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  • Data Analytics 101: Fundamentals for Begginers

  • Business, Finance, Investment, Technology
  • By Albert Flores
  • Jul 12 2024

Introduction

Data analytics is the process of collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and interpreting data to gain insights that can be used to make better decisions. It is a powerful tool that can be used to improve efficiency, identify trends, and solve problems.

There are four main types of data analytics:

  1. Descriptive analytics: This type of analytics describes what has happened in the past. It can be used to track trends, identify patterns, and answer questions about what has happened.

  2. Diagnostic analytics: This type of analytics helps to understand why things have happened. It can be used to identify the causes of problems and to make recommendations for improvement.

  3. Predictive analytics: This type of analytics predicts what is likely to happen in the future. It can be used to forecast demand, identify risks, and make better decisions.

  4. Prescriptive analytics: This type of analytics tells you what to do. It can be used to generate recommendations for improvement and to optimize decision-making.

The data analytics process typically involves the following steps:

Data analytics is a powerful tool that can be used to improve efficiency, identify trends, and solve problems. If you are interested in learning more about data analytics, there are a number of resources available online and in libraries.

With AI and technology being more prevalent in our daily lives, a lot of companies are investing into data analytics. Here are the top benefits of using data analytics for your company:

  1. Improved decision-making: Data analytics can help you to make better decisions by providing you with insights into your business.

  2. Increased efficiency: Data analytics can help you to identify areas where you can improve efficiency in your business.

  3. Reduced costs: Data analytics can help you to reduce costs by identifying areas where you can save money.

  4. Increased customer satisfaction: Data analytics can help you to improve customer satisfaction by providing you with insights into your customers’ needs.

  5. Increased competitive advantage: Data analytics can help you to gain a competitive advantage by giving you insights that your competitors may not have.

To give you a more concrete idea on how companies use data analytics, here are some use cases from both small and large companies:

  1. NETFLIX

    Content Discovery: Netflix uses data analytics to help users discover new content. This data includes information about what users have searched for in the past, what they have watched, and what other users have watched. Netflix uses this data to create “Trending Now” lists and other recommendations that help users find new content that they might enjoy.

    Personalized recommendations: Netflix uses data analytics to create personalized recommendations for its users. This data includes information about what users have watched in the past, what they have rated, and what other users with similar viewing habits have watched. Netflix uses this data to create a “Netflix queue” for each user, which is a list of movies and TV shows that Netflix thinks the user will enjoy.

    Pricing: Netflix uses data analytics to help set its prices. This data includes information about how much users are willing to pay for different types of content, as well as how much other streaming services are charging. Netflix uses this data to set prices that are competitive and that maximize its profits.

  2. ZILLOW

    Zestimate: Zillow’s Zestimate is a proprietary algorithm that estimates the value of a home. Zillow uses data from public records, tax assessors, and real estate agents to calculate the Zestimate. The Zestimate is a valuable tool for home buyers, sellers, and renters. It can help home buyers to determine how much they can afford to spend on a home, and it can help home sellers to set a realistic asking price.

    Home Insights: Zillow’s Home Insights is a suite of tools that helps home buyers to understand the real estate market in their area. Home Insights includes data on home prices, trends, and demographics. It also includes tools that help home buyers to find homes that meet their needs.

    Market Analysis: Zillow uses data analytics to provide market analysis reports for real estate professionals. These reports provide information on home prices, trends, and competition. They can help real estate professionals to make better decisions about their business.

  3. NINTENDO

    Optimizing game development: Nintendo uses data analytics to optimize its game development process. This data includes information about how users play games, what features are popular, and what bugs are found. Nintendo uses this data to improve its games and to make them more enjoyable for users.

    Improving customer service: Nintendo uses data analytics to improve its customer service. This data includes information about customer complaints, inquiries, and feedback. Nintendo uses this data to identify and address customer pain points, and to improve the overall customer experience.

    Making strategic decisions: Nintendo uses data analytics to make strategic decisions about its business. This data includes information about the market, the competition, and Nintendo’s own performance. Nintendo uses this data to identify new opportunities, to make better decisions, and to improve its overall business performance.

  4. TESLA

    Self-driving cars: Tesla uses data analytics to train its self-driving car software. The company collects data from its cars’ sensors, cameras, and GPS systems, and it uses this data to train its algorithms to identify objects on the road, predict the behavior of other drivers, and make decisions about how to navigate safely.

    Battery management: Tesla uses data analytics to manage the battery life of its cars. The company collects data about how the batteries are being used, and it uses this data to optimize the battery’s performance and to extend its lifespan.

    Customer service: Tesla uses data analytics to improve its customer service. The company collects data about customer interactions, and it uses this data to identify areas where it can improve its service. For example, Tesla might use data analytics to identify customers who are having problems with their cars, and then it can reach out to those customers and offer assistance.

These are just a few examples of the many companies that are using data analytics to improve their businesses. As the cost of data analytics tools continues to decline, we can expect to see even more small businesses using data analytics to gain a competitive advantage.

How to integrate data analytics to your company?

There are several options on how you can start integrating data analytics in your company. Here are some resources:

  1. Starting a team in your company: Building a company can be long and tough process, but having your own team with the same goal in mind would be very helpful.

  2. Applications: If you are a small company and just starting to explore data analytics, there are some applications (e.g., MySQL, Tableau) that can help you independently manage your data if the volume is still manageable.

  3. Hiring management consultants: Management consultants can bring a fresh perspective to your company’s data analytics and help you identify new opportunities. They can also help you identify and overcome any challenges that your company is facing in its data analytics efforts.

However, some companies opt to hire management consultants for the following reasons:

  1. They can help you identify the right data sources: Management consultants can help you identify the right data sources for your company’s needs. They can also help you clean and organize your data so that it is easy to analyze.

  2. They can help you develop data analytics solutions: Management consultants can help you develop data analytics solutions that are tailored to your company’s specific needs. They can also help you implement these solutions and train your employees on how to use them.

  3. They can help you improve your data analytics culture: Management consultants can help you improve your company’s data analytics culture. They can help you create a culture that is open to data-driven decision-making and that encourages employees to share their data insights.

If you are considering hiring management consultants to assess your company’s data analytics, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, you need to make sure that the consultants you hire have the right experience and expertise. Second, you need to make sure that the consultants are a good fit for your company’s culture. Finally, you need to make sure that you are clear about your expectations for the consultants.

Overall, hiring management consultants to assess your company’s data analytics can be a valuable investment. By working with experienced consultants, you can identify areas where your company can improve its data analytics capabilities and implement new solutions that will help you make better decisions, improve your efficiency, and gain a competitive advantage.

At Acuvity Consulting, our 18+ years of proven expertise in the technology space has helped small to Fortune 500 companies achieve their business objectives by providing them strategic business insights that supports better decision-making.