how to apply analytics where they will yield the greatest results.pdf

Targets Picking Your Spots for Analytics How to Apply Analytics Where They Will Yield the Greatest Results EXCERPTED FROM Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results BY Thomas H. Davenport, Jeanne G. Harris, and Robert Morison Buy the book: Amazon Barnes Noble HBR.org Harvard Business Press Boston, Massachusetts ISBN-13: 978-1-4221-5746-6 5747BC This article is provided to you compliments of IBM. Copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America This chapter was originally published as chapter 5 of Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results, copyright 2010 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163. You can purchase Harvard Business Press books at booksellers worldwide. You can order Harvard Business Press books and book chapters online at /press, or by calling 888-500-1016 or, outside the U.S. and Canada, 617-783-7410. This article is provided to you compliments of IBM. 5Targets Picking Your Spots for Analytics Every business we know can benefit from becoming more analytical across the board——in how it understands its customers, performs its operations, and makes its decisions. But even the most analytically ori- ented company needs to target its analytical efforts where they will do the most good, because resources, especially talent, are always constrained. And all business opportunities aren’t created equal—few confer break- throughs in performance or differentiation in the marketplace. Of course, for companies just embarking on the analytical journe