tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11691712475333033492024-03-08T14:43:31.739-08:00BIAlytics blogLate night ramblings from Chuck HooperUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169171247533303349.post-50352122908534463692014-01-24T19:36:00.001-08:002014-07-14T10:22:07.380-07:00The Problem with SOME BI Pundits<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>The Problem with SOME BI Pundits</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Late night ramblings by Chuck Hooper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">web:</span><a href="http://www.bialytics.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.bialytics.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Setting the stage:
my dictionary defines “pundit” as:
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> “<i>a critic or authority on a subject, especially in the media</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">There are too many well known “experts” when the
topic of <b><i>Business Intelligence</i></b> or <b><i>Big Data</i></b> or <b><i>Data Warehousing</i></b> etc.
come up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">They have written books on the subjects. They deliver key note addresses. They tweet (sometimes way too often). They do webinars. They offer seminars. They do white papers. They profess their keen insights into all
areas of data driven analytics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ve not written a book - been busy, working. <i>I am
planning one, now.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ve done too few speaking engagements - too busy, working. <i>I plan to do more, starting now.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I don't tweet, often – too busy working<i>. I will be doing more.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ve hosted few webinars / seminars – again, too
damned busy, working. <i>Might do more.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I published few white papers – still
too busy, working. Might do one, someday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">BUT, for anyone interested, I am now willing to
share many of my insights, extracted from 49 years of real work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’ll start with a few of the simple ones:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Simplicity succeeds. Complexity fails.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> When the pundit puts up the
diagram you can’t understand after 15 seconds, believe it is too complex, and, whatever
it’s preaching won’t work - even though some vendor convinced him/her it would.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Innovation is NOT building a
better mouse trap.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> We catch
mice, today. True innovation is solving
something not solved, before. When the pundits
offer innovative solutions, BEWARE! It’s,
most likely, just a more complex way of getting to old results. Probably costs more, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Many people want answers,
not capability.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Beware of
pundits offering new ways based on little more than flawed research and poorly
designed surveys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If we were not, all, in the
same situation, Dilbert will not be such a popular cartoon</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">. It’s likely your problem has
been solved, before. Avoid reinventing the wheel!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One of our biggest problems
is there are too many solutions.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Consider a full study of all current BI
tools, running on all possible data bases, running on all possible operating
systems, running on all possible hardware platforms. Tens of thousands of possibilities. Do you study them all? Do you do your <b>due diligence</b>? (I define “due
diligence” as a delaying practice initiated by those that don’t know what to
do, and, won’t trust those that do.). If
we start, and find out we are heading in the wrong direction, we can turn
around. If we never start . . . . .<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Talk is cheap. Action can be expensive. NO action is, typically, VERY expensive!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Common sense is not that
common!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As for specifics on some of the better known pundits. There are ones I think are good and ones I
think are wasting my time. I won’t name
any of the bad, nor will I try to name all the good ones. I will name two that I follow, on Twitter,
and appreciate their many contributions and insights:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Neil Raden (<i>Twitter: @NeilRaden</i>). Lots of insights, and, a warped sense of humor –I like that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Howard Dresner ( <i>Twitter:
@howarddresner </i>). Howard “pulls it
all together” - partially through crowd sourcing & partially through a
wealth of experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">That’s enough, for now – I have to get back to
work…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Chuck
Hooper is a business intelligence and data visualization consultant. Chuck
brings 49 years of business and IT experience with him. In addition to the
current consulting offerings, Chuck does speaking engagements, and, conducts
training sessions on the use of Tableau Software products, visual analytics,
data warehouse design, and other business intelligence topics, at both the
technical and the executive levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">For
further information: email: </span><a href="mailto:chooper@bialytics.com"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">chooper@bialytics.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Twitter:@chuck_hooper web:</span><a href="http://www.bialytics.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">www.bialytics.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Material
presented Copyright © 2012,2013,2014 by Chuck Hooper. You may quote / use any of
the material by giving the author credit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169171247533303349.post-64256084927134227012014-01-24T19:25:00.002-08:002014-01-24T20:07:49.581-08:00The Problem With BI Tool Implementations<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>The Problem With BI Tool Implementations</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt;">Late night ramblings from<b> </b>Chuck Hooper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">web:</span><a href="http://www.bialytics.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.bialytics.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">First problem - there
are no BI tools! <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A
better title for this might have been “<b>The
Problem With “so called BI Tool” Implementations</b>”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">All
those we call "BI Tools" are really nothing more than aids to
analyzing, formatting and disseminating information. The REAL intelligence comes from people, and
nowhere else! So, the goal needs to be
to get bright people, the right tool(s), the right data, and, to support them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
are the problems with many BI tool implementations?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Unrealistic expectations</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">! No one tool does it all - in some situations,
you may need to consider more than one of these tools. That’s OK! NONE are “magical”. ALL require some level of work to
implement. <b>The goal is to pick the tool that minimizes the implementation process.</b>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Long learning curve / too complex</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. Both lead to delayed productivity, and, low
adoption! The low adoption can be a
killer. Potentially good analysts might
be left behind. Pick the tool that has
the easiest start up learning curve. It
is, likely, you’ll never “master” any tool.
