Most companies have massive amounts of data at their disposal, yet fail
to utilize it in any meaningful way. But a powerful new business tool -
analytics - is enabling many firms to aggressively leverage their data
in key business decisions and processes, with impressive results.
In their previous book, Competing on Analytics, Thomas Davenport and
Jeanne Harris showed how pioneering firms were building their entire
strategies around their analytical capabilities. Rather than "going with
the gut" when pricing products, maintaining inventory, or hiring talent,
managers in these firms use data, analysis, and systematic reasoning to
make decisions that improve efficiency, risk-management, and profits.
Now, in Analytics at Work, Davenport, Harris, and coauthor Robert
Morison reveal how any manager can effectively deploy analytics in
day-to-day operations--one business decision at a time. They show how
many types of analytical tools, from statistical analysis to qualitative
measures like systematic behavior coding, can improve decisions about
everything from what new product offering might interest customers to
whether marketing dollars are being most effectively deployed.
Based on all-new research and illustrated with examples from companies
including Humana, Best Buy, Progressive Insurance, and Hotels.com, this
implementation-focused guide outlines the five-step DELTA model for
deploying and succeeding with analytical initiatives. You'll learn how
to:
- Use data more effectively and glean valuable analytical
insights
- Manage and coordinate data, people, and technology at an
enterprise level
- Understand and support what analytical leaders do
- Evaluate and choose realistic targets for analytical activity
- Recruit, hire, and manage analysts
Combining the science of quantitative analysis with the art of sound
reasoning, Analytics at Work provides a road map and tools for
unleashing the potential buried in your company's data.
