Category: My Analytics Story

The Analytics I See While Sitting @ Taco Bell

I know I a total analytics nerd.

While sitting a taco bell I started thinking of all the data and analysis that this places creates.

So I’ll imagine I’m the franchise owner. Obviously my biggest concern is making a profit.

Its 9am on a weekday morning. Not very busy. Come to think of it, I have been to this location several times and have never seen it very busy. I’m sure they have peak times, but I have never seen one.

So let me take a step back and think about things like an analyst advising the owner.

First off, what % of profit comes from what time and day of the week. Defining peak times is something most business owners deal with to make sure they are staffed correctly.

Being optimal with staffing is one way successful businesses prosper and unsuccessful ones fail. Idle employees quickly become bad employees and overworked employees also become bad employees. There are two customers inside, just the occasional drive through customer, yet there are 6 employees here. Way more than needs to be I think. Looking at the data would undoubtedly tell the whole story and allow better workforce planning decisions.

The 2nd thing that comes to mind is the competition. Taco Bell is rarely thought of as a morning option. There are literally a dozen Starbucks within 5 minute’s drive and as least as many other coffee places.

Then you have the fact this location is between a McDonalds, a Jack in a Box and a Nation’s. All places with a much higher top of mind appeal when it comes to a quick breakfast. The menu and pricing is most likely tied to corporate requirements, but to compete in this crowded marketplace you need to be good and you need to be cheap.

They have a pretty good $1 menu selection. That’s good because it means it’s cheaper than just about anywhere else around. TB also have a lot of unique offerings. So that is good. Finding ways to market those positives locally is probably a good place to look into the data.

Where, when and how can this location interact with potential customers to get TB higher up on the list of breakfast options. Lots of data there to be gathered and analyzed about both the completion and the demographics of current and potential customers.

The third thing that caught my attention is its calm here. Easy rock playing on the radio. No TVs. No kid’s playground. Not a lot of hustle and bustle.

I ended up writing 4 blog posts while sitting here. I also recall that on a recent visit someone was working on a laptop while here. Its not a bad place to get some work done. So looking at who comes in, how long they stay and what they do while they are here is worthwhile.

So, that is what analysts do. They observe, they collect, they analyze, they offer suggestions. Then they monitor, they measure, they report trends and uncover opportunities.

14232472_10154551345857425_8165709150773510742_nIf I was working for the owner here, the data would probably back up my observations and suggest something like this…

Send someone to the local retirement communities (there are several in the area) to offer some kind of special loyalty program to people who dine in on weekday mornings. Make sure the staff is engaged with that demographic. Offer things that the competition does not and make a big deal about it.

All of this can be based on data, measured and refined using data and in the end increase the profitability of this location.

This is what I do in my spare time. Imagine what I can do to help you use analytics to increase your profits and optimized your business.

Small Business Analytics – The field of small business analytics is just starting to blossom as companies are looking for more data-driven decision-making to prosper in the age of Big Data. DMAIPH is at the fore front of providing analytics training, consulting and outsourcing options to small businesses. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation on how to get more analytics in your small business.

 

 

 

 

Why I Know I Can Help

All my life I have enjoyed helping people.

I tutored a lot throughout my education.

In college I set out to be a teacher. To not just help, but to educate.

Being in a classroom was not enough, as I learned the whole world can be a classroom.

As my skills in analytics increased, my ability to help more people make data-driven decisions increased as well.

Now I am at a point where I know a lot about a lot.

Now I have gotten pretty good at sharing what I know in ways that empowers and inspires others.

I have been doing this for several years now.

Talking about analytics, blogging about data-driven decision-making and writing books about how to use analytics.

This is why I know I can help you too.

Everyone needs help finding the right data.

Everyone can use new perspectives on how to conduct analysis.

Everyone benefits from sharing data and analysis to drive a strategy forward or to solve problems.

14285276_10154554275492425_804549674_oBig or small. Old or new. No matter what industry. All companies need to unlock the insights in their data to be successful.

Some do it a lot better than others. A few may actually be so good at what they do that it may seem they don’t need help. But odds are you are not one of them.

Data is everywhere. We all do some sort of analytics. But we never have enough.

Being an analytics champion, striving to help people be better at what they do is what I am all about.

That is why I know I can help you.

Small Business Analytics – The field of small business analytics is just starting to blossom as companies are looking for more data-driven decision-making to prosper in the age of Big Data. DMAIPH is at the fore front of providing analytics training, consulting and outsourcing options to small businesses. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation on how to get more analytics in your small business.

