Business Analytics for Managers, 2nd Edition

Business Analytics for Managers, 2nd Edition

by Gert H. N. Laursen, Jesper Thorlund
Released November 2016
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119298588

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

The intensified used of data based on analytical models to control digitalized operational business processes in an intelligent way is a game changer that continuously disrupts more and more markets. This book exemplifies this development and shows the latest tools and advances in this field

Business Analytics for Managers offers real-world guidance for organizations looking to leverage their data into a competitive advantage. This new second edition covers the advances that have revolutionized the field since the first edition's release; big data and real-time digitalized decision making have become major components of any analytics strategy, and new technologies are allowing businesses to gain even more insight from the ever-increasing influx of data. New terms, theories, and technologies are explained and discussed in terms of practical benefit, and the emphasis on forward thinking over historical data describes how analytics can drive better business planning. Coverage includes data warehousing, big data, social media, security, cloud technologies, and future trends, with expert insight on the practical aspects of the current state of the field.

Analytics helps businesses move forward. Extensive use of statistical and quantitative analysis alongside explanatory and predictive modeling facilitates fact-based decision making, and evolving technologies continue to streamline every step of the process. This book provides an essential update, and describes how today's tools make business analytics more valuable than ever.  

  • Learn how Hadoop can upgrade your data processing and storage
  • Discover the many uses for social media data in analysis and communication
  • Get up to speed on the latest in cloud technologies, data security, and more
  • Prepare for emerging technologies and the future of business analytics

Most businesses are caught in a massive, non-stop stream of data. It can become one of your most valuable assets, or a never-ending flood of missed opportunity. Technology moves fast, and keeping up with the cutting edge is crucial for wringing even more value from your data—Business Analytics for Managers brings you up to date, and shows you what analytics can do for you now.

Table of contents

  1. Wiley & SAS Business Series
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Foreword
  5. Introduction
    1. What Is the Scope of Business Analytics? Information Systems— Not Technical Solutions
    2. Purpose and Audience
    3. Organization of Chapters
    4. Why the Term Business Analytics?
  6. Chapter 1: The Business Analytics Model
    1. Overview of the Business Analytics Model
    2. Deployment of the Business Analytics Model
    3. Summary
  7. Chapter 2: Business Analytics at the Strategic Level
    1. Link between Strategy and the Deployment of Business Analytics
    2. Strategy and Business Analytics: Four Scenarios
    3. Which Information Do We Prioritize?
    4. Summary
  8. Chapter 3: Development and Deployment of Information at the Functional Level
    1. Case Study: A Trip to the Summerhouse
    2. Establishing Business Processes with the Rockart Model
    3. Example: Establishing New Business Processes with the Rockart Model
    4. Optimizing Existing Business Processes
    5. Example: Deploying Performance Management to Optimize Existing Processes
    6. Which Process Should We Start With?
    7. A Catalogue of Ideas with Key Performance Indicators for the Company's Different Functions
    8. Summary
  9. Chapter 4: Business Analytics at the Analytical Level
    1. Data, Information, and Knowledge
    2. Analyst's Role in the Business Analytics Model
    3. Three Requirements the Analyst Must Meet
    4. Required Competencies for the Analyst
    5. Hypothesis-Driven Methods
    6. Data Mining with Target Variables
    7. Explorative Methods
    8. Business Requirements
    9. Summary
  10. Chapter 5: Business Analytics at the Data Warehouse Level
    1. Why a Data Warehouse?
    2. Architecture and Processes in a Data Warehouse
    3. Tips and Techniques in Data Warehousing
    4. Summary
  11. Chapter 6: The Company's Collection of Source Data
    1. What Are Source Systems, and What Can They Be Used For?
    2. Which Information Is Best to Use for Which Task?
    3. When There Is More Than One Way to Get the Job Done
    4. When the Quality of Source Data Fails
    5. Summary
  12. Chapter 7: Structuring of a Business Analytics Competency Center
    1. What Is a Business Analytics Competency Center?
    2. Why Set Up a Business Analytics Competency Center?
    3. Tasks and Competencies
    4. Centralized or Decentralized Organization
    5. When Should a Business Analytics Competency Center Be Established?
    6. Applying the Analytical Factory Approach
    7. Summary
  13. Chapter 8: Assessment and Prioritization of Business Analytics Projects
    1. Is It a Strategic Project or Not?
    2. When Projects Run Over Several Years
    3. When the Uncertainty Is Too Big
    4. Projects as Part of the Bigger Picture
    5. Summary
  14. Chapter 9: Business Analytics in the Future
  15. About the Authors
  16. Index
  17. Wiley End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Business Analytics for Managers, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Gert H. N. Laursen, Jesper Thorlund
  • Release date: November 2016
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119298588