Analytics is a hot topic, but also a complex topic. This continuously growing field now includes descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. Applied analytics including optimization, simulation, and automation expand the scope. Data growth also fuels the complexity – unstructured data, big data, social data, data streams, and more. Advanced analytics continues to expand with complex event processing, machine learning, cognitive computing, etc.
In the growing and evolving world of analytics we’re also experiencing a shift of roles and responsibilities. The “data things” that were once seen as IT responsibilities have become critical business skills. Analytics spans a continuum that encompasses IT departments, data scientists, data analysts, business analysts, business managers, and business leadership. It seems that everyone has a stake in analytics. Coordination, cross-functional analysis, data sharing, and governance all become important skills.
