotions2
LinkedIn used Big Data to develop ―People You May Know‖
products – 30% higher click-thru-rates3
Source: 1―What’s Your Strategic Intent for Big Data?‖, Davenport , CIO Journal in The Wall Street
Journal, 1/23/2013.
2‖The Future of Entertainment is Analytical‖, Davenport , CIO Journal in The Wall Street Journal, 3/6/2013.
Source: ―Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century‖, Davenport & Patil, HBR, Oct 2012.
15
16. What are the sources of data?
ERP/CRM Transactional Systems
Point-of-Sale/Scanner at Retail
Customer Loyalty Programs
Financial Transactions
Click-Stream Data
Social Media Data
Mobile
Personal analytics
External Data Aggregators (e.g., AC Nielson)
16
17. What is a capability?
Firm’s capacity for undertaking a particular
productive activity [Grant 1997]
Hamel & Prahalad coined the term core
competences to distinguish those capabilities
fundamental to a firm’s performance and
strategy. They:
make a disproportionate contribution to ultimate customer
value, or to the efficiency with which the value is delivered,
and
Provide a basis for entering new markets
17
19. How do companies build an
analytics capability?
People: Data Scientist (need analytical + social
+ communication skills)
Leadership: Help decision-makers shift from adhoc analysis to ongoing conversations with
data
Technology: for data management, programming
and modeling
Process: workflows and methodologies for
models and experiments
Source: ―Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century‖, Davenport & Patil, HBR, Oct 2012.
19
22. On Shore
Off Shore
Models of outsourcing
A company with its HQ in NY
opens a analytics center in Chennai
(India).
A company with its HQ in NY gets a
third-party to do its work in Chennai
(India).
Often called “Captive Centers” or
“Captives.”
A company with its HQ in NY
opens a analytics center in San
Diego / Durham (NC).
In-House
A company with its HQ in NY gets a
third-party to do its work in San
Diego.
B
P
O
Outsource
BPO = Business Process Outsourcing
22
23. What should you outsource?
23
Strategic Sourcing From Periphery to the Core. By: Gottfredson, Mark; Puryear, Rudy; Phillips, Stephen. Harvard Business Review, Feb2005, Vol. 83 Issue 2, p132, 8p
24. Lessons from Outsourcing IT
Clear specifications
Increases flexibility in changing markets
Fast response
Fixed to variable costs
Proximity between onshore and offshore hub
matters
Infrastructure and connectivity
Language and technical skills
IT adoption
Contingency planning
24
25. Sourcing analytics
Core vs. periphery
Analytics for competitive advantage vs.
parity
First time vs. in-house availability
Source all vs. source add-on capabilities
25
26. What challenges should one anticipate?
Problem definition complexity
IT implementation challenges
Modeling complexity
Change
Data regulation and compliance
26
27. Look for
Model building skills
Business domain knowledge
Technical or programming skills
Scientists vs. order takers
27
28. Client sophistication
Based on data management, talent
management and analytics penetration
in biz strategy.
Tom Davenport
Analytics challenged
Stage 5
First time users
Analytically superior
Internal capability exists
Analytical
Competitors
Stage 4
Analytical
Companie
Stage 3
s
Analytical Aspirations
Stage 2
Localized Analytics
Stage 1
Analytically Impaired
28
29. Questions
Unique vendor capabilities
Data protection
Analyst churn and satisfaction
Re-badging dedicated analysts
Cultural fit
Sourcing model
IP ownership
Low end vs. high end work
M&A risks
29
30. Variables to consider
Capability costs
Risk of failure
Size of vendor
Large body shops
Small – niche skills and eager
Domain knowledge
Skills
RFPs
30
31. Traditional relationship
framework
Includes setting detailed specifications
Pursuing costly renegotiations and
Participating in limited information
exchanges
Discourage flexibility
Stifle innovation and
Erode trust
31
32. Analytics sourcing
Strategic importance to customer
Vendor has more expertise
Evolution and outcome of relationship is
uncertain
32
40. Types of service providers
Augmentation or spot services
Pure play consultant
Technology platform provider
Change management services
Digital thought leadership
Training for data scientists
Smart Lab
CoE
Infrastructure and libraries
Methodologies and Frameworks
Assessment
Data
40
41. Investments
Training/Recruitment
Data Scientist
Certification based on competency and project experience
Techniques
Domain knowledge
Product/platforms
Visualization metaphors
Knowledge communities
Build absorptive capacity
41
42. Risks
Privacy and ethics of data - ―Big
brother‖
New skills for production and selling
Managing a pool of modelers
Communication between biz, modelers,
programmers and scientists
Model management
Installed base of analysts/engineers
42