Tag: philippines analytics training

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.

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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.

 

 

Whatever Happened to Free Wifi for Everyone? – Analytics @ TriNoma

As I sit here enjoying a Big Mac, I have been thinking about WiFi access here in the Philippines.

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Everyone knows its bad overall. Connectivity is a big challenge for the average Filipino. Although for me it seems better then it used to be.

I enjoy the benefit of a Globe postpaid plan now, but for a long time I used prepaid load like most Filipinos do. Its a definite frustration in life.

In the past few years malls across the Philippines, have been offering free WiFi but its a crap shoot at best, often down more the it seems to work. To balance load SM malls offer a free hour of WiFi and then you are cut off.

This all has me thinking about why it has been so hard to provide better wifi, at least in the malls. It would encourage more mobile payments and help the slow, slow migration away from cash.

It could also make the lines go faster.

Regardless though, it wouldn’t take a lot of effort to analyze the user data, optimize bandwidth and offer a better wifi experience, especially in the smaller lifestyle malls.

It could also be a boon to retailers who offer online promotions to cut back on the number of staff passing out promo flyers as well as the cost of the marketing materials itself.

As time passes, I fully expect that to enter mainstream but as of now WiFi in the malls here is not anywhere close to where it has the potential to be.

A simple cost/benefit exercise using available data  coupled with some usage and capacity analytics would most likely expedite that adoption.

At least thats is where I would start if I was consulting with a mall about how to both improve customer satisfaction and drive more retail profits to electronic models.

Thanks Bam for the topic idea.

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.

My Take Aways for the Big Data Conference 2016

Had a blast at the Big Data Conference at Enderun College yesterday. Lots of things to discuss in upcoming blogs, but here are a few takeaways that I notated.

There is a strong hunger for a national umbrella organization for analytics, big data and data science.

Engagement at the C-Level of Filipino companies outside the IT-BPO sector to eliminate the biggest adoption roadblock.

Restart of the Government, Industry and Academia collaboration on analytics needs to happen.

More hands on experiential learning for both students and faculty involving the industry.

Both traditional training and certification models as well as mentoring and self-guided training opportunities.

The speed and consistency of the internet is a huge threat.

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Advocacy for fixing culture before spending on costly technology and high priced talent.

Conversion of up to 70% of Customer Facing BPO Workers to doing analytics and data science as a hedge against automation and political decisions.

Im convinced that a lot of good can come out of the conference as the analytics and data  science industry is at about the same point the call center industry was 10 years ago.

However, given the global demand for data savvy talent and the exponential proliferation  of data, we need todo in 3-5 years what the BPO industry did in 10.

More to come!

News & Events- DMAIPH is a highly engaged leader, sponsor and participant in analytics events across the U.S. and the Philippines. As an Analytics Champion I write, blog, speak and lecture about analytics in a wide variety of forums. I authored several publications on analytics including my latest book, Putting Your Data to Work. Contact DMAIPH now at analytics@dmaiph.com or connect with me directly to learn more about where I will be talking about analytics next.

Can Analytics Help a Sari Sari Store?

I had this interesting conversation earlier about analytics.

I started explaining to the person I was sitting next to what I do and he asked can analytics really help any business?

Of course I said yes.

He asked even a Sari Sari store?

For those of you who don’t know much about Sari Sari stores, let me tell you a bit about them.

By far the most common form of self-employment in the Philippines are small, family operated convenience stores. Called Sari-Sari stores, there are an estimated 1 million Sari Sari stores across the Philippines. Per wikipedia, this counts for an estimated 30% of all retail sales in the Philippines.

Sari-Sari, which is Tagalog for variety, are an important economic and social pieces of just about every Filipino community. Most are privately run, family owned and are operated from the front of the owners house.

Commodities are displayed behind a large mesh screen to both allow customers to see what is available and to prevent shoplifting. The most common goods sold are candy, snacks and other non-perishable food items. Cigarettes and mobile phone cards are also popular items for sale. Household needs like soap, detergent and cleaning supplies are also common. Some stores have small refrigerators to offer cold drinks like soda and beer.

