Learning decision analysis in graduate school at Stanford University fundamentally changed my life. When I praise the practice’s virtues, people sometimes ask whether decision analysis can be used for personal life decisions. I always respond with an unequivocal “yes!” My examples typically refer to my “no regrets life.” Yet, I have never detailed a decision […]
While sports attention has long since moved on from the NBA Finals to the triumphs and tribulations of the World Cup, I cannot help reflecting back on the narratives heralding the improbable comeback of the New York Knicks in Game 4. The celebration of grit and resilience is common throughout sports and particularly compelling when […]
Why data maturity needs an operating model Data maturity does not improve through tools, dashboards, or isolated and disconnected investments. It improves through an operating model. In the context of data maturity, an operating model defines how data flows, how decisions are made, how roles are coordinated, and how outcomes are produced. The Data Maturity […]
Introduction: AI and the Blurring of Organizational Boundaries Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is blurring the lines between functions in certain enterprises. For example, product designers can now contribute directly to code, while engineers can increasingly participate in product design decisions. In the world of data analytics, generative AI techniques like “conversational analytics” attempt to enable […]
Understanding the Insights Supply Chain The Insights Supply Chain describes how to lead data professionals and organize their teams to generate insights from data. This framework establishes organizing principles for empowering data professionals across a range of expertise and data domains. Just as the people of the Insights Supply Chain have profiles and personalities, the […]
Companies can thrive or die based on their pricing strategy. Pricing strategy has taken greater prominence as tariffs force companies to adjust pricing to accommodate higher input costs and to manage the volatility in tariff policies. Remote work and ecommerce continue to reshape how businesses deliver value. Against this backdrop, I followed up with a […]
My most rewarding achievement with ChatGPT was creating a doctor’s call schedule for my wife and her colleagues. My wife was a deep skeptic because two years ago I completely failed to help her create a call schedule. ChatGPT was not up to the task at that time when it barely understood arithmetic and thus […]
For many years, I have used the Insights Supply Chain to frame my perspective on how organizations transform raw data into insights that support decision-making. This framework prioritizes strategies, processes, and methods without drawing boundaries solely around the roles of the people critical to its functioning. Along the way, I began using the term data […]
There is an old saying, “I can’t trust you, further than I can throw you.” This saying applies to generative AI in the sense that I find it hard to trust it beyond my ability to verify and validate its responses. Fortunately, there are many use cases amenable to “human in the loop” success. One […]
Colin Zima, CEO of business intelligence platform company Omni, crystallized for me the allergic reaction I had to Looker’s proposal to offer up Agentic Analytics to solve the problem of insufficient bandwidth for data analysts (see Agentic Analytics Cannot Lead: The Enduring Need for Data Professionals and Analytics Leadership). In an interview on DataFramed June […]
