Tag: Analytics Consulting

A Beginner’s 7-Step Guide to Data Analytics

Data analytics is a powerful tool that allows us to extract valuable insights from vast amounts of data. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to enhance your skills, this simple how-to guide will help you navigate the world of data analytics. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to unlocking the potential of data and making informed decisions.

Step 1: Define Your Objective

Start by clearly defining your objective. What question or problem are you trying to address? By having a clear goal in mind, you can focus your efforts and select the right data and analytical techniques to achieve your desired outcome.

Step 2: Gather Relevant Data

Identify and gather the relevant data for your analysis. This may involve collecting data from various sources, such as databases, spreadsheets, or online platforms. Ensure that the data you collect is accurate, complete, and aligned with your objective.

Step 3: Clean and Prepare Your Data

Data cleaning and preparation are crucial steps in the data analytics process. Remove any duplicates, handle missing values, and correct errors or inconsistencies in the data. Additionally, transform the data into a format suitable for analysis, such as structured tables or organized datasets.

Step 4: Choose the Right Analytical Techniques

Select the appropriate analytical techniques based on your objective and the nature of your data. This may include descriptive analytics (summarizing and visualizing data), diagnostic analytics (exploring relationships and patterns), predictive analytics (making forecasts or predictions), or prescriptive analytics (providing recommendations or decision support).

Step 5: Apply the Chosen Techniques

Apply the selected analytical techniques to your prepared data. Utilize software or programming languages specifically designed for data analytics, such as Python or R. Explore the data, perform calculations, run statistical analyses, and generate visualizations to uncover insights and patterns.

Step 6: Interpret and Communicate Your Findings

Interpret the results of your analysis and extract meaningful insights. What do the patterns and trends in the data tell you? Communicate your findings in a clear and concise manner, using visualizations, charts, or reports to present the information effectively. Tailor your communication to the intended audience, whether they are technical or non-technical stakeholders.

Step 7: Take Action and Iterate

Based on the insights gained from your analysis, take action and make informed decisions. Monitor the outcomes of your decisions and evaluate their impact. Iterate and refine your analysis as needed, incorporating new data or adjusting your techniques to improve accuracy and effectiveness.

Data analytics is a valuable skill that empowers individuals and organizations to harness the power of data. By following this beginner’s guide, you can embark on your data analytics journey with confidence. With practice and continuous learning, you’ll unlock the potential of data and make data-driven decisions that drive success and innovation.

Get ahead of the competition by learning from one of the best in the industry. Book Daniel Meyer for a speaking engagement in your company and start improving your data analytics skills now.

Daniel Meyer is the head of Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm that has been in the Big Data industry for over 20 years and has offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ocala, Florida. He is an accomplished author, public speaker, and business expert specializing in virtual staffing and process automation.

Dan is known for providing big data analytics solutions, including business intelligence and data storytelling, to small businesses seeking to improve their use of data, virtual staffing, and technology. He strongly believes in using analytics for civic responsibility, and offers training, consulting, and education to promote this advocacy.

With his experience in training over 10,000 Filipinos, Dan is passionate about empowering the youth with valuable skills, such as graphic design, video editing, and data analytics. His objective is to equip them with the necessary abilities to harness the dynamic employment opportunities that lay ahead for millions of Filipinos.

The Top Industries in the Philippines Benefiting from Analytics

Data analytics is a powerful tool that can help organizations across a wide range of industries to make better business decisions. In the Philippines, there are several key industries that are benefiting from the use of data analytics. 

Banking and Finance – Data analytics is helping banks and financial institutions to better understand their customers, manage risk, and improve profitability. By analyzing customer data, banks can identify patterns and trends, personalize their offerings, and detect fraud.

Healthcare – In the healthcare industry, data analytics is helping to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. By analyzing patient data, healthcare providers can identify risk factors, personalize treatments, and optimize resource allocation.

Retail – Retailers are using data analytics to gain insights into customer behavior, preferences, and purchasing patterns. This information is being used to optimize product offerings, marketing strategies, and store layouts.

Telecommunications – The telecommunications industry is leveraging data analytics to improve network performance, customer service, and product offerings. By analyzing network data, telecom providers can identify areas where service is poor and take corrective action.