Sari-sari stores generally have higher prices when compared to supermarkets which is a tradeoff for proximity to their customers. It is also common to buy single units of a product versus an entire package as paying more to meet a quick need is valued over planning and budgeting bulk purchase over the long term.

Some Sari Sari stores also offer credit to neighbors. Micro lending of this scale is wide spread and generally done under the rule that if the credit is not repaid, the store owner will report this to the local government officials.

Some Sari Sari stores barter goods and services with farmer, fishermen and other businesses.

Most Sari Sari store proprietors buy their goods at supermarkets then mark up the prices for resale (on the average 20%). In some areas, businessmen make act a middle man offering bulk products to the Sari Sari store.

It is my belief that most Sari Sari stores can benefit from a simple strategic business plan and some very basic analytics.

My understanding is that Sari Sari stores operate on a very tactical level with little long term planning and operate with little market awareness.

If I ever to consult with the owner of a Sari Sari store, my initial approach would be to develop a business strategy plan and build a basic analytics process to gather data and provide a proof of concept.

This approach would be broken into the following steps:

  1. Business Strategy Assessment – How do they conduct business?
  2. Competitive Landscape – Who do they compete with?
  3. Demographic Profile – Who are their customers?
  4. Market Assessment – How much upside is in their market?
  5. Inventory Analysis – How to they optimize inventory?
  6. Facilities Assessment – Are they getting the most of their location?
  7. Risk & Security Assessment – What risks do they face?

I will flesh out each of these steps in upcoming blog posts.

Once I have complied data from these 7 steps, I can develop a business strategy plan unique to the individual Sari Sari store.

After my presentation of the business plan, I can make a determination if they Sari Sari store will enter Phase Two of the plan.

I would work with the proprietor store for a set period of time in a consulting role to determine viability of operations and if they meet our program standards (detailed later in this document).

In addition to offering a consulting solution, through my company, I can also offer additional services including cash management, accounting, marketing, inventory and fulfillment assistance, and other solutions as they arise.

Its my experience that the busiest Sari Sari stores offer something unique. Some might have an ice cream maker, or a special dish they prepare, or some have home baked goods. Regardless, they generally have something that sets them apart from a store that just offers traditional goods.

So, the final piece of my involvement would be cross selling our unique products to Sari Sari stores in need of a unique product to build their business around.

After that consultation, I would expect that three things would happen:

  1. the Sari Sari store proprietor would have a better grasp of a strategic business strategy.
  2. the Sari Sari store would increase profits and
  3. the Sari Sari store would expand its customer base and build up loyalty with existing customers.

So, to get back to the question… how can analytics help a Sari Sari store?

By applying some lessons from the corporate world.

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.

 

Big Data Analytics: Interpretation and Assessing Results > 2/21/17

I will be speaking on  February 21, 2017 at Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center, Pasig City on Data Analytics.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a little more detail about each section, next up…

Enabling Your Business to Make Smarter Decisions Section 3:  Interpretation—Assessing Results

Participants will be able to Articulate the Importance of Accurately Interpreting Data. Having the right data at your fingertips is essential to being successful with analytics.

We will also be able to Determine and Analyze Risk, Uncertainty, and Probability. With so much data, you need to know what data to analyze when to stay ahead of the game.

I will also talk about how to Spot Patterns, Trends, and Fluctuations Through Correlation, Regression, and Descriptive Statistics. Analytics techniques like these will keep you on the cutting edge.

Attendees will be able to Understand when to employ Descriptive, Predictive or Prescriptive Analytics. Each type has a specific use, make sure you know when to use each one.

And finally we will discuss how to Build Data Models. You don’t need to have high priced, complicated software to do some basic data modeling. I’ll show you some examples.

That’s section three… I’ll go over the last section in the next few days.

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 on which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

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Data Analytics Training on Feb 21

Did you know that most successful businesses have solid data analytics in place across their entire organization?

Organizations that invest in data analytics generally make much better business decisions then one’s that don’t.

In fact, IBM found a few years back that companies who use data analytics are up to 10x more efficient and 33% more profitable the ones who don’t.

