Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning

Competing on Analytics provides a well documented and proven road map to assist businesses achieve profitable and sustainable market growth leveraging data-driven decisions. In a methodical style, it introduces a framework to guide the transition from Tactical Analytics (description) to Strategic Analytics (prediction) in harnessing the hidden power of enterprise data. The book through its numerous real world examples shows convincely that whereas Tactical Analytics yield good results, the adoption of Strategic Analytics yield even higher returns.The major contribution of this book is its clarity in outlining a clear roadmap to manage process and organizational challenges to ensure the deployment of a successful Analytic Strategy:* Guidance on how to harness data to improve business performance through the implementation of Information-Based strategies* Identification and management of the key operational issues (Decision Making, Business Processes, Manager/Employee Behavior and Customer expectations) in introducing and incorporating Analytics as part of a company corporate strategy.The book provides ample of examples on how different companies have leveraged Information-Based strategies to establish market leadership across several industries: Financial Services, Retail, Travel & Entertainment, Industrial Production and Sports.Although highlighting Analytics on its title, this is not a book on "how to do analytics", analyze data, CRM analytics, build and validate statistical models or how to apply data mining algorithms; rather, it is comprehensive, well written and structured book written to assist Decision Makers, Managers, Influencers and company Leaders to understand and harness the power hidden in the data to compete and win in the marketplace.

I read this book a few years ago as use of analytics continue to grow within my company and is used in each department. I circled back to this book to further understand the work and to think about ways to learn more. The book aptly points out that analytical competition is in all phases of industry, especially in sports where Moneyball by Michael Lewis highlighted this process.Since the Oakland A's adopted this style several other teams (all of them by now?) engage in some form of analytics to remain competitive. In big business more primitive forms have been using spreadsheets and Access to understand differentiation and segmentation.I picked up this book to gain a high level understanding which it successfully provides. As I read the examples of Yield Management by American Airlines to optimize pricing I started to understand how this could be applied to any industry.Of course companies like Amazon and Ebay utilize analytics to send e-mails to a customer that trigger an interest or compliments a past purchase.The chapter on competing on analytics with internal processes has a good list of Typical Analytical Applications for Internal Processes which will point many in the right direction. The book will not tell you how to set up your analytics, but will give some pointers on what tools to use and know about to compete on analytics.In the same chapter the use of Financial Analytics is helpful as they provide some insight on what to include for a scorecard. Some items would be 1) Selecting profitable new markets to enter 2) Attracting and selecting the right customers 3) Driving pricing in accordance to risk and 4) Reducing the severity of claims (warranties or returns).Similar to the Typical Analytical Applications for internal processes, they include a list for marketing as well along with supply chains.Overall the book will be helpful for people who work with folks who do the analytics and to have more insight when working a process. Use this book with some others to become more educated about the growing use of analytics in every industry, especially as private and non-profit industries continue to be more global.

I really appreciated that this author, explains not only the "what", but also the "why" and "how" of thingsHe begins with providing a context of why and how leading companies in various industry sectors, are using analytics to differentiate themselves from competition and create unique value to their customers and increase shareholder value.Then, and here is where he set a big difference form his "competing maturity approach" from the rest I've known about Maturity Models for BI. He makes very much emphasis in showing how important is for any company to have a clear and sound strategy in the first place, how critical is to unveil the key data and the key processes related, and to have the key people to actually use the information for decision making and taking actions, before going shopping for IT HW and SW.As the final peace he also explains the common pitfalls from the IT side when it comes to construct the data and information technology ecosystems and what to consider for and effective IT ecosystem for "Analytical Competition" stage.

Davenport's 2006 Harvard Business Review article is a great overview of the power and importance that business analytics can play in creating the competitive platform upon which a business can succeed. As other reviewers have found out, Davenport later expanded this article into a book, Competing on Analytics, co-authored with Jeanne Harris, published in 2007. While using the same name as the article could lead to some confusion, as the other reviews have experienced, one should also realize that a $30 book isn't sold for $6.50. Prospective buyers should know which they really want; both are excellent.

I loved this book. It was my first encounter to what it means to do analytics. It helped me a lot, profesionally and personally. Profesionally, I now work on analytics at my job, and personally, after I finished my BSc not a long time ago, I have enrolled in a MSc in Econometrics. I think this book led to me to a path of a very promising future.

If you want to know the areas or functions where analytics can be applied, this is the book. Book is divided in two parts, first will give information on the "Where" part of the application of analytics in an organization and second part deals with the "How" to apply it.

Got me interested in Analytics. Love it.

Great book! Simple and with the right mix of theoretical definitions and actual success stories and examples. Everybody interested in business intelligence or simply in IT should read it. A masterpiece.

An interesting read -- well written and easy to understand.