War Stories – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- Senior Analytics Consultant
I am very passionate about using data to drive evidence based decision making and have been working with organisations across a wide variety …
VIEW PROFILE
There are times when deploying advanced analytics initiatives can feel like you are in a war. It can be a battle to get all the relevant people on board, a struggle to convince senior management to invest or create buy in for change from the end user. Let me tell you about my experience, told as war movies!
Black Hawk Down
Beware resistance on the ground. In becoming an advanced analytics organisation where your data is used successfully to support decision making, there are many potential pitfalls. But the reality is if you don’t have commitment from the ground up, you are fighting a much larger battle than is necessary. Planning and preparation are key. That is why we consider the 3 key pillars for successful integration of analytics. They are strategically aligned business opportunities, organisational readiness and data readiness. Reduce the opportunity for resistance by ensuring that the analytical initiatives you are considering are aligned with the strategic goals of your organisation, that you have the data to support the analysis, and critically organisational readiness for change – remember, not everyone likes change.
Enemy at the Gates
Beware the Enemy at the Gates – the stakeholder who may not want to be shown that they can do things better. One of the key constituents of success in any analytics venture is stakeholder engagement. It is absolutely vital that all internal stakeholders are engaged in the project, excited by it and enthusiastic about the potential outcomes. In this example insights were never deployed in the manner that was intended – the organisation didn’t realise the full benefit from analytics and in some ways ‘analytics’ got a bad name for not delivering. But the real reason things didn’t go down as planned was as follows: The project sponsor was not the business owner and as a result the business owner wasn’t the advocate for the implementation of analytics outcomes. The business appeared enthusiastic but never fully got on board with the initiative. When it was shown that decision making could be better supported with the data insights discovered, the business owner’s response was, ‘we do all of that already, there is nothing new in this’. This wasn’t actually the case but without the business being willing to action the insights in a measurable manner the analytics piece never got off the ground.
A very long engagement aka From Here to Eternity
A very long engagement – the project that appears to be never ending. Beginning an analytics initiative is usually quite exciting for the people involved (if they are not excited or optimistic some alarm bells should be ringing!!). Analysts are excited about exploring new data, interested to discover new insights for their customers or their organisation, and stakeholders are optimistic about the value-add analytics can bring to their processes. Managing all of this is paramount to the success of the initiative. Clearly defined objectives, deliverables and realistic timelines around these are so important. Bear in mind that in the beginning stages it can take some time to consolidate data – an exercise many think should take little time, however, the reality is that this can take up 60% of the overall project timeline. There is generally a sense of urgency around getting outputs which should be factored into timelines and expectations need to be well managed. Remember, data analysts love analysing data and will often continue to do that as long as they are let – so be alert and put in place strict controls to ensure the project moves at an appropriate pace and delivers on its objectives in a timely fashion.
The Thin Red Line
Beware The Thin Red Line and don’t end up on the wrong side of it. There exists a Thin Red Line in all analytics initiatives – it’s that line between realising the benefit and everything falling flat, and in money terms achieving ROI versus not. How to recognise what that line might be comes down to experience but you can mitigate against it by engaging well with all stakeholders, following process and adhering to strict timelines. In essence, communication is key – ongoing discussions in relation to data discovery; what the next steps are; are deadlines being met etc. – will enable you to ensure you can hit the ground running, maintain control and be well positioned for successful deployment. To ensure you don’t end up on the wrong side of the thin red line, it is important to ensure that the initiatives are strategically aligned and to build in regular Go / No Go meetings.
A Bridge too Far
Beware reaching too far on those first initiatives – start with something manageable that can be delivered relatively quickly, deployed and measured on an ongoing basis. ‘Think Big Start Small’ should be your mantra when starting on an analytics journey. To become a truly analytical organisation takes time and it’s important to manage this journey one step at a time, building success stories in your organisation and creating a pull culture across divisions rather than a constant push culture. Inevitably there is push at the beginning but real successful integration is clear when there is a demand from within for analytics. Avoid that bridge too far – build up to the bigger initiatives and beware over-reaching in the first project.
How I Won the War
I don’t like to think of analytics journeys as wars but maybe we could imagine each successful deployment of an initiative as a little victory on the road to winning the war! So how do you win the war? We have worked with organisations to build analytical roadmaps over the following 2 – 5 years. This allows us to work to the organisations strengths, identify key areas for improvement around the areas of technology, data and most importantly analytics initiatives that are aligned with business problems that need solving. An end to end framework incorporates all aspects of analytics integration in an organisation and organises bite sized initiatives on a roadmap. In order to ensure the successful implementation of the initiatives on the roadmap, you really need to understand the culture in your organisation. Are you really ready for change or are people paying lip service to the idea of analytics? Are your colleagues really motivated to support you and work with you to deploy the insights discovered? The more engaged the relevant people are, the greater your chances are of winning the war!
