Tag: Analytics in the Philippines

Data Science and Big Data Analytics For Finance

Was recently asked to do a one hour talk on data science and big data analytics for Finance… so I created A Step By Step Process To Get More Value Out Of Your Finance and Accounting Data.

To get started, we will discuss at a high level what is analytics, big data and data science and how it can be used in Finance and Accounting to get more value out of all the numbers you have in your business.

Per Deloitte, “In today’s highly competitive business environment, companies need more from Finance than accurate financial statements and reports. They need forward-looking, predictive insights that can help shape tomorrow’s business strategy and improve day-to-day decision-making in real time. “

New IT applications and infrastructure such as big data technologies, predictive analytics, as well as modern mathematical methods are opening up new possibilities for gathering and processing large amounts of data and opportunities for generating value.

They keys to a sound data science and analytics approach to Finance include the following:

  • A Process for Using Big Data to Answer Business Questions
  • A Well Mapped Data Lake of all the Data Finance Needs
  • The Right Mix of Analytics Talent, Technique and Technology
  • A Top Down Embrace of an Analytics Centric Culture

By translating data into insights around financial statements and operations, the finance team can unlock and create new value. Being able to identify unrealized and often unexpected potential as well as quickly and decisively mitigating risk, data science and analytics can take your team to a new level of insight and performance.

This in turn supports the finance function to make better decisions by being able to understand what has happened and why, and then predict what may happen next. The end result is a strategy built on data and one with a much higher rate of success then ones based on intuition or gut feel.

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The Fundamental of Business Analytics – Business Analytics is the application of talent, technology and technique on business data for the purpose of extracting insights and discovering opportunities. DMAIPH specializes in empowering organizations, schools, and businesses with a mastery of the fundamentals of business analytics. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to find out how you can strengthen your business analytics fundamentals.

The Analytics Puzzle for Higher Education in the Philippines

When you look at the picture on the box of puzzle pieces, you generally think it won’t be so hard to fit all the pieces together. But then when you lay out all the pieces and connect them one by one it can often feel like a sense of this is a lot harder then I thought.

In many way, that’s how I feel about efforts to date regarding the teaching of Data Science and Analytics in the Philippines. The end product is clear, just about all the 2,000+ HIEs across the Philippines offering some level of DSA education to a wide range of students.

Everyone agrees that we need more education to meet both the high current demand and the expected huge future demand for DSA talent for both domestic and global consumption. We have seen a lot of awesome initiatives popping up trying to train educators to teach DSA subjects and have seen a number of industry-academe partnerships. CHED has even set aside significant resources to promote the training of faculty and the incentive to offer DSA programs.

So things are going well, but when you look at the simple math of how many educators need to be training in the very near future, some like me get a little concerned. Current programs train a few dozen here and maybe a few hundred there, bit by bit. But if you need thousands then current efforts are just going to come up short.

What we need is a unified front. Bringing together all the interested parties, many of whom are already working on this issue, is the only way to get to critical mass. By my estimation we should be looking at training 5,000 educators in the next 3 years. And a one week overview is just the start. To really become adept at teaching DSA, educators need an apprenticeship that lasts months to really learn the tools of the trade like data storytelling, business intelligence and predictive analytics.

And that is just the faculty… when you think about the 100,000s of students who need to taught DSA, you start to see that this puzzle is gonna take a lot more effort to complete then it may have looked like at first.

So thats where I am at now… both evangelizing and empowering. Raising awareness of what the puzzle looks like when solved and why we need to solve. And empowering to build collaborations to connect the pieces faster then each puzzle expert can work on their own.

And that is exactly why I started Augment BPO.

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Augment BPO. The Augment BPO Data Science and Analytics Advocacy Project (Augment BPO) is empowering BPO Companies, Executives, and Workers in the Philippines to prepare for and address the clear and present danger posed by Artificial Intelligence Chatbots (AI Chatbots) to BPO revenue growth and jobs through Data Science and Analytics strategy planning, awareness building and upskill training.

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DMAIPH Analytics Education – Facilitating a mastery of the fundamentals of analytics is what DMAIPH does best. As a key parnter of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Project DARE initative, DMAIPH champions the use of using data. All across the world, companies are scrambling to hire analytics talent to optimize the big data they have in their businesses. We can empower students and their instructors with the knowledge they need to prepare for careers in data science and analytics. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly so we can set a guest lecturer date, On-the-Job Training experience or other analytics education solution specifically tailored to your needs.

APEC Data Science & Analytics Key Competency #4: Domain Knowledge and Application

According to the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Advisory Group, Domain Knowledge and Application is one of the key competencies of a Data Science & Analytics professional working in the region.