Manufacturing – In the manufacturing industry, data analytics is being used to optimize production processes, reduce waste, and improve quality control. By analyzing production data, manufacturers can identify bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and reduce costs.

Overall, data analytics is transforming industries across the Philippines by providing powerful insights and enabling better decision-making. As more and more organizations begin to adopt data analytics, we can expect to see even greater impact across a wide range of industries in the coming years.

Get ahead of the competition by learning from one of the best in the industry. Book Daniel Meyer for a speaking engagement in your company and start improving your data analytics skills now.

Daniel Meyer is the head of Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm that has been in the Big Data industry for over 20 years and has offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ocala, Florida. He is an accomplished author, public speaker, and business expert specializing in virtual staffing and process automation.

Dan is known for providing big data analytics solutions, including business intelligence and data storytelling, to small businesses seeking to improve their use of data, virtual staffing, and technology. He strongly believes in using analytics for civic responsibility, and offers training, consulting, and education to promote this advocacy.

With his experience in training over 10,000 Filipinos, Dan is passionate about empowering the youth with valuable skills, such as graphic design, video editing, and data analytics. His objective is to equip them with the necessary abilities to harness the dynamic employment opportunities that lay ahead for millions of Filipinos.

5 Reasons Why Data Analytics is Critical for Call Center Operations Success

Data analytics is becoming increasingly important in call center operations as companies seek to improve customer experience, increase efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition. By leveraging data analytics tools and techniques, call centers can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, employee performance, and operational processes that can help drive strategic decision-making and improve overall performance.

  1. Improving Customer Experience 

By analyzing customer data such as call transcripts, feedback forms, and social media interactions, call centers can gain a better understanding of customer needs and preferences. This information can then be used to tailor customer interactions and improve overall customer experience.

  1. Optimizing Staffing Levels

Call centers can use data analytics to forecast call volumes and staffing requirements, ensuring that the right number of agents are available to handle incoming calls at all times. This can help reduce wait times, increase first-call resolution rates, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

  1. Reducing Operational Costs

Data analytics can help identify inefficiencies in call center operations, such as long call times, high transfer rates, or frequent call escalations. By addressing these issues, call centers can reduce costs associated with employee overtime, missed targets, and customer churn.

  1. Enhancing Quality Assurance

By analyzing call recordings and other performance metrics, call centers can identify areas where agents may need additional training or coaching. This can help improve the quality of customer interactions and reduce the number of customer complaints.

  1. Driving Strategic Decision-Making

By leveraging data analytics, call centers can gain a deeper understanding of their operations and identify opportunities for improvement. This can help drive strategic decision-making, improve overall performance, and stay ahead of the competition.

In conclusion, data analytics is a critical tool for call center operations, providing valuable insights that can help improve customer experience, optimize staffing levels, reduce operational costs, enhance quality assurance, and drive strategic decision-making. Call centers that embrace data analytics are better positioned to succeed in today’s competitive business environment.

Visit sonicanalytics.com to learn more about how big data analytics solutions can help improve your business. Contact us today to schedule a speaking engagement for Dan in your call center.

Daniel Meyer is the head of Sonic Analytics, an analytics firm that has been in the Big Data industry for over 20 years and has offices in Manila, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Ocala, Florida. He is an accomplished author, public speaker, and business expert specializing in virtual staffing and process automation.

Dan is known for providing big data analytics solutions, including business intelligence and data storytelling, to small businesses seeking to improve their use of data, virtual staffing, and technology. He strongly believes in using analytics for civic responsibility, and offers training, consulting, and education to promote this advocacy.

With his experience in training over 10,000 Filipinos, Dan is passionate about empowering the youth with valuable skills, such as graphic design, video editing, and data analytics. His objective is to equip them with the necessary abilities to harness the dynamic employment opportunities that lay ahead for millions of Filipinos.

The Three T’s of Recruitment Analytics (next training on Mar 28 in Ortigas)

I often talk about how having good recruitment analytics takes a combination of the right talent, the right technology and the right technique. As a talent management professional, I am sure you have valuable insight into which of the 3 T’s you see as your organizations strongest and weakest point. From your perspective, is it:

Talent: You have to have people who get the recruitment process that are curious, comfortable playing with data and are good communicators. That have to be able to identify data, analyze it and provide actionable reports.