More Analytics Blog Posts
Read more >>
Read more >>
- SPSS Statistics Version 26 includes new statistical tests, enhancements to existing statistics and scripting procedures…Read more >>
- Top tips and tricks for running ANOVA and non-parametric tests along with more advanced forms…Read more >>
- SPSS Statistics Version 26 includes new statistical tests, enhancements to existing statistics and scripting procedures…Read more >>
- Healthcare systems face multiple challenges, including ageing populations, evolving healthcare needs and rising costs. Tailored…Read more >>
- Forecasting predicts future values of a particular quantity based on previously observed values of that…Read more >>
- Alan shows you how identify new, data driven, re-order points for your stock items that…Read more >>
- In this short video you will learn how to run a Time Series model within…Read more >>
- Alan now looks more closely at the quality of information you hold on your inventory.…Read more >>
- Alan takes you through the Smart Inventory Management interactive dashboard, showcasing an overview of your…Read more >>
- In this third video, Alan shows you how to extract the key findings from a…Read more >>
- Join us at the Technology Event of the Year! Watch Rob McCullagh present Presidion’s innovative…Read more >>
- This second video concentrates on using Hold-out samples to create more robust predictive models. In…Read more >>
- SPSS is a fully customisable analytical software. Due to the highly flexible nature of SPSS…Read more >>
- In this video, the first of a series, Alan takes you through running a Decision…Read more >>
- If you have ever found that your company has engaged with Analytics initiatives that have…Read more >>
- In the 4th video of our series you will learn how to build stacked tables,…Read more >>
- In this video you will learn how to tailor your tables, run T-test & create…Read more >>
- In June 2018, I was invited to speak at the UK Manufacturing and Supply Chain…Read more >>
- In this video you will learn how to protect respondent's identity and boost the statistical…Read more >>
- Best practices and key considerations before, during and after deploying an analytical initiative to maximise…Read more >>
- In the first video of the IBM SPSS Custom Tables series you will learn: How…Read more >>
- I’ve often seen analytics described primarily by way of the technical complexity of the techniques.…Read more >>
- Being able to effectively measure a RoI on the back of an Advanced Analytics project…Read more >>
- Throughout industries analytics has taken on an almost ubiquitous nature of late. There are increasing…Read more >>
- Analytics is being discussed more and more often in top table conversations, but why do…Read more >>
- Watch Pierre Baviera speaking at “Demystifying Data” Business Breakfast at the Imperial Hotel (Cork), in…Read more >>
- A 3 step process to Understand, Assess and Audit your Data for Advanced Analytics.Read more >>
- Presidion’s Framework Approach for a Technology Review involves a 3 step process, leading to the…Read more >>
- With inspirational quotes from Data and Analytics gurus worldwide.Read more >>
- Take the Analytical Maturity model presented in Thomas Davenport’s “Competing on Analytics”. Would you consider…Read more >>
- There are times when deploying advanced analytics initiatives can feel like you are in a…Read more >>
- After our last A4B “War Stories - Data Analyst Down”, we asked the keynote speaker,…Read more >>
- The truth is that there are many factors and forces at work that help build…Read more >>
- While I’m not sure this statement is true when referring to people, I really believe…Read more >>
- As I observe and read about the raging fires causing massive destruction, I have been…Read more >>
- After our last A4B we asked the keynote speaker, Anthony O’Neill (Director, Analytics Centre of…Read more >>
- The science and psychology to get the 'Bikini Body' you have always wanted (with Predictive…Read more >>
- The reasons behind, and some hints to help you during difficult conversations and challenging situations!Read more >>
- When you start with Analytics you might feel overwhelmed, you have all that incredible power…Read more >>
- Preventative and Conditional Maintenance are often mistaken with Predictive Maintenance. This animation gives you an…Read more >>
- Reports from the insurance industry consistently highlight that the quality of customer experience remains the…Read more >>
- Unlike the consumer sector, manufacturers have been using IoT for years. Properly focused IoT capabilities…Read more >>
- The World is going through the Digital Revolution. What does it practically mean? Well, it…Read more >>
- Does your organisation struggle with understanding how to use analytics? These days it is not…Read more >>
- As a CEO, it’s important that you not just have some good one liners to…Read more >>
- Predictive Maintenance, the modern approach to maintenance that maximises productivity while reducing overall costs.Read more >>
- It is a truism that business need to win new customers and retain existing customers.…Read more >>
- Oil and Gas companies are borrowing from data rich industries to transform their maintenance procedures.…Read more >>
- Will the reign of terror ever end? Can we fight ISIS? Here are the tangible…Read more >>
- Answers to key questions and tips for creating a clear strategy to deliver Big Insights…Read more >>
- More often than not predictive analytics projects represent unfulfilled potential. Is your next project doomed…Read more >>
- Using asset specific data to predict where, when and why a specific asset will fail…Read more >>
- Can one of the most common applications in Retail sector (Market Basket Analysis), determine Next…Read more >>
- With the explosion of Big Data in the past few years there has been a…Read more >>
- One of the most important elements of any data analytics project within any business is…Read more >>
- How many times do you have to be told something before you believe it? Do…Read more >>
- Do you think you are a “good” Analyst? Are there certain traits, attributes and qualities…Read more >>
- Good predictive models take the time and experience of skilled analysts to develop. How do…Read more >>
- We hear that “Data is the new Oil” but how do you extract real value…Read more >>
- Fraud in organizations can be epidemic if not curbed at the inception. According to a…Read more >>
- Were you ever faced with identifying insights from open ended text data? From call center…Read more >>
- The Irish playwright was on the money - no matter what way you look at…Read more >>
- There are two certainties in life, death and taxes. This proverb rings true especially for…Read more >>