By definition, a DSA professional can apply domain-related knowledge and insights to effectively contextualize data, achieved by practical experience (e.g. apprenticeships) and exposure to emerging innovations.

In my own experience, I knew Wells Fargo data like the back of my hand, but my domain knowledge would have easily allowed me to the same great things with other big banks. When I toyed with the idea of moving into the health services industry, it was obvious my skills would be useful but I had a lot ot learn about the domain knowledge of healthcare data.

Since, domain knowledge represents knowledge and insight that is unique to the organization or industry and that analysts need to consider when conducting any data project. Without this knowledge, analytics solutions may not entirely address the real business problem.

In my experience, domain knowledge about the data being analyzed can sometimes be acquired through exploration of the raw data.  Often, good analysts become subject experts just by playing with the data and asking questions to domain experts about the data.

Given the dearth of analytics talent in many areas, reality will dictate that a lot of data projects will have to be done without sufficient domain knowledge. However, most experts would agree the best results come when the ones using the data, know the data.

So, it behooves companies to invest more in educating and enabling internal resources then looking outside for DSA talent. My solution to this is to introduce apprenticeship programs where subject matter experts train current staff with high DSA affinity who are currently working in other roles.

As an example, there are likely thousands of current call center agents who have the aptitude to be analysts an data scientists, but never had the opportunity to of into DSA. Given they are already employees with proven track records of success, they would be much more likely to have the domain knowledge needed.

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Analytics Training – DMAIPH offers a wide range of analytics centric training solutions for professionals and students via public, in-house, on-site, and academic settings. We tailor each training event to meet the unique needs of the audience.

If you need empowerment and skills enhancement to optimize the use of analytics in your organization, we are here to help. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation to learn which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

Global Chamber Manila: Filipino jobs threatened by Artificial Intelligence

For the past couple of weeks, digital transformation has been making headlines in the Philippines… finally!

A recent article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer has Senator Bam Aquino worried about Filipinos losing jobs to Artificial Intelligence.

Aquino, who chairs the Senate committee on science and technology, filed Resolution No. 344 that seeks to look into the government’s plan and initiatives to maximize the development of AI and other emerging technologies. Aquino says, “This early, we should be preparing for any eventuality that may occur when automation goes into full swing.”

Thus, we need to move very quickly to prepare! Don’t miss the Digital Transformation Summit on May 24-25. Save 15% on tickets with promo code: DTSBBDA15

Read the full news article: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/894684/filipinos-losing-jobs-to-artificial-intelligence-bam-aquino-worried

DMAIPH hires, refers and connects Filipino analytics talent. The Philippines is at the center of the action when it comes to solutions to the global need for analytics.

Working with DMAIPH to find work, hire analytics talent or set up analytics teams will ensure you are tapped into the best of the best when it comes to analytics in the Philippines. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to find out how to take advantage of this booming opportunity.

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Global Chamber Manila helps members get business done across metro areas!

We are a thriving and collaborating community of CEO’s, executives, and professionals growing business across 525 metropolitan areas. We leverage technology and our collective networks around the world to help member companies grow, reduce risk, be more productive, and succeed faster.

We are the only organization in the world with the mission to grow business from anywhere to anywhere while collaborating with every organization. We help companies, investors and business service providers around the world succeed.

Worried Your Call Center Job Might Be Taken by a Robot? You should be.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/12/17/bpos-gearing-up-for-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-industry

I shared this article on an FB group and got a lot of inquires from people who are indeed seeing an opportunity to move from a call center job to a Data Science and Analytics (DSA) job.

Most of the questions revolved around how to transition.

Want to get Data Science and Analytics Training. Not sure how, here are some tips!

  1. Self-Teach a Skill. (YouTube has thousands of free resources)
  2. Volunteer at Work. (Find out what skills are in demand in your company and ask if you can help)
  3. Take a Training Class (there are a lot of public training classes out there, including some that DMAIPH does).
  4. Read a Book (Experts share a lot… like my book Putting Your Data to Work: An Analytics Guidebook for Filipino Professionals)
  5. Find a Mentor (Jedi Knights start as an apprentice, so do many analysts and data scientists)
  6. Join a Group (there are a lot of meet up groups like Data Science Philippines you can use to network)
  7. Go Back to School (a few dozen schools here in the Philippines are either already offering data science an analytics programs are kicking them off soon)
  8. Follow a Blog. (Besides reading books, there are a lot of good ideas shared on blogs like mine, dmaiph.com)
  9. Become a Member (join associations like aap.ph aka Analytics Association of the Philippines)

Another question that came up often was, “What should you learn first?”

