Data Analytics: A skill that is moving from ‘good to have’ towards ‘must have’
- June 8, 2017
- Posted by: safdar
- Category: Data Analytics
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/data-analytics-skill-moving-from-good-have-towards-must-hussain/
In the late 80s and early 90s, one would depict offices as people having a stack of physical files lying on their desk and these files were physically moved from once desk to another.
With the invention of computers and software applications, in the 90s, Microsoft bundled and launched one of the most dependant office software called Microsoft Office 92 (It contained Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Mail 3.0 bundled). It was released on 30 August 1992 and was little known as Nuclear bomb in the white collar community. Why Nuclear bomb? For a simple reason that people weren’t comfortable learning these new office software applications and, higher management were expecting their staff to learn and use them in their daily office routine.
Later on, there was a time when some of the elite white collar staff started learning this office software and usage of Word, Excel or PowerPoint in their work activities. Just within few months, Microsoft Office gained so much importance that, if one had to pick up ‘office’ related jobs (advertised in newspapers), it would had been mentioned in the JD, ‘Mandatory to have working knowledge on Microsoft Office tools – Word/Excel/PowerPoint’
My question is ‘Now do we see any job description/requirement that states something like working knowledge or mandatory knowledge on any Office products like Word/Excel/PowerPoint required?’. The answer is ‘Almost No’ (other than some secretarial job positions – where JDs are merely copied and pasted from two decade old write-ups). It is assumed that by default one would be having this basic ‘Must-have Office” skill set. And we see that this skill has got commoditized.
Now coming to the current era, wherein almost every activity of the organization is moving into digital space and is getting digitized (-corporate buzz word ‘Digital Transformation’). With this wave there is no doubt that we tend to capture a lot more data in digital form.
The question comes what are we doing with this data. As one can see that in a person’s job role, he/she is exposed to different types of data or events or IT logs etc., but unfortunately the current situation is that very few people rightly make use of this data (to analyse or make data based decision). In fact, we have seen that due to lack of “Analytical” skills, many of them tend to ignore this data and go with gut feeling (oops the right word is experience).
From the above if we have to fast forward the 1990s era, in today’s world, we see similar situation arising. With advent of ‘Digital Transformation’, one of the key skill set emerging – is “Data Analytics” or sometimes just referred as “Analytics”
If we go by the Wikipedia definition “Data Analytical skill is the nothing but the ability to visualize, articulate, conceptualize and solve both complex and uncomplicated problems by making decisions that are sensible, given the available data “. In this definition the one word that I want to highlight is ‘Data’
Off lately (In 2011 McKinsey’s famous report – The Age of Analytics), this skill ‘Data Analytics’ is now regarded as one of ‘THE’ most sought skill sets that one sees in most Job descriptions. Right from ‘Analyst’ level position up to ‘CXO’ position level, this is one of the most frequent and explicitly defined skill set.
Going forward for a person to be effective in his/her role, irrespective of function/domain one needs to Analyse, Articulate and Visualize the data. Importantly, communicate the data findings and/or take necessary decisions based on the data analysed. With the trend (also based on our history) we see that this skill set ‘Data Analytics’ will sooner or later (may be in next couple of years) be commoditized and organization will start expecting that every person (irrespective of the function) must possess this skill.
So, now is the right time for each of us learn or upgrade our “Data Analytics” skill and excel in respective functions.
There are plenty of free online “data analytics” courses available, offered by Coursera (coursera.org), Edx etc. For any help/guidance/resources in learning data analytics feel free to reach me at safdar.oxford@gmail.com or iit.safdar@gmail.com
Happy Analytics!
Complete Article Available on
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/data-analytics-skill-moving-from-good-have-towards-must-hussain/
1 Comment
Comments are closed.
Siva A
Database Development – Data Science – Business Intelligence – QA (Retail, Supplychain, and Ecommerce)
Good Points – Articulate and Visualize the data, communicate the data findings. Well written
Senthil Murugan
Sr.Lead Engineer at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. ( M.tech in Data science)
excellent Safdar.. Great post. nice flow. you have the great knack of presenting.