Technology: You need tools to help you leverage the opportunities stored in your recruitment data. The tools need to take data from different sources and blend it into a central analysis tool. The results should be displayed in reports and business dashboards that allow managers and decision-makers to act quickly and efficiently.

Technique: Your entire team needs to be part of the analytics process. Analysts can do the bulk of the work, but everyone needs to be empowered to use data to discover patterns, exploit opportunities and mitigate risks.

Which one of the three is the one your team has the biggest challenges with?

11709268_10153506561077425_1608720566061502683_nIn my experience, most recruitment teams have good talent in place, and many have the technology they need to be successful. The missing element is often technique. Few recruitment teams are truly skilled in using analytics to get the right candidates, one’s who will stick around, at the right time.

Infusing recruitment teams with tried and true analytics techniques in one of my specialties. Connect with me and I will show you how to get more bang for your buck when it comes to filling open positions and keeping them filled.

Join us for our next training on March 14 in Ortigas. Click here for more details >>>

HR & Recruitment Analytics – The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. You really have to Think Through The Box to come up with winning solutions to effectively attract, retain and manage talent in the Philippines today.

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.

Using Data To Recruit Better Candidates (Next Training Mar 28)

A few blog posts ago I mentioned 2 important recruitment analytics data points that can be used to help better understand attrition; distance to work and difficulty of commute. If a recruitment team has a way to use data on these two metrics in their screening process, they will be able to spend less time on high risk candidates and more time on candidates who have a much higher chance of sticking with the company.

It is not hard to start tracking these data points, as long as you have their home address, a general knowledge of traffic patterns and two very useful free  tools to help in your analysis. The free tools can be found at www.itouchmap.com and www.tableau.com/public

Based on the 50 Customer Care Analysts my team has hired for our 17 seat customer care team over the past 2.5 years, you can see some clear patterns when you look at their home addresses and commute on a map.

As you can see below, the majority of our candidates who turn into long term hires live closer to the office and along easier traffic routes. As a general rule, one direct ride (bus, train or shuttle) generally equates to stickiness of the candidate. Even some who live closer distance wise, but face multiple rides have a higher attrition rate than those who live a little further but have one ride. For example, taking a bus from the central part of Quezon City might be easier then 2-3 jeepney rides from Taugig, even though the distance from Taguig is much closer.

CS_Tbleu

The map, created in Tableau Public, is generated on knowing the latitude and longitude of their home address (from their resume), which can be looked on using itouchmap. The whole project took less then 2 hours to compile, organize and upload the data into Tableau, then seconds to build the map.

During our first year as we hired people from a wider range of places we had much higher attrition (65%), but as we matured as a business along with our understanding of these and other key metrics, our attrition has dropped significantly in the past year (28%).

As elaborated on more in detail in previous posts, distance to work and difficulty of commute are not on their own data points to be used to screen candidates, but when combined with their interview scores, test and assessment results and reference checks, you can have a much more well-rounded view of the candidate’s potential.

If you would like some help us setting up this same process of capturing distance to work and difficulty of commute and building a map to visualize them, feel free to reach out to me. I have a book, this blog, lots of training materials and I speak about analytics frequently. I’m here to help.

Our next training is March 14 in Ortigas, click here to learn more >>>

HR & Recruitment Analytics – The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. You really have to Think Through The Box to come up with winning solutions to effectively attract, retain and manage talent in the Philippines today.

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.

HR & Recruitment Analytics: Getting “IT”

HR Data is integral to the success of business strategy.

HR Data Analysis can drive decision-making and not just align, but shape business strategy.

HR Data and Analysis that uses Data Visualization and feeds Business Dashboards is enchanting to decision-makers.

When you have IT in your HR Analytics process you are enchanting. That should be your goal.

So how how exactly do you align your HR data to the business strategy.

  • Have the 3 T’s (talent, tech and technique)
  • Use the 3 I’s (identify, inventory and integrate)
  • Make Friends
  • Think Outside the HR Box
  • Keep Your Data Lake Clean
  • Share Your Data and Analysis
  • Visualize and Enchant

jobspicture2

HR & Recruitment Analytics – The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. You really have to Think Through The Box to come up with winning solutions to effectively attract, retain and manage talent in the Philippines today. 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.