Find a tool, technique or technology that is high demand and fits your interests and aptitude. The best way to find out what to focus on is do a job search for the kind of job you want and look at the requirements. For newbies some of the in demand skills are

  • SQL (the most widely used language used for data analytics)
  • Microsoft Excel (if you know pivot tables, simple formulas and can make decent visuals you will be in high demand)
  • Tableau (a free version called Tableau Public can be downloaded and is easy to learn)
  • R (the most widely used tool for predictive analytics and data science and its free)

And then a lot more people added me on FB, hoping to network and find new opportunities. Thats a good tip too. Networking is key.

DMAIPH offers a wide range of analytics centric training solutions for professionals and students via public, in-house, on-site, and academic settings. We tailor each training event to meet the unique needs of the audience.

jobspicture2If you need empowerment and skills enhancement to optimize the use of analytics in your organization, we are here to help. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation to learn which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

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Also if you own or manage a call center, we can help. In fact, DMAIPH has successfully set up Filipino analytics teams for over a dozen U.S. based businesses. Offering both virtual and office based teams that specialize in problem solving using data, new technology and analytics techniques is our strength.

Finding and empowering analytics talent is increasingly challenging, but we have mastered Surfing Into The Storm and can show you how to succesfully set up a team. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to learn more about how to set up an analytics-centric team in the Philippines.

APEC Data Science & Analytics Key Competency #2: Data Visualization and Presentation

According to the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Advisory Group, Data Visualization and Presentation is one of the key competencies of a Data Science & Analytics professional working in the region.

By definition, a DSA professional demonstrates the ability to create and communicate compelling and actionable insights from data using visualization and presentation tools and technologies.

Data visualization is a general term that describes any effort to help people understand the significance of data by placing it in a visual context. Being able to present these visuals in a way that initiatives action and empowers decision-making is just as important.

The best data visualizations are simply ones that take data and convert it to visuals like pie charts, line graphs, sales charts, etc.

Patterns, trends and correlations that might go undetected in spreadsheets or text-based data can be exposed and recognized easier with data visualization software.

Good analysts are the ones who can visualize data and use tools to add a story telling component to their analysis.

One of the best ways of communicating any kind of complex information is to turn it into a story, starting at the beginning and working your way through to the end.

Making the story relevant to the audience is key. By making the results both easier to understand and more likely to be remembered it becomes easier to convince an audience of the validity of your approach and make them more likely to accept and take action based on your conclusions.

In the end, just think of the adage picture is worth a 1000 words, just like a good pie chart is worth 10,000 rows of excel data.

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DMAIPH offers a wide range of analytics centric training solutions for professionals and students via public, in-house, on-site, and academic settings. We tailor each training event to meet the unique needs of the audience. If you need empowerment and skills enhancement to optimize the use of analytics in your organization, we are here to help.

Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation to learn which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

APEC Data Science & Analytics Key Competency #1: Operational Analytics

According to the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation)  Advisory Group, Operational Analytics is one of the key competencies of a Data Science & Analytics professional working in the region.

By definition, a DSA professional uses data analytics and specialized business analytics (i.e. business intelligence) techniques for the investigation of all relevant data to derive insight in support of decision-making.

Operational analytics is made up of all the analytics processes within an organization that take data and transforms the data into actionable intelligence. In short, this is management reporting.

Without a doubt the most widely used form of analytics, management reporting is deeply ingrained into the culture of data-driven organizations.

I often liken management reporting to a pyramid. The bottom of the pyramid is the data or the base of decision-making in an organization.

The middle of the pyramid is the processes of operational analytics. Where the data is transformed.

The top of the pyramid is the decision-making. Managers need intelligence that comes in the form of insights. Great analysts deliver these insights in reports, dashboards and visualizations.

DMAIPH offers a wide range of analytics centric training solutions for professionals and students via public, in-house, on-site, and academic settings. We tailor each training event to meet the unique needs of the audience. If you need empowerment and skills enhancement to optimize the use of analytics in your organization, we are here to help.

Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation to learn which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

Teaching Analytics: APEC List of Competencies

Teaching Analytics: An Instructor’s Guide to implementing the recommendations of Project DARE (Data Analytics Raising Employment).

APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) hosted an event on May 4-5 bringing together over 50 analytics experts and visionaries from over 14 counties across the Asia-Pacific region to form an advisory group.

The APEC Project DARE (Data Analytics Raising Awareness) Advisory Group started with an agenda set to develop recommended “APEC Data Analytics Competencies.

