Analytics
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As Predictive Analytics becomes more and more relevant in our everyday life; from the mail we receive, commercials we watch, to the products we end up buying, it is becoming necessary to make predictive analytics easily available for everyone. You can’t even go buy a candy bar these days without providing some sort of data that will be used for analytics, like your customer rewards card, credit card information, or even your zip code.
In the past, the word predictive analytics would scare away your average business person, because they didn’t fully understand what is analytics? What is predictive? That requires statistical knowledge and expertise, right? That used to be the case, the outset of analytics and statistical analysis used to require a PhD or a background in programming to really get the answers and results you would need. Times have changed. Predictive analytics today means putting the power of analytics and forward thinking into the hands of decision makers and consumers. Think about it. As a customer how great would it be to go to the grocery store and while you are shopping there is some sort of technology that reminds you to get milk, or recommends an ingredient based on what you already have in your cart.
Analytics is everywhere, so why not make it accessible to everyone? Vendors and organizations alike are doing exactly this. The acceptance of “Self-Service” analytics (that ability for users and consumers to get a visual understanding of their data) from Data Discovery vendors, the growth in mobile applications for analytical access, is taking off.
But while these vendors give consumers the ability to absorb the data, consumers will fully begin to trust the data, when they get full access to the data and the information behind it. They need to consider how it was captured, and how the data set was created.
This trust will come by giving consumers the true sense of “Self-Service” analytics.
A true sense of “Self-Service” analytics gives the consumer total control of the analytic process. They don’t have to rely on others inside and outside an organization to get the answer they need. They don’t have to have an IT background, they don’t need to know SQL programming, or complex statistical programming, or have a statistical background. In addition, they don’t need to know any programming to deliver the analytics to a wider audience. Only when these needs are met, will consumers truly have “Self-Service” Analytics. It is only a matter of time before vendors wise up and realize this. To find out how Alteryx can help make predictive analytics more accessible, download the Alteryx Strategic Analytics Project Edition and try.
Matthew Madden
Sr. Product Marketing Manager.