They Have Got It All Wrong! Why Most Analytics Training Fails.

Four years ago, I was just about the only one speaking professionally in the Philippines about  Analytics. Now so called experts are a dime a dozen. The demand for this kind of training has skyrocketed as companies are losing the war for talent all across the globe, with few jobs as hard to fill with good talent as BPO jobs in the Philippines. But these training mostly have it all wrong. They will teach you a lot of technical things that sound great in a class room, but are extremely hard to implement unless you work in an enlightened company that encourages curiosity and empowers data-driven decisions across to organization.

So one big thing right now is using analytics in HR to find more candidates, to hire better candidates, and retain them.  Its working in the U.S and all across the globe. This is a direct reflection of overwhelming demand for so called white collar professional jobs The hot answer going around right now to this challenge is sending analysts, managers and leaders to trainings. Hoping they will learn about hot new trends and analytics techniques to get more out of an investment in the company’s analytics plans. However, from my perspective, this is the flavor of the month thinking. And you know what? It’s not going to work.

Why? Good Analytics doesn’t come from just external training and technology. Those two pieces are important to an overall analytics strategy. But the most important piece, and the one being overlooked right now is the business culture. If the business culture is not ready to truly accept a shift towards data-driven decision-making an away from old school methods and decisions made off of gut feel, then the going to one of these trainings wont amount to a hill of beans at the end of the day.

This is why I spend so much of my time talking about culture, and why I expose that analytics is as much art as it is science. You need the technology, which is abundant. You need the talent, which is hard to find but out there. And you need the culture, where you analysts can use the technology to not just build reports and mine big data, but to illustrate opportunities and discover solutions that can really drive the business forward.

That is what you want out of a training on HR analytics. Not just technobabble and reporting tricks, but something that will truly help you mold the culture of your business to get the most out of your analytics.

In closing, I have recently published a guidebook for using analytics in your 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

#IamDMAIPH

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 HR & Recruitment Analytics – The recruitment and retention of top talent is the biggest challenge facing just about every organization. You really have to Think Through The Box to come up with winning solutions to effectively attract, retain and manage talent in the Philippines today. 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.

What % of Companies Can Both Afford Data Science Teams and Understand How to Use them?

Woke up this morning thinking about the future of analytics and data science in the Philippines.

I created this image to help visualize one of the biggest challenges. From my perspective the majority of companies out there don’t really understand data science and probably cant afford a traditional data science team.

who-can-afford-it

Best guess is ever 50% of companies operating in the Philippines aren’t yet at a place where data science is practical.

The smallest group are ones who both understand data science and know how to use it. These are the ones who are players in the data science consulting, training and outsourcing business.

Best guess its about 10% of the companies operating here and just about all of them are big corporations with lots of resources.

The next segment is the ones who do understand the value of data science, but don’t have the resources to compete for a the talent it takes to build a top data science team.

I’ll peg this at about 15%. But its  growing quickly. Awareness and adoption are actually ahead of the talent, as you see so many “data scientists” in name only out there filling open jobs right now.

That leaves the 25% of companies operating in the Philippines who have money and resources but just don’t know how to get started using data science and building a team. This is the target market of companies like mine.

DMAIPH has the capability to educate your managers and decision-makers on how to use data science to add value to the business. We can also train your team in the basics of data science to allow you to cultivate a data driven culture and promote from within to build a data science team. And we can also take some of the load off your shoulders in the terms doing some of the data science for you.

Analytics Consulting – DMAIPH specializes in a variety of analytics consulting solutions designed to empower analysts, managers and leaders with the tools needed for more data-driven decision-making. We have helped dozens of companies get more analytics in their business. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly so we can tailor an analytics solution made just for your unique requirements.

Adding Three More Metrics to the Next 5-Year Plan

So, as year five winds down and I have reflected on the key metrics I established back in 2012, it seems the right time to add a few more data points to the mix.

For me, having metrics that you can measure against progress and use to make educated course corrections is the most important part of any business plan.

My first five-year plan was all about establishing myself as one of the top Analytics experts in the Philippines. Based on the number of Filipinos I have trained, the number of Filipino colleges and universities I have worked with and having established a profitable business, it is now time to think about how to expand my horizons.

