How is Business Analytics Used in the Real World?

IBA GroupMark HillaryAs I have mentioned in the last couple of blogs Business Analytics (BA) is about using data and models to make better decisions. This can help governments to improve policymaking and companies to develop better strategies. The aim is to use information to improve the day-to-day performance of the organisation.But what are the real business decisions being taken with BA tools and how does the data analysis process improve the decisions?

– In the airline business, employees and aircraft need to be in the right place at the right time to maximise efficiency. This is a complex planning procedure when things are going right, but when a flight is delayed or a key staff member is ill or a plane requires unscheduled maintenance then the knock-on effect can be huge. Analyzing the possible options is a great example of how BA can influence real decisions.

– Hotels want guests in their rooms as often as possible. Empty rooms in a hotel mean lost profit and a hotel that quickly sells out a particular night may have been able to charge more for the rooms on that evening. Analyzing past customer behaviour, the competition, and other influencing factors such as big sport or music events in the neighbourhood is another classic example of how data can feed into a specific business decision – how much to charge for a room.

– Banks and finance companies need to make quick decisions about whether to lend money to a particular customer based on limited information – such as the salary. However there are many other factors that could determine whether the individual is good for the loan or not and these can all be quickly factored together to provide a decision.

– Supermarkets always seem to have full shelves these days. Can you remember Saturday afternoons where many big supermarkets would run out of important products? With the entire history of each product and how it sells in each store it is now far easier for supermarket managers to ensure they are ordering the correct stock levels.

These are just four entirely different industries, but in each one it is clear that Business Analytic tools are changing how managers make decisions in those companies.Better decision-making leads to increased efficiency, a better use of existing resources, and the opportunity to perform better – to earn more by delivering a better service. For this reason, managers in all industries should be thinking about what Business Analytics can do for them.