<b>So, work to get productive,
sooner! </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;">
</span></span></i><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">High implementation cost</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. Talk is cheap. Action can be expensive. <b>NO action can be REALLY expensive!</b> There’s a question used by application
designers: “<i>Do you want that quick,
cheap, or good? Pick any 2 of the 3</i>”. If you want it cheap, it is either not going
to be good, or, won’t be done quickly.
Part of the cost is the learning curve in the use of the tool; part is
based on the adoption rate. Do NOT confuse
price and cost. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Faster</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> implementations tend to be cheaper and have greater ROI! </span></b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hmmmmmm,
MAYBE we can pick all three!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Too many options!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> There are a lot of so called “BI tools”
available. Be careful of doing your “due
diligence”. That’s what I call a
practice initiated by people that don’t know what to do, and, won’t trust those
that do! Your problem is not unique –
most likely it has been solved, before. <b>Do not reinvent the wheel. If we were not all in the same boat, Dilbert
would not be so popular! </b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Keeping it simple</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">! It’s
easy to get hung up on complex processes that can lead to extended and
expensive implementations. Work hard to
keep your efforts simple!<b> </b> Even then, it is likely your end results will
be overly complex!<b> </b> Beware of tools requiring a bunch of third
party add-ons, or too many individual pieces be installed. <b>Simplicity
succeeds. Complexity fails. Believe it.
Live it. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lack of actionability</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">.
Many BI implementations have pretty dashboards and scorecards – lots of
flash & pizazz. <b>If
your outputs are not actionable, you’ve wasted your efforts.</b> This is not an issue with the tool(s) – lack
of actionable insights is bad planning, design and implementation. Too often, it’s the tool that is blamed (Probably
because it can’t fight back!). So, be
prepared to take ownership of your successes, AND, of your failures. <b>Fix the
failures. Rejoice in the successes. Move on.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Get it done and we can rest” mentality</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">. You are NEVER done. A successful BI environment is one where all
aspects of it are fluid / iterative.