Going forward the goal is not to just have one of the top analytics brands in the Philippines, but to expand that brand name outward. We will expand in terms of both geography and in terms of content offerings.

I love new things, so the sky is the limit, but I have these 3 things in mind.

The first new metric I will add will be number of trainings with partner speakers. I want to take analytics out of just being for analyst and find ways to use my gifts to empower and educate non analytics people as well.

To do this, we will partner with other innovative and progressive minded trainers and speakers here in the Philippines.

The second metric will be based on geography. I have given talks and trainings mostly in Metro Manila. On the average I have visited about one province a year to deliver a presentation or conduct a training.

Over the next 5 years we will plan activities outside not only Manila, but outside the Philippines as well. I already have one webinar lined up for a U.S. audience in February and will be looking for more places to talk about analytics. Sharing my passion with the world!

The third metric will involve revenue. I can’t imagine any business being successful and not having good analytics when it comes to increasing revenue and growing profits.

Originally the primary financial metric I cared about was net profit. Could I build a business based on analytics that could generate enough money for me to comfortably live on?

Now that we can positively answer that question with a resounding yes, the next question is can we sustain it?

When I started, I had one source of income, analytics training.

As of now we have revenue coming in from 4 sources of income; analytics training, management consulting, outsourcing and book sales.

I need to add at least 3 more streams of income over the next five years to reach my personal goal of having 7 streams of income.

The most likely source will be investing in side business that can generate income without my day to day involvement.

So, I have just doubled the key metrics I am tracking to measure the success of my efforts.

Over the next few years I will monitor the results to see if I need to make more course corrections to get me to the end goal of successfully having executed my second 5-year plan.

Stay tuned! It’s going to be even more of an adventure then the last five years!

Business Strategy with Analytics – Aligning a business strategy to drive an organization forward requires a robust analytics solution. Businesses who have good analytics tend to be much more profitable and efficient then ones that do not. DMAIPH has helped dozens of companies in both the U.S. and the Philippines with adding more data analysis in their business strategy. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to find out what we can do to help you align your business strategy with analytics.

Five Year Plans – What Analytics Do You Use?

As the 5th year of my original business plan comes to a close, it seems like a good time to reflect on how things have played out.

There are plenty of data points to look at to determine how sound my original plan was and if the course changes made along the way proved to be the right ones to take.

The single most important metrics in my 2012 business plan where # of Filipinos trained to be analysts, # of schools I have worked with and $ of revenue I have generated.

Looking first at the revenue, because if you cant make a profit after 5 years then you are doing something seriously wrong. I started making a profit I year 3, which is pretty typical of business startups.

I made my most money in year 4, but had a more diversified revenue stream in year 5. Revenues have been closer to my actual target as year 4 was one of almost too much growth.

Originally just making money from public trainings, over the years I have added paid speaking engagements, consulting, outsourcing and most recently publishing a book.

SO based on $, I have achieved my original plans and am able to comfortably move on to the financial goals of my next 5 year plan.

When it comes to working with schools, who represent the future of analytics in the Philippines, I have consistently given talks, been part of activities and mentored interns/OJT.

When I check off the list of schools I have worked with in the past 5 years I can definitely say I have met this metric.

The third data point I look at is number of Filipinos trained.

When talking about public trainings we are about 1000 persons over the past 5 years. When we add the number of attendees of public speaking engagements, the number gets closer to 5,000. And that’s paid events.

If I add the number of students and free events we are getting close to 10,000.

SO, I have fall surpassed my expectations from 5 years ago on that metric.

When assessing the success of a business plan you need to measure data over time to make sure you are making progress.

You also need to be able to make course corrections.

Before the training business started taking off, I did some consulting. To generate consistent revenue, I got into outsourcing.

Both course changes allowed me to continue pursuing my original goal of training Filipinos to use more data in their decision making and to empower analytics centric cultures.

So what are the key metric of your business plan? How do you measure them and make sure you are making progress. Do you have a threshold that you set to make course changes if you are not meeting that threshold?

To effectively execute a business plan, you need good analytics in place.

Dr. Data_Analytics in the Philippines

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.