Augmented Analytics

Chapter 3. Understanding Augmented Analytics

We’ll start this chapter by taking our definition of AA, as introduced in Chapter 1, and breaking it down into its key components. We’ll then give you an in-depth introduction to the concept, with a special focus on empowering analytics users. You will learn what AA is, its benefits for business, its limitations, and how you can apply it to your workflows. You’ll also discover how AA can address different types of bias. We’ll finish by introducing you to some of the core technologies that make AA possible.

Don’t skip this chapter! It lays the foundation for the rest of this book.

Definition

To recap, here’s our definition of AA:

Augmented analytics means adding value by providing people with access to technology that gives them the analytical leverage they need to accomplish the business task at hand in a better way.

Let’s unpack the five key components:

People

While most definitions of AA are technology-driven, we believe that AA is essentially about people. It makes people more successful by building on the inherent strengths that set human beings apart from any machine in the world: our unique experiences, creativity, and intelligence. A process where no human is involved can never, according to this definition, truly be an AA process.

Technology

Although people are the driving force behind AA, technology is what makes it possible. We will talk about the different kinds of technology used in AA, which include (but are not ...