Applied Business Analytics: Integrating Business Process, Big Data, and Advanced Analytics

Bridge the gap between analytics and execution, and actually translate analytics into better business decision-making! Now that you've collected data and crunched numbers, Applied Business Analytics reveals how to fully apply the information and knowledge you've gleaned from quants and tech teams. Nathaniel Lin explains why "analytics value chains" often break due to organizational and cultural issues, and offers "in the trenches" guidance for overcoming these obstacles. You'll discover why a special breed of "analytics deciders" is indispensable for any organization that seeks to compete on analytics… how to become one of those deciders… and how to identify, foster, support, empower, and reward others to join you.

Lin draws on actual cases and examples from his own experience, augmenting them with hands-on examples and exercises to integrate analytics at all levels: from top-level business questions to low-level technical details. Along the way, you'll learn how to bring together analytics team members with widely diverse goals, knowledge, and backgrounds. Coverage includes:  

• How analytical and conventional decision making differ — and the challenging implications
• How to determine who your analytics deciders are, and ought to be
• Proven best practices for actually applying analytics to decision-making
• How to optimize your use of analytics as an analyst, manager, executive, or C-level officer

Applied Business Analytics will be invaluable to wide audiences of professionals, decision-makers, and consultants involved in analytics, including Chief Analytics Officers, Chief Data Officers, Chief Scientists, Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Risk Officers, Chief Strategy Officers, VPs of Analytics and/or Big Data, data scientists, business strategists, and line of business executives. It will also be exceptionally useful to students of analytics in any graduate, undergraduate, or certificate program, including candidates for INFORMS certification.

Dr. Nathaniel Lin is a recognized leader in marketing and business analytics across various industries worldwide. He has over 20 years of frontline experience applying actionable advanced analytics strategies to the world’s largest companies in technology, finance, automotive, telecommunications, retail, and across many other businesses, including IBM, Fidelity Investments, OgilvyOne, and Aspen Marketing Analytics.

Nathaniel is currently the Chief Customer Insights Officer of Attract China. He is leading the efforts to develop leading edge Big Data Analytics technology and knowledge assets to deliver unparalleled values to Chinese travelers and U.S. clients. Nathaniel is widely recognized as an expert, teacher, author, and hands-on leader and senior executive in the application of data and advanced analytics in a wide variety of businesses. He is also the Founder and President of Analytics Consult, LLC (www.analyticsconsult.com). He leverages his rich and unique expertise in business analytics to help companies optimize their customer, marketing, and sales strategies. Together with his team, Nathaniel serves as a trusted strategic advisor to senior management teams. He is frequently invited as the keynote speaker in analytics events and advised over 150 CEOs in the U.S. and aboard on analytics and Big Data issues. He was invited by WWW2010 as one of the four expert panelists (together with the heads of Google Analytics, eBay Analytics, and Web Analytics Association) on the Future of Predictive Analytics.

As a recognized analytics expert, Nathaniel has partnered with Professor Tom Davenport to benchmark analytics competencies of major corporations across different industries. He also demonstrates his passion in cultivating future analytics leaders by teaching Strategic CRM and Advanced Business Analytics for MBA students at the Georgia Tech College of Management, Boston College Carroll School of Management, and Quant III Advanced Business Analytics at Bentley University.

Nathaniel holds a PhD in Engineering from Birmingham University (UK) and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.