We are surrounded by a nearly overwhelming amount of data, all the time, in almost every facet of our lives. If we’re not, it’s only because we haven’t looked for it, or begun harvesting it. But it’s there. The systems in our environment are measurable, and in large part, they are measured. But what does it mean to have such a wealth of data? What can we do with so much data?

In our businesses, there is data about customers. There is data about operations. There is financial data, marketing data, and data about employees. Your specific business has its own data niches: in health care there is patient data, provider data, government data, and on and on.

But who is responsible for managing this data? Who is responsible for making sense of it? And what does it mean to make sense of it? Who defines what happens once the data makes sense?

Call it business intelligence, call it analytics, call it what you like: the data we amass in our business lives has rich possibilities for providing insights to our businesses. And those insights have implications for profit maximization, for operational efficiencies — even for improved quality of life.

But the act of finding those insights can be a challenge unto itself. How much insight you glean often depends on how closely you look.

Look too closely, and you may not see.

Like an impressionist painting, the picture as a whole loses clarity when you lean in to examine the brushstrokes. As a Chicago area native and an ‘80s teen, I was always fond of the scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that took place in the Art Institute of Chicago when Ferris’s friend Cameron is staring at the painting of A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. The longer Cameron stares at the painting, the more he begins to see only the canvas and the dots of paint on the canvas, and the less he sees the picture itself.

The name for this technique in art is pointillism. By creating many small dots of color, the artist can create the overall impression of an image in our perception. We have to be willing to allow ourselves to focus at the right level of detail in order to see it.

In much the same way that too much detail can blind us to the bigger picture, sometimes too much analysis can lead to inaction. If we spend too much time looking for the big insights and not enough time implementing the small insights you find, we miss out on incremental gains in efficiency and profitability we could be making in the short term.

And perhaps a more common problem is you’re not looking closely enough.

Top-level data is satisfying, in some ways. We can view a report and feel like we’ve checked that box off of our list. But what have we learned? What actionable information can we take away from that data?

It’s tempting sometimes to get intellectually lazy; to let reports come in and not really look at them, or to look at them but not get curious about them. And the same old reports day after day, week after week usually won’t tell you a story the way deep dives into data can.

But those deep dives require time and an intense willingness to see what is often nearly imperceptible; to look beyond the dots, those individual data points, and allow your mind to create a picture of something meaningful. And then DO something with the meaning you find.

Member Blogger
Kate O’Neill
[meta]marketer
kate@metamarketer.com
http://metamarketer.com

Analytics teach us so much.  We can track the profitability of our products, use predictive analysis to help us understand the direction of the marketplace, and use dashboards to keep it in front of us at all times.  One area I have always been interested in is how people use the ubiquitous search box.  It is important to know which pages people visit when they have a link presented to them, but it is even more important to see what they are typing in that they can’t find through the navigation tree.   This is free market research.  In general, technologycouncil.com visitors are most interested in the following links from our navigation as presented to them on their visit (in rank order):

Most Popular Search Terms in rank order – Nashville Technology Council – November 2009
Calendar
Board of Directors
Jobs
Events
Membership
Member Directory

However, when we analyze the terms, repeatedly search for by our visitors, a different list emerges.  In this case, people are searching for the following terms from our site.  

Most Popular Search Terms in rank order – Nashville Technology Council – November 2009
membership breakfast
InfoSEC
awards
Ballmer
EDS
emma
feel the beat
HP
member notes
membership breakfast speakers
omnia
4d medical
Accenture
Analytics Lunch
Andy Flatt
bass
calendar
career pathways
Chip Hayner

So what does this mean?  I analyze each week how many search results we have for each term, to make sure our content is delivering on the visitor’s request.  Based on our search results, we know our Members’ Services is one area that gets lots of searches.  Last month we delivered 17,000+ referral views from our member directory. Technology Products and Services was the top category searched.  People searching for vendors and contacts at companies is one of the quickest ways to make a connection with prospective buyers.

