David Menninger's Analyst Perspectives

Hitachi Vantara DataOps Improves Analytics and Decision-Making

Posted by David Menninger on Mar 21, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Now more than ever, effective data management is crucial to enable decision-makers to better assess information and take calculated actions. It is also important to keep up with the latest trends and technologies to derive higher value from data and analytics and maintain a competitive edge in the market. However, every organization faces challenges with data management and analytics. And as organizations scale, the complexity only increases, creating a need for better data governance, data quality and streamlined and automated processes. DataOps can help solve many of the challenges organizations encounter when trying to unlock the power of data by expanding data use to various parts of an organization. Hitachi Vantara offers DataOps technology that enables organizations to improve data agility and automation. It provides cloud-ready infrastructure, advanced data management software and a broad range of support services.

Read More

Topics: Analytics, Data Governance, Data Management, Data, data operations, analytic data platforms

The 2023 Market Agenda for Analytics: Empowering Workforces to Engage

Posted by David Menninger on Jan 17, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 Market Agenda for Analytics, continuing the guidance we have offered for nearly two decades to help organizations derive optimal value from technology investments to improve business outcomes.

Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Digital Technology, natural language processing, Process Mining, Analytics & Data, Collaborative & Conversational Computing

2023 Digital Technology Market Agenda: Innovation for Digital Agility

Posted by David Menninger on Jan 11, 2023 3:00:00 AM

I’m proud to share Ventana Research’s 2023 Market Agenda for Digital Technology. Our focus in this agenda is to deliver expertise to help organizations prioritize technology investments that improve customer, partner and workforce experiences while also increasing organizational effectiveness and agility.

Read More

Topics: Analytics, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Data, Digital Technology, blockchain, AI and Machine Learning, mobile computing, extended reality, robotic automation, Collaborative & Conversational Computing

Master Metrics with Kyligence Zen

Posted by David Menninger on Dec 23, 2022 3:00:00 AM

Analytics processes are all about how organizations use data to create metrics that help manage and improve operations. Yet, the discipline applied to analytics processes seems to be lacking compared to data processes. I’ve pointed out that the weak link in data governance is often analytics. Organizations can also do a better job tying AnalyticOps to DataOps and do more to define and manage metrics. Our research has shown that creating and managing metrics in a semantic model improves analytics processes.

Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Governance, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics & Data

Enhancing Data Catalog with AI

Posted by David Menninger on Sep 22, 2022 3:00:00 AM

Organizations are collecting data from multiple data sources and a variety of systems to enrich their analytics and business intelligence (BI). But collecting data is only half of the equation. As the data grows, it becomes challenging to find the right data at the right time. Many organizations can’t take full advantage of their data lakes because they don’t know what data actually exists. Also, there are more regulations and compliance requirements than ever before. It is critical for organizations to understand the kind of data they have, who is handling it, what it is being used for and how it needs to be protected. They also have to avoid putting too many layers and wrappers around the data as it can make the data difficult to access. These challenges create a need for more automated ways to discover, track, research and govern the data.

Read More

Topics: Business Intelligence, Data Governance, Data Management, Data, data operations, AI & Machine Learning

Don’t Rely on Dashboards for Real-Time Analytics

Posted by David Menninger on Mar 31, 2022 3:00:00 AM

I have written previously that the world of data and analytics will become more and more centered around real-time, streaming data. Data is created constantly and increasingly is being collected simultaneously. Technology advances now enable organizations to process and analyze information as it is being collected to respond in real time to opportunities and threats. Not all use cases require real-time analysis and response, but many do, including multiple use cases that can improve customer experiences. For example, best-in-class e-commerce interactions should provide real-time updates on inventory status to avoid stock-out or back-order situations. Customer service interactions should provide real-time recommendations that minimize the time to resolution. Location-based offers should be targeted at the customer’s current location, not their location several minutes ago. Another domain where real-time analyses are critical is internet of things (IoT) applications. Additionally, use cases like predictive maintenance require timely information to prevent equipment failures that help avoid additional costs and damage.

Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Internet of Things, Data, Digital Technology, AI and Machine Learning, Streaming Analytics, Analytics & Data, Streaming Data & Events

Working Across the Aisle in Analytics: Involving IT and LOB

Posted by David Menninger on Mar 23, 2022 3:00:00 AM

For years, maybe decades, we have heard about the struggles between IT and line-of-business functions. In this perspective, we will look at some of the data from our Analytics and Data Benchmark Research about the roles of IT and line-of-business teams in analytics and data processes. We will also look at some of the disconnects between these two groups. And, by looking at how organizations are operating today and the results they are achieving, we can discern some of the best practices for improving the outcomes of analytics and data processes.

Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Digital Technology, AI & Machine Learning, Analytics & Data

Improving the State of Analytics in Organizations

Posted by David Menninger on Feb 24, 2022 3:00:00 AM

Despite all the advances organizations have made with respect to analytics, our most recent research shows the majority of the workforce in the majority of organizations are not using analytics and business intelligence (BI). Less than one-quarter (23%) report that one-half or more of their workforce is using analytics and BI. This is a problem. It means organizations are not enabling their workforce to perform at peak efficiency and effectiveness. It means the workforce in many organizations does not have access to the same information by which they are being measured. It means organizations must find other ways to communicate with, and manage, the workforce.

Read More

Topics: Sales, embedded analytics, Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Sales Performance Management, Digital Technology, Digital Commerce, natural language processing, Subscription Management, partner management, sales engagement, revenue management, Collaborative & Conversational Computing

Good Data Governance Improves Business Processes

Posted by David Menninger on Feb 17, 2022 3:00:00 AM

Many organizations invest in data governance out of concern over misuse of data or potential data breaches. These are important considerations and valid aspects of data governance programs. However, good data governance also has positive impacts on organizations. For example, I have previously written about the valuable connection between the use of data catalogs and satisfaction with an organization’s data lake. Our most recent Analytics and Data Benchmark Research demonstrates some of the beneficial links between data governance and analytics. In this Perspective, I’ll share some of the correlations identified in our research.

Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics, Data Governance, Data, Digital Technology

AtScale Universal Semantic Layer Democratizes and Scales Analytics

Posted by David Menninger on Feb 10, 2022 3:00:00 AM

Organizations of all sizes are dealing with exponentially increasing data volume and data sources, which creates challenges such as siloed information, increased technical complexities across various systems and slow reporting of important business metrics. Migrating to the cloud does not solve the problems associated with performing analytics and business intelligence on data stored in disparate systems. Also, the computing power needed to process large volumes of data consists of clusters of servers with hundreds or thousands of nodes that can be difficult to administer. Our Analytics and Data Benchmark Research shows that organizations have concerns about current analytics and BI technology. Findings include difficulty integrating data with other business processes, systems that are not flexible enough to scale operations and trouble accessing data from various data sources.

Read More

Topics: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Integration, Data, data lakes, AI and Machine Learning, data operations, Streaming Analytics