There are still being finalized, but as of last week here is a high level of the competencies that we came up with:

Business and Organizational Skills

  1. Operational Analytics: Use data analytics and specialized business analytics (i.e. business intelligence) techniques for the investigation of all relevant data to derive insight in support of decision-making.
  2. Data Visualization and Presentation: Ability to create and communicate compelling and actionable insights from data using visualization and presentation tools and technologies.
  3. Data Management and Governance: Develop and implement data management strategies and governance, incorporating privacy, data security, polices and regulations, and ethical considerations.
  4. Domain Knowledge and Application: Apply domain-related knowledge and insights to effectively contextualize data, achieved by practical experience (e.g. apprenticeships) and exposure to emerging innovations.

Technical Skills

  1. Statistical Techniques: Apply statistical concepts and methodologies for data analysis.
  2. Computing: Apply information technology, computational thinking and utilize programming languages and software and hardware solutions design and development for data analysis.
  3. Data Analytics Methods and Algorithms: Capture, clean and inspect data. Evaluate and implement data analytics and machine learning methods and algorithms on the data to derive insights for decision making.
  4. Research Methods: Utilize the scientific and engineering methods to discover and create new knowledge and insights.
  5. Data Science Engineering Principles: Use software and system engineering principles and modern computer technologies, incorporating a data feedback loop, to research, design, and prototype data analytics applications. Develop structures, instruments, machines, experiments, processes, and systems to support the data lifecycle.

Workplace Skills

  1. 21st Century Skills: Exhibit crosscutting skills essential for DSA at all levels including, but not limited too; collaboration, customer focus, communication and storytelling, organizational awareness, critical thinking, planning and organizing, problem solving, decision making, business fundamentals, awareness of social and societal awareness, intelligibility, cross cultural awareness, dynamic (self) re-skilling, professional networking, ethical mindset and entrepreneurship.

Once this list is finalized I will update you all.

My end goal is two fold, (1) to help craft a version of the competencies into an academic discipline that the Analytics Council can present to CHED for adoption and (2) to design a vocational education track to address the basic skills needed for entry level DSA work here in the Philippines.

Stay Tuned!

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Analytics Training – DMAIPH offers a wide range of analytics centric training solutions for professionals and students via public, in-house, on-site, and academic settings. We tailor each training event to meet the unique needs of the audience. If you need empowerment and skills enhancement to optimize the use of analytics in your organization, we are here to help. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation to learn which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Digital Transformation Summit 2017

From the Global Chamber® Manila Newsletter

May 9, 2017

  1. Be inspired by an all-star lineup of speakers, who are already gaining significant benefits from adapting new technologies
  2. Learn about various technological platforms such as AI, IOT, Big Data, Analytics, and how it’s disrupting businesses
  3. Reflect, re–examine your company’s issues and goals, and set your vision and new strategy for the next decade
  4. Engage and network with executives and fellow thought leaders
  5. Empower the culture of innovation within you!

Not registered yet? It’s not too late to sign up!

I will be one of the speakers, talking about Data Storytelling. It is quite an honor to part of this awesome event! 🙂

Attend one or both days of the Digital Transformation Summit this May 24 and 25 at SMX Aura Convention Center.

Become a Data Science & Analytics Pro! Apply for the DMAIPH Apprenticeship Program

A standard definition of Apprenticeship is a kind of job training that involves following and studying a master of the trade on the job instead of in school.

Learning to become an analyst for the most part has been something done on the job.  after working in a company and gaining subject matter expertise, those who had good analytics skills often found themselves going down the analyst career path.

Big Data and technological advancements in analytics processing and data science have changed all that.

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Nowadays, there are so many analyst jobs available that the natural order of learning to become an analyst isn’t working fast enough.

Higher education is trying to come up with solutions to offer analytics themed course, a few are already in place. But that’s only training 100’s when industry needs 1,000’s.

SO, to help fill the skills gap between the very finite supply of Data Science and Analytics (DSA) talent and the huge demand in the form of open jobs, we have to get outside the box.

You will see a lot more ideas like the DMAIPH Data Science & Analytics Apprenticeship program coming in the near term.

But don’t wait for the future, get ahead of the game.

Learn the DSA skills you need for a long and profitable career as an analyst.

E-mail me your resume today if you would like to learn more.  danmeyer@dmaiph.com

I will be taking on a few more apprentices in the coming months as we grow the program to implement APEC’s Project DARE recommended approach to gaining a basic understanding of what it means to be a DSA professional.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Dan

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Analytics Training – DMAIPH offers a wide range of analytics centric training solutions for professionals and students via public, in-house, on-site, and academic settings. We tailor each training event to meet the unique needs of the audience.

If you need empowerment and skills enhancement to optimize the use of analytics in your organization, we are here to help. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to set up a free consultation to learn which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.