Think of your competition as a 10 foot long crocodile. You stop fighting AFTER he’s stopped
fighting! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Back
in the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century, Aristotle Onassis said “The secret of
business is in knowing what no one else knows.”. That was OK, 60-70 years ago. We call this the “information age” for a
reason. It’s likely you don’t know more
than your competition. There’s a new
secret, today. “<b>Take what you know and do more with it, sooner, faster, cheaper</b>.”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">More</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">: Pure people
smarts, nothing else. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sooner</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">: A decision
– are you going to start that project now? Or, wait until competition eats your lunch? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Faster</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">: This
is NOT “fastest response” times. It is
“faster to <u>insight</u>”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">n<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cheape</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">r: This
is not the price of the tool or the infrastructure. It is the total cost of ownership, including
training, support, training, support, training, support etc. And, do not forget training and support. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">To be successful… </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I believe it was </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/133538.Christopher_McDougall"><b><span style="background: white; color: #215625; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Christopher McDougall</span></b></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> that said: “</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Every day, in Africa, a gazelle wakes up,
knowing he must run faster than the fastest lion, or, he will be eaten. Every day, in Africa, a lion wakes up,
knowing he must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or, he will starve. It matters not, whether you are the lion or
the gazelle. When the sun comes up,
you’d better be running.”. </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Is YOUR
competition already up and running?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Chuck
Hooper is a business intelligence and data visualization consultant. Chuck brings 49 years of
business and IT experience with him. In addition to the current consulting
offerings, Chuck does speaking engagements, and, conducts training sessions on
the use of Tableau Software products, visual analytics, data warehouse design,
and other business intelligence topics, at both the technical and the executive
levels. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">For
further information: email: </span><a href="mailto:chooper@bialytics.com"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">chooper@bialytics.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> Twitter:@chuck_hooper web:</span><a href="http://www.bialytics.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">www.bialytics.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Material presented Copyright © 2012,2013,2014 by Chuck Hooper. You may quote / use any of the material by
giving the author credit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1169171247533303349.post-17452638906127122032014-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:002014-01-24T20:09:56.418-08:00Analysis Lesson From a 5 year Old <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Analysis Lesson
From a 5 year Old</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Late night ramblings from</span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chuck Hooper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">web:</span><a href="http://www.bialytics.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">www.bialytics.com</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I was taking care of my 5 year old
granddaughter for the day. She wanted to paint some pictures. I
pulled out her water colors and set them up on the kitchen table. She
took a brush, dipped it in water, then into a few different color paints. She proceeded to put ten blobs of color on ten different places on
the paper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She held up the final product and asked “Papa, do you like
this?”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I smiled and nodded a big YES! She then
asked “Do you know what they are?”. I said they looked like pretty
birdies. She frowned and tossed the paper aside: “<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">NO! They’re kitty cats!</span></b>“<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We repeat the process – ten more blobs of new
colors, in new shapes, all over the paper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Same questions asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">THIS time, I am going to be smarter!
The last ones were kitty cats. She’s 5. These MUST be puppy dogs!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She says <b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“No! They’re horsies!</span></b>“.
</span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another work of art
tossed to the side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">One more time…. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I am an analyst. I am a bright guy.
No 5 year old will stump me a third time! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This time, about a dozen colorful blotches on
the paper. Same questions asked. I ask if I am allowed multiple
guesses. She says “Yes.”, so, I start: ”Are they aardvarks? Abacuses?
Accountants? Adams apples? Affidavits?
Aggravated grandpas?…” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I go through the alphabet. I go back through the alphabet. And again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">30 minutes later, I am
sweating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She is bored with saying “No!” so many times.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Finally, I am done. I say: “Papa gives up. What are they?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She shakes her in disgust, rolls her eyes
(more disgust), and says: </span><span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #323232; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> “<b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Papa! Sometimes they’re
just dots!</span></b>“.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How
often, as analysts, do we look for insights, and not find them, only to keep
trying until we pass out? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How
many times is the data we are looking at just dots in a scatter plot? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">How
do we know when to look elsewhere? And, where is that elsewhere? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">What
other data do we need to add to the mix, to make the data we already have, useful? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The so-called BI "tools" can’t answer these questions. These
are the questions that need human brain power to answer. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The
tool you use to analyze the data should let you “play with your data”.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">My
friends at Tableau Software like to say “Party with your data!”.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s the same idea. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s
the easiest way to find those gold nuggets hiding in the numbers. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It’s
also the fastest way to find out if you’re just playing with dots!</span></div>
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<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_4" o:spid="_x0000_s1026"
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">Chuck Hooper is a business intelligence and data
visualization consultant, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">He
brings 49 years of business and IT experience with him. In addition to the
current consulting offerings, he does </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">speaking
engagements, and, conducts training sessions on the use of Tableau Software
products, visual analytics, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">data
warehouse design, and other business intelligence topics, at both the technical
and the executive levels.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">For further information: email: </span><a href="mailto:chooper@bialytics.com"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">chooper@bialytics.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;"> Twitter:@chuck_hooper web:</span><a href="http://www.bialytics.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">www.bialytics.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 8.0pt;">Material presented Copyright © 2012,2013,2014 by
Chuck Hooper. You may quote / use any of
the material by giving the author credit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0