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Analytics seems to be much more beyond the data tool, pulling, drilling data. It is about decision making. Okay if the BI itself is analytics then what is the special? You write a query, or drag the cubes here and there and you got what you want? Is the analytics only this much? Never. According to me analytics lye in using the data for decision making. You pulled the past 52 weeks, product name, channel,and store name. Made some query stuff and got top 15 stores that sell this particular product and bottom 15 stores. Thats it? Is it only what BI tools will do. (May be they do bit complex coding to get data). But real analytics starts when the BI work will end. You got top 15 and bottom 15 stores. Then what next? The most obvious thing is to know which are the bottom 15 stores. Why they are at bottom? What is the reason? Is it because sales guys not visiting the store? The store owner not got the promotion display boards? How to ensure that next month they will not be in bottom again? If you able to find these details then you are doing true analytics. According to me answering such questions in Analytics. What you say?

Interesting.

SAS has published their viewpoint on 8-levels of analytics. More information at http://tinyurl.com/5bxbbf

Naveen,

A very good point. You are right in pointing out that the true power of analytics is realized when results are actioned upon.

In fact, embedding results of analysis (or analytic outputs as one may call) into decision making is the end that the field of Analytics intends to serve.

Decision making based on basic data analysis (tabulation, charting & trending of facts on few dimensions - like sales by region, segment etc.) has been in vogue for long, but intensive data analysis to uncover hidden trends & behavioral patterns (using multi dimensional analysis & inferencing, predictive model based business rule development) require a skill set (like querying data from large warehouses, use of analytic tools etc) very different from that of those who staff operations of business functions.

Therefore, functional managers tend to leverage the support of analysts within their own organizations, or analysts from a trusted partner organization to get decision enabling outputs that they need. This is very similar to Marketing / Brand Managers giving a brief to an Advertising agency. If the brief is clear & to the point, and the agency is good, then the output that comes out is usually top notch (like some of the high quality catchy ads that delivers a clear marketing message)

If someone who has been an analyst moves over to be a functional decision making role (a tough act given both business operations management skills as well as that of a top notch analyst are required), then the results can be very impressive.

Equally successful will be those functional managers that appreciate the power of analytics, establish an analytic support system (within their organization or through a trusted partner), and leverage the support system to get their needs for decision enabling outputs met. Most of our customers (CRM Directors, Enterprise Risk Managers that we support) are of this second kind.

The above two (functional managers who have been in analyst roles themselves, and those functional managers that know how to leverage an analytics support team) are the kind of people who will be able to achieve what you have outlined - just not analyze, but act on analytic outputs with conviction. They are the ones who truly leverage Analytics.