According to the latest study by Roger Bond and Charles Strong published this week, “Americans consumed information in 2008 for about 1.3 trillion hours, an average of almost 12 hours per day. Consumption totaled 3.6 zettabytes and 10,845 trillion words, corresponding to 100,500 words and 34 gigabytes for an average person on an average day. A zettabyte is 10 to the 21st power bytes, a million million gigabytes. Information at work is not included.”

So if search and analytics are not in your strategy, maybe it is time to revisit your strategy for 2010.

Below is a link to an Analytics Survey.  We would like your input on the subject.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=FyR9HBw9xaiOZXI8i4566Q_3d_3d

Oracle held an information session at the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN on November 16, 2009.  Xena Ugrinsky lead off the session with the Speed to Value proposition that TITAN Technology Partners, an Oracle partner and host for the Nashville event, is currently promoting.  TITAN Technology Partners builds, hosts, implements, and trains on the Oracle platform.

It has been a while since I received a good update on Oracle. This session went five hours and we only covered Hyperion and Sun (pending acquisition by Oracle).  It is amazing to think about the acquisitions over the past five years and where Larry  is taking the company.

Xena had a great graphic that showed Data Integration > Data Archive > Data Access/Reporting which summed up the Oracle solution on Analytics.  

Phil Potenza, showed the business analyst proposition through an impressive display of graphs and other dashboard tools designed to give every manager a clear view of today and predicative analysis on tomorrow.  Oracle’s application strategy is clearly embedded within their 1,500 + current patents and 1,500 provisional patents.

“70% of CFO’s today can’t forecast more than one quarter out.”  Wow!  This is scary and also points to the tremendous opportunity for analytics.

The afternoon was highlighted by Lisa Mullaney, Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, Chiquita Brands International.  She discussed the recent planning and implementation of Hyperion.

John Vakos finished up the session with a quick overview of Sun.  Their new Xdata strategy seems to be an impressive speed to value proposition.

TITAN Technology Partners and Oracle raffled off tickets to see Bruce Springsteen live that evening at the Sommet Center.

The business of analytics is growing dramatically as we expand our informational needs for an organization.  Analytics can be thought with regard to intelligence for the business, information, content management (structure and unstructured), and predictive (statistical).  There are a plethora of products in each of these four quadrants of analytical tools.

A new global study of more than 2,500 Chief Information Officers (CIOs), released by IBM in September, reveals that leveraging analytics to gain a competitive advantage and improve business decision-making is now the top priority for CIOs. More than four out of five (83 percent) survey respondents identified business intelligence and analytics – the ability to see patterns in vast amounts of data and extract actionable insights – as the way they will enhance their organizations’ competitiveness.

These results and other insights are detailed in the just-released Global CIO Study 2009, which is the largest face-to-face survey of CIOs ever conducted. The study, titled “The New Voice of the CIO,” represents the insights and vision of CIOs from 78 countries, 19 industries, and organizations of every size. The study reinforces the increasingly strategic role that CIOs are playing as visionary leaders and as drivers of innovation and financial growth.

With an increased focus on data analytics, the survey also revealed that data reliability and security have emerged as increasingly urgent concerns, with 71 percent of CIOs planning to make additional investments in risk management and compliance.

As a result of analytics, the CIO’s role is changing to include the following:

• Making innovation real
• Raising the ROI on IT
• Expanding the business impact.

Sign up today to join us for lunch on November 12, 2009, for the launch of the Analytics Group.

The Nashville Council (NTC) held the 9th Annual Technology Nashville Conference. Technology Nashville addresses new tech innovations, entrepreneurship, technology sector employment, and most importantly, the State of Information Technology in our region.

The first keynote speaker was Kent Freeman, Chief Technology Officer, at Ingram Digital.  Freeman shared with the audience how Ingram Digital has innovated over the years, and is using their knowledge to help clients adjust to the digital age. During his address Freeman posed the question: “Is Print Dead?”  He answered the question by saying “we are continuing to see more books, journals, magazines, and newspapers go digital, but does not believe print is dying; it is just merely shifting to new forms in a digital world.”

In addition, the conference featured panels with topics ranging from: how to get stimulus money to the discussion of widgets, twitter, new technology and entrepreneurship.