Abraham Joseph
Faculty at Rajagiri Business School
Very well put Safdar. So which is the best MOOC course on analytics?
Ravi Prakash J
COO at MKG Group, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Point to ponder, Safdar!!!! Well presented and explained it in its simplest form.
Thanks for the insight and enlightenment!! Will try to inculcate myself first and then to my organisation!!! Keep going!! All good wishes!
Sandeep Srivastava
Data Enthusiast (TOGAF 9.0 & PRINCE2)
Well articulated Safdar Hussain !!
Madan Lal, PMP, eTOM, ITIL
Team Lead at Etisalat
This indeed is good start for me who have been procrastinating since some time reading about Data Analytics. It is good source of information & to start with
Tanvir Mustafa
Project Controls
Awesome, great read. Keep it coming
Sateesh Rai
Big Data|Data Science I Advanced Analytics | TOGAF | PMP I PRINCE2 I MSP I Digital Transformation Enabler
Great Article Safdar.
Jawad Ahmed Khan
Executive Secretary at Etisalat
Sir article is as great as you. We’ll done.
Bhawani Bhatnagar, Ph.D.
Healthcare, Research, Consulting, Strategic Management, Innovation
Well written 👍
Ahamed Hasan
Liferay Architect, Consultant & Trainer (Liferay 6.2 and DXP)
Excellent post haji sb. Very inspirational for youngsters like me that want to build a great career in the field of analytics. Keep writing.
Nayyer Abdul Rab
Certified Life & Business Coach, Trainer, Speaker, Author & Founder of Riyadh Coaches Meetup
Thanks for sharing this article. In your next piece, can you please share some data analytics basics for a novice like me?
Mohammed Uwaiz
LSSGB & PRINCE2 Certified Consulting Professional – Business Transformation & Shared Services setup & transformation
Very interesting and spot on about how analytics is a should/must have skill for today’s jobs…
Mohammed. Akramullah
Project Manager at Mindtree Ltd.
Nicely presented two decades transition and immediate needs as well. Am planning to acquire these skills
Guru PMV
Vice President at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Very well articulated
Sadrollah Alborzi
Management Consultant,Lecturer,Researcher,Writer and Practitioner
I think that “Data Analytic” is very important for improving productivity.
Regards,
Sadrollah Alborzi
PRAVIN KESAVAN
BI Consultant
Right predictions about our industry
Md Feroz Irfan K
Passionate about Leveraging Technology and Creating a Business Impact. Embracing Impossible Challenges
Thank you Safdar Sb! Very nicely articulated. Which course would you suggest to get started? Any recommendations please?
Charles Chase
Executive Industry Consultant at SAS| Demand Forecasting & Planning Thought Leader|Trusted Adviser
Safdar, I completely agree.
We are seeing more and more large Consumer Packaged Goods companies establishing analytics departments headed by EVP’s of Analytics reporting to the CEO/president. Others are hiring data scientists, rather than planners.
Universities like NC State, Texas A&M, and others now offer Masters of Science in Analytics (MSA) programs. What’s even more promising 100% of their students upon graduation have multiple job offers.
I am getting requests from companies to meet with their senior management team to explain how machine learning can help them improve their demand forecasting and planning processes.
We are in an Analytics revolution that is being driven by IoT, and advancements in machine learning, and eventually cognitive computing (deep learning).
Great article!
Mohammed Abdus Salam
ICT Service Provider |Digital Business Transformation Enabler |Execute strategy & vision to drive sales team to success
Safdar, completely agree!!
More programs are required to empower leaders with the skills to tackle data-driven opportunities and accelerate data-analysis transformation in organizations.
Cameron Turner
Builder of Data-Driven Businesses, Angel Investor. Open networker (but no recruiters, investment/sales pitches, please).
Nice historical perspective.
Shaker A. Jadnan
Manager/Client Service Management (Business Solution) Etisalat – ITIL Expert, Six Sigma Black Belt,PRINCE2,Agile Scrum M
Great Boss