SCTR7: Data Science and Analytics

Among my greatly respected global colleagues and friends on LinkedIn, there seem to be persistent, circular debates concerning the nature and viability of the data science profession. Opinions seem to run the gamut from ‘data science is the best thing since sliced bread and will take over the world’ to ‘data science is a weak, […]

Analytics professionals should keep a persistent eye open for opportunities to create cross-functional insights from data. Insights can frequently be leveraged across multiple business domains. However, business silos can restrict ‘forest for the trees’ visibility. To the degree analytics has cross-functional exposure in the organization, for instance via a C-level champion and an Analytics Center […]

The fight against fraud and AML often hits a ‘brick wall’ when encountering labyrinthian international, corporate structures. Even well-known brands such as Google and Starbucks, use controversial, though currently accepted, international structures to optimize capital flows and to reduce tax liabilities, for instance the so-called Double Irish or Dutch Sandwich. Due to this complexity, increasingly […]

As many traditional industrial age business functions become subject to disintermediation by automation and expert analytics systems, new industries and value propositions will need to be framed by an emerging generation of leaders.

The adage ‘garbage-in-garbage-out’ is an analytics mantra so ingrained it has its own shorthand: GIGO. Yet, in the mad, blind rush toward all things ‘big data’, there is the danger of sidelining the crucial-but-dreary topic of data quality, to which GIGO refers. While data quality is not as ‘sexy’ as big data, anyone who wants […]

As an analytics professional, it may perhaps be no surprise that I believe in a world which is susceptible to analysis – a world which yields to scientific inquiry. Further, I believe that if we invest effort, if we exert what Kahneman would call our System 2, we can improve decisions and overcome our tendency […]

Business Analytics E-Learning Courses Developed by SARK7 for Accenture Academy I.  Introduction to Business Analytics FREE ONLINE NOW! ————————————————————— II. Defining the Business Analytics Process Business analytics is a process that transforms data into insights to drive value-creating decisions. It connects organizational problems to data that is analyzed using various methods, software tools, systems, and experts. […]

A link to a good article proposing that our minds evolved to see patterns and significance, predisposing us to magical and superstitious beliefs: http://theconversation.com/caveman-instincts-may-explain-our-belief-in-gods-and-ghosts-26945 This supports the notion that a major challenge in data science is overcoming our inbuilt behavioral predispositions, for instance the tendency to overfit data samples or to conflate correlation with causation. […]

A Lighthouse in the Fog: Navigating Stormy Seas Using Business Analytics The amount of data generated globally doubles every two years. In 2012, the world created a staggering 2.7 zettabytes of data, and this figure is expected to surmount 86 zettabytes by 2022. Meanwhile, businesses struggle to maintain their competitiveness in a shifting world of […]

The Path to Value: Business Analytics-Enhanced Decision Analysis Business decision makers are confronted by a perplexing array of paths branching before them. Each path is complicated by information overload, complexity, and uncertainty. Managers need better ways to navigate the treacherous terrain of decision complexity. Link to online course: https://www.accentureacademy.com/d/course/1000008980/?tabId=304&moduleId=788&GoBackTo=1376B51F In the petroleum industry, Shell and […]