“Leadership under our governor the state of business have a unique opportunity to help modernize the infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand education opportunities, increase access to medical care, provide tax relief, and protect those in need.” Said Jamie Etheridge, Deputy CIO, State of Tennessee.

Miriam Paramore, Sr. Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Emdeon, said “It is important to bring together people to have a better understanding of the stimulus and what it is being used for.  Also this conference is a great opportunity to help answer those questions.”

Richard Taylor, Ciber reported that “Nashville has a healthcare industry that presents major opportunities by providing technology solutions to improve health care using the economic stimulus funds.”

Bayard Saunders reported “Only about 20-30% of the audience was using Analytics in a meaningful way today and expects that number will continue to increase in Nashville.”

Nicholas Holland, founder of centre{source} said “Entrepreneurship is alive and well in Nashville’s technology community and the NTC is one way to connect to the community.”

Clint Smith, Co-Founder of Emma and afternoon keynote speaker, provided entertainment to finish off the conference.  Clint was true to the Emma brand and style in his remarks and candor.  He provided the audience with 8 tips to help them grow their business by thinking of the brand first.

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Sponsored by:

Are you an analytics junkie? Join the Nashville Technology Council at this luncheon as we kick off the formation of an Analytics Group.  This event is sponsored by IBM, and will feature a panel of experts who will discuss their experiences, provide useful tips and expert knowledge.

Moderator:
Jason Kelley, Director, Practice Area Leader, Business Analytics and Optimization, IBM

Jason Kelley is the Director, and Global Practice Leader for mid-market Business Analytics and Optimization (BAO). IBM’s Business Analytics & Optimization consulting team of 4000+ business professionals bring together the IBM business focused best practices, differentiated technology, and industry focused expertise, to deliver business intelligence solutions. Prior to leading the mid-market BAO team, Jason was responsible for the North American Application Services consulting practice, driving innovative application development and industry focused solutions. With a depth of experience in our global markets Jason has also led IBM’s world wide Industry Solution go to market efforts focused on service oriented technology & customer care analytics.

Over the years, Jason has had the opportunity to work across the IBM organization Industry Solutions space in the Software Group, Global Technology Services, and now in GBS.  Developing a depth of skill across industries has been consistent in Jason’s career as he has held executive roles in the Public, Industrial, and Services sectors, as well as founding and leading a successful marketing services firm prior to joining the global team at IBM.

Mr. Kelley is a Graduate of West Point, the United States Military Academy, with graduate work at the University of Tennessee, UCLA Anderson School of Business, and a MBA from the Cox School of Business at SMU.  He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Central Texas Better Business Bureau and also enjoys any volunteer opportunities to mentor inner city or at risk youth.  With a passion for invention, Jason contributes to IBM’s ongoing leadership in innovation and technology patents as the holder of two U.S. Patents with others pending.

Panelists Include:

Adam A. Hameed
Senior Vice President – Data and Analytics Solutions
Emdeon

Mr. Hameed is our Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics Solutions. Mr. Hameed has extensive experience in data and analytics and the healthcare industry after spending numerous years successfully leading UnitedHealth Group’s sales and account management operations for its Ingenix and OptumHealth payer markets. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group in 2004, Mr. Hameed held many sales, marketing, and business development positions with several leading consulting and software companies, including FICO, Deloitte Consulting, and Accenture. Mr. Hameed also assisted in building a national customer relationship management consulting and systems integration company. Mr. Hameed earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and General Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Barry Ralston
Chief Architect and Director of Business Intelligence
ComFrame Software

With a career in Business Intelligence spanning 16 years, Barry is a featured speaker for many nationally recognized events including recent Microsoft SQL Server Launches, the Oracle Development Tools User Group, International Oracle User Group – Americas and JavaOne. Since joining ComFrame in 2001, his client successes include Aflac, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Honda, and UPS . A member of the Microsoft National VTS Program, Barry also maintains sqlbipro.com, a blog focused on promoting business intelligence education and software craftsmanship.

Here to Register Online