 

My Passion for Analytics > Why I Do What I Do

With each morning, I wake up and feel a renewed sense of purpose.

A new day, another chance to use my brain to solve problems.

Some days it a project for a client, some days it’s a new batch of people waiting to be empowered to do more analytics, and some days it’s a more personal use of analytics to solve life challenges.

We are all in our own ways, analytical. We all use data in our decision-making, even if many don’t really see it. There is so much data in our lives that everyone practices analytics.

But what set’s me and people like me apart is that we are passionate about using data in our analysis. We are constantly looking for new data sources, to validate existing data and find ways to integrate it into what we do.

People like me often end up being analysts by profession. It is a good use of our innate curiosity and belief that just about any question can be answered if you have the right data.

A lot of analysts do seem to be more intelligent and probably more nerdy then many people. That goes with being reflective, taking educated guesses and not being overly emotional when it comes to decisions.

Finding people like me is something I constantly do. Talking about our data and sharing are analysis and partnering with each other to solve problems.

When you have a group of friends like this, you do great things in life. When you have a team of workers like this, you have a data-driven business.

So I talk about my story a lot. How I got to be a great analyst. How I have enjoyed a satisfying career and been successful in business. There are a lot of people who have similar dreams and similar abilities.

They just need to be empowered. To have the curiosity unleased. To be surrounded by people in both life and work that push them to use their analytics talent to do bigger and better things.

When you have the right data, being analyzed by great people, you end up with amazing results.

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That is why I love what I do.

That is how I wake up every day with a sense of passion about my ability to make a difference in the world.

If you follow my blog, read my book or are connected with me on social media, then you are probably wondering how to find a conduit for your passion for data and analysis too.

And that means there is a reason to get up tomorrow morning and do it all over again.

 

Writing About Analytics

Writing about analytics is a great way for me to both share my passion and empower people to use more analytics.

It is amazing to me that it is mostly just the big companies investing in data-driven decision-making. The perceived difficulty and cost scare away a lot of small businesses. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are so many cheap or even free analytics applications and software packages out there.

I love to write about the various technologies available to people new to using analytics. I can take some pretty complicated stuff and make it seem much more palatable.

It is also common for older, more established companies that are run in a rather old school way feel that analytics is just too complicated and is probably just a fad that will pass. But harnessing big data (and small data) in and around the business can make the world a easier place to do business in.

I really enjoy sharing some simple techniques and methodologies that even the most old school business owners and leaders can understand. Sometimes they need to see it in a book to really get their heads around it.

Not having people in positions of influence who get analytics is a big problem for a lot of companies. As is not having the right level to talent needed to assure a successful use of analytics. The talent part of analytics is often the hardest part.

So I focus much of my energy on empowering students and young professionals to embrace the various analytics technologies and techniques out there to learn. The need for analytics talent continues to boom. So that is what I write about most.

Being an author, a blogger, a public speaker and a subject matter expert on analytics is simply what I was born to do.

So I keep writing. Everyday I write and blog and speak and share about taking data, analyzing it and presenting it in a way to can positively impact decision-making.

 

 

Getting To The Cutting Edge with HR Analytics

When I talk about HR Analytics, like I recently did at SMX as part of the 10th annual HR Congress, I generally break things into 4 topics areas. The four are:

  • Cutting Edge HR Analytics
  • Finding the Right Data
  • Key Analytic Techniques
  • Actionable Reporting

Teams that are successful in each of these 4 areas, will be ahead of the game when it comes to keeping HR at the forefront of defining, aligning and implementing business strategy.

Cutting Edge HR Analytics happens when you have the right combination of talent, technology and technique. You need the right people using the right technology and employing the right techniques to be successful when it comes to HR in the 21st century.

Being able to find the Right Data at the right time happens when you have the 3 T’s in place. This allows you to have all the data you need to answer business questions at your finger tips. And it allows HR to be the primary source is setting and guiding the execution of business strategy.

You can use Key Analytics Techniques to help you not only find the right data, but also to add new data sources and to build impactful reporting solutions. And you can share your techniques across the organization to empower others to use HR Data to drive business strategy.

The end goal of using HR Analytics is to provide actionable reports that keep the business aligned to its core strategy. By identifying opportunities and risks, by sharing data and analysis across the organization and empowering data-driven decision-making, HR Analytics is the key to success for any business.

