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Stupid analytics gets them talking

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If data analysis somehow ends up supporting an unwise choice, should we blame the data? Of course not, no more than we should blame a stethoscope for a bad medical diagnosis or fingerprints for a bad courtroom verdict. Common sense says the only ones responsible are the humans involved.

AllAnalytics contributing editor James M. Connolly wrote last week in defense of common sense in a good blog post, “Analytics won’t cure stupidity.”

Let’s admit it, we know the limitations of data analysis. The obvious truth whispers to us in the quiet of our own little minds, and that truth can also find a voice in private business conversations over a beer or lunch.… Read the rest “Stupid analytics gets them talking”

Analyst: creative or canned?

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I picked up the term “creative analyst” in late June on the phone with Lyzasoft CEO Scott Davis. But what does he mean?

He described one analyst he’s known of. This guy arrived at a new job with strong recommendations for his ability to tear apart a dataset. He could slice, dice, build related charts and pivot tables — but only with canned data. That is, data someone had given him. This analyst struggled with synthesis — blending separate datasets, for example, or making a formula to derive values, or simply experimenting and asking unforeseen questions.

The ability to improvise and create something new is a “prime differentiator” among analysts, says Davis.… Read the rest “Analyst: creative or canned?”

Heard at TDWI: “The soft stuff is the important stuff”

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In the 32 days since the end of TDWI’s San Diego conference, one phrase has come to my mind repeatedly: “The soft stuff is always the important stuff,” uttered by Wayne Eckerson, director of TDWI Research. He was summing up a panel discussion, but the insight applies so broadly he could have used it for most other panels, too.