By bringing data together data from across the business, companies can get real-time insights into finance, sales, marketing, product development and much more.

Data analytics enables each team within the business to collaborate, achieve better results and outsell the competition.

Join us on February 21, 2017 in Ortigas, and learn how to turn your business data into insightful and actionable analysis.

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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 on which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

Which Analytics Training Is For You?

From my perspective analytics training options fall into the following categories:

  1. Introduction to and/or Overview of Analytics
  2. Technical Training on Specific Analytics Topics
  3. Data Science/Advanced Analytics Training

Knowing which type of training you are selecting is super important as people just starting to get comfortable with analytics will probably be lost in a data science training.

On the flip side, a seasoned data geek will get bored in a introduction or overview class.

SO how can you tell which is which?

Here are a few suggestion on how to separate the intro classes from the technical classes from the data science classes .

First, most people who train on predictive analytics, using lots of math, statistics and building data models are probably talking data science. To get your bang for your buck in these classes you need to have a lot of exposure to the science side of analytics and be completely comfortable finding, analyzing and reporting data.

Second, if you are already working with data and you have specific tools you are working with for specific data functions, then you might be best served by going to a technical centric training. Like if you are using a tool like Tableau or Qlik or IBM Cognos to do marketing analytics or sending workforce management reports.

That leaves people who are either new to the idea of analytics or are just not sure where to start. Then you need an overview of analytics to figure out what you need in your business. Once you have a handle on your data, then you can really focus on certain technical aspects and get into data science.

The training I am conducting on November 22 is of the third kind. I will be giving an overview of various analytics techniques and technologies and introducing you to a variety of concepts to make the idea of using data to make decisions a reality.

On February, 21, 2017 I will be hosting a training on Data Analytics. E-mail us at analytics@dmaiph.com to register or get more info.

As a bonus, all attendees will also get a copy of my new book, Putting Your Data to Work. It’s a guidebook specifically designed for Filipino professionals looking to up their analytics games.

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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 on which of our DMAIPH analytics training solutions is best for you.

Promote Your Own Data Geeks

In analytics, there has been a huge boom lately in trying to find data scientists, who like a superhero, can do everything well and swoop in and take a company’s analytics to a whole new level. They are called unicorns as in creatures that really don’t exist.

One thing that has always amazed me about the culture of so many businesses is the belief that bringing in someone from the outside when there are good people on the inside.

Occasionally I come across the argument that its better to build a data science team from within as opposed to looking for a data scientist who can code, analyze, build models, understand higher math, communicate with non-technical leaders and understand the business.

In many cases the sum of the parts can give you a great solution that in the long run is better for the business then finding someone who is all the parts in one.

To do that, you need to understand your people and what they can do. You have to then understand what skills they need to add to be awesome at analytics. Generally, it’s just a matter of training and empowerment to push the envelope.

I look for people who have these 3 qualities before assessing technical skill and job fit.

First I assess their work ethic based on job experience, educational achievement and reasons behind their transitions in life. Note that internal hires already have a track record to assess work ethic.

Second I assess their curiosity based on assessment responses and problem solving during the interview process. Again, people who have been with you most likely have routinely demonstrated the curiosity.

Third I ask them to analyze something. Looking for how they approach data, how they analyze it and how they report it. Again, compare what data you have on hand versus the data of what might or not be valid.

After that, just about anything can be added via training, mentoring, coaching and self-empowerment.

It’s a lot easier for me to work with a known quality and build them up then it is to take in someone who is largely unknown and roll the dice that things will work out.

But don’t take my opinion. Look at your data.

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What % of new hires succeed. What % of promotion succeed? I’ll be shocked if you find that new hires add more value to your organization then veterans who are rewarded with new challenges.

So before you go out in the hyper competitive job market for a data geek, make sure you don’t have some people already on your payroll who can rise up and do the job.

If you need help assessing the inner data geek of your current staff, let me know. I can help you come up with roadmaps towards data geekdom that you can use to build a kick ass analytics team better than just about any data scientist aka unicorn you hire off the street.

Analytics Jobs – 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.