If you are interested in learning more and would like to get a copy of Putting Your Data To Work , connect with me via e-mail at analytics@dmaiph.com

HR & Recruitment Analytics – The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. DMAIPH is a leading expert in empowering HR & Recruitment teams with analytics techniques to optimize their talent acquisition and management processes. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to learn how to get more analytics in your HR & Recruitment process so you can rise to the top in the ever quickening demand for top talent.

10 Points Where There is a Need for a Data Science Consultancy

My good friend Albert Gavino recently posted about why there is such a strong need right now for data science consultancies.

Bert is a data scientist in the truest sense of the word. So when he listed 10 reasons, which I think are spot on, I asked him if I could share. The 10 reasons are:

  1. Some (if not most) companies want to get into it, but are not sure if they need it.
  2. They need direction on how to do it.
  3. They need information on how much to invest in data science infrastructure
  4. They need people with skill sets to be able to implement data science
  5. Some are biased towards proprietary software while some like the open source guys like Apache.
  6. CEOs think it’s all about big data
  7. Data Science is continually evolving so don’t ask me about AI and deep learning….it’s still transforming things
  8. How much does it cost to consult for a data science? pretty high because we all know demand and supply in this industry
  9. Recruiters confuse programming languages and tools such as R, Python, SPSS, SAS, matlab, spark, scala, hadoop, hive, mahout (there are just too many out there they would get lost)
  10. There is a gap in our Academic Curriculum where they just teach electives such as Business Analytics which does lack a lot of information to the needs of the industry.

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So if the point is not already clear, there is a growing difference between the haves and the have nots when it comes to analytics and data science.

If you want to be with the have and leave all the have nots behind, you have to invest in a good analytics solution, a data science team and some technology to help you handle your big data.

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If you want to learn more, please look for my friend Albert Gavino or connect with me. Also, Talas Data Consultancy will be hosting a Data Science Conference on November 26, 2016. I will be there meeting and greeting analysts, data scientists and people interested in how to use data to drive better decision-making.

Analytics Culture – The key to using analytics in a business is like a secret sauce. It is a unique combination of analytics talent, technology and technique that are brought together to enrich and empower an organization. A successful analytics culture is not easy to create, but DMAIPH can show you how. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly so we can build a strategic plan to turn your company into analytics driven success story.

Published! Putting Your Data To Work

So happy to announce that the 2nd Edition of Putting Your Data to Work is now available.

To my knowledge this is the first analytics book written specifically for the Filipino.

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Empowering analysts and advocating for the use of data and analysis in decision-making is what I am most passionate about!

E-mail us  analytics@dmaiph.com to get a copy for 700 PHP plus shipping.

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Analytics in the Philippines – The Philippines is at the center of the action when it comes to solutions to the global need for analytics. Blessed with a solid foundation of young, educated and English speaking workforce, companies around the world are look for Filipino analytics talent to fill analytics positions. DMAIPH was set up to facilitate these solutions and bring the talent and the business together. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly so we can help you take advantage of this unique global opportunity.

Engaging and Sharing on LinkedIn

Given the nature of LinkedIn as a social network for professionals, I try to devote as much time as connecting with people like you as possible.

I want to hear your story. What is it that you do? Perhaps there is an opportunity for us to collaborate in some way.

As for me, I really do 3 things that flow out of my passion to help people use data and analytics to empower more data-driven decision-making.

I talk about analytics.

I consult on analytics.

I lead using analytics.

That’s pretty much it.

Analytics training is something that just about every business can benefit from. Being exposed to new ideas and approaches to using data allows a business to stay on the cutting edge of big data and data science. That’s what I love to do. Empowering the use of analytics.

Taking the time to look inward and assess where an organization is with analytics and where they would like it to be is a huge priority for those who get the power of optimizing business data. This is how I help. Defining analytics cultures.

Managing a small, virtual based team of analytics talent based in the Philippines allows me to also offer a solution to many organization’s biggest analytics challenge; shortage of top talent. This is how I make life easier. Expanding the team.

IMG_1310So that’s what I do. I love to do these things and I do them well. What about you?

What are 2-3 things you love to do? I’m betting there is an opportunity there to add value to each other’s network.

And that is the beauty of LinkedIn.

 

Being Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself

I share a lot of content. Sometimes I post in groups and on pages. Sometimes I speak at conference and seminars. Sometimes I do in-house training and consulting. Sometimes I blog or publish. And sometimes I e-mail.

It is only the last one that I generally get any negative energy from. I send out thousands of emails in the average month to a % of my combined almost 20,000 friends, connections and followers.

My emails are clearly not spam. They are generally attempts to open a conversation, solicit feedback or ask a question. I work hard to make sure they are relevant to the audience and will engage at least a small % of the people I have connected with.

I never send anything to people who have not already agreed to be part of my network. In fact the whole idea of joining a social network is to share experiences, discover new opportunities and add value to the lives of others.

Yet, every so often one of my email is met with a single word. A reply that lets me know my attempt to connect with this person who is already in my network was not appreciated.

Unsubscribe.

Remove.

Stop.

Now if this was a purely marketing email that was email blitzed and spammed to a mass audience, then that night be acceptable.

But my emails are thoughtful and I take time in crafting both the message and making sure to the bet of my ability that the audience will benefit from the conversation.

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A one word, negative reply mostly like means that the recipient did not read the message. Likely they are too busy, too important or too bothered to take the time.

Some would advise not to take it personally. Just delink them and move on.

But if you know me, you know I do take it a little personal. I took my time to include them in my network and try and engage them. How is that not a little personal?

I am looking for a network of people who actually believe they can do things to make the world a better place. I still have faith in the value of interpersonal connections, even if most people think the point is lost.

 

When  I get one word replies, it just means I have more networking to do.

My Analytics Story – My passion is solving problems by bringing together the best talent, cutting edge technology and tried and true methodologies. Empowering people towards better decision-making through the use analytics and business intelligence is what I do best. I am DMAIPH or Decision-Making, Analytics & Intelligence in the Philippines. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly for a free consultation about getting more analytics into your career and your business.

An Analytics Guidebook for the Filipino Recruitment Professional

My next book will be out shortly, and it is born out of a need to help the tens of thousands of professionals involved in recruitment in the Philippines.

I have conducted dozens of HR and Recruitment seminars and spoken at least as many recruitment themed events over the past few years.

The most consistent feeling across all of my interactions with Filipinos involved in recruitment is one of almost overwhelming challenge. There are simply not enough qualified candidates to fill open job postings. And even when candidates are hired, the % who attrit prematurely is at an all-time high.

This disparity between supply of qualified talent and demand of open jobs has continued to widen over the past several years. This is especially true for jobs that require a certain level of proficiency in foreign languages and high tech computer skills. The boom in the number of BPO and call center jobs in the Philippines is the biggest reason for this inequity between supply and demand.

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I often say, recruitment for the call center industry in the Philippines, right now, is one of the hardest jobs on the planet. Few places around the world are seeing such a concentrated effort to attract and retain employees from a fairly finite talent pool.

This analytics focused book, which is based on my interactions with thousands of Filipinos working in recruitment, is a much needed guidebook to find new and innovative data-driven solutions in the recruitment process.

As you read through this book, you will be exposed to proven methods to super charge your recruitment process and provide you with whole new perspectives on how to recruit and retain talent in your organization.

Each chapter will also introduce you to a new recruitment analytics metric that will empower you and your team towards a higher level of success when it comes to finding the right people at the right time.

Thinking Through the Box

  1. An Overview of HR & Recruitment Analytics
  2. The Global War for Talent
  3. Analytic Techniques for Finding the Right Data at the Right Time
  4. Where All Your People Data Lives
  5. Getting IT: Building Analytics Centric Cultures
  6. Big Data HR & Recruitment Analytics
  7. Talent Management Process Improvement
  8. Optimizing Excel Talent Pipelines
  9. Cutting Edge Business Intelligence, Data Visualization & Business  Dashboard Technologies
  10. Presenting HR & Recruitment Data & Analysis
  11. Aligning HR & Recruitment with Business Strategy
  12. Using Data to Market You Brand in a Buyer’s Market

The book concludes with a bonus chapter on Winning HR Recruitment Analytic Strategies with Big Data. The book is almost finished, but in the meantime if you are looking for help with recruitment, I am available for consultations and in-house trainings. Send an inquiry to analytics@dmaiph.com if you are interested in learning more about how I can help you use more data in your recruitment efforts.

HR & Recruitment Analytics – The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. DMAIPH is a leading expert in empowering HR & Recruitment teams with analytics techniques to optimize their talent acquisition and management processes. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to learn how to get more analytics in your HR & Recruitment process so you can rise to the top in the ever quickening demand for top talent.