All posts in Analytics

06
Mar

What The Best Financial Analysts Do Best

Categories: Accounting, Analytics, Data, Finance, Forecast
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by chiefowl

As a consultant for Mathematical Revenue Optimization I’ve had the opportunity to work with many analysts in a variety of industries.  How much quantitative and programming background they have is never a concern for me because my job is to bring them up to a sophisticated level of technical competence and confidence.  Still, some analysts are just a lot better at their jobs than others.  What I have learned through the years is that the most successful analysts routinely do certain Read more

22
Oct

Five Experiences Shared by the Best Business Analysts

Categories: Analytics, Data, Decision Science, Finance, Revenue Optimization
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by chiefowl

The traditional career path for most business analysts is to start in Accounting or Finance and then jump into a managerial role. While this may be the most efficient process for sourcing quantitative talent, it is not necessarily the most effective. Many companies are beginning to realize that the benefit of having great Analysts is in creating value and wealth rather than in creating reports. For the latter you just need to learn some technical skills, but for the former you need to be exposed to experiences Read more

06
Feb

These Google Trend Graphs Show The Future for Accountants

Categories: Accounting, Analytics, Big Data, Data, Finance
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by chiefowl
The Accounting conversation has stagnated.  As companies try to keep up with shorter business cycles, they are turning to multi-dimensional transaction data, and away from general ledger data, to craft better strategies. This trend should be alarming to most finance and accounting professionals whose resumés still highlight the traditional skills of these functions. Those skills are not where the opportunities are anymore. A thin data-analytics background will begin to have an impact on the salaries of those that can't surf the Big Data wave.   Fortunately, there is Read more
04
Feb

How to Take On the Epidemic of Overconfidence at Your Company

Categories: Analytics, Data, Decision Science, Finance, Pricing
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by chiefowl

From time to time one of our clients asks me to sit in on a vendor presentation for some Business Intelligence software. At the end of these demos the salesperson usually summarizes the value of the system by saying some derivative of “it allows you to make more confident decisions.” That is exactly the opposite of what the sales pitch should be. You see, in the business world there is no confidence problem. Managers across all industries are usually way Read more

08
Apr

7 Reasons Why The Analytical Type Makes The Worst Analyst

Categories: Analytics, Data
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by Robert Hernandez

It’s been well documented that there is a worldwide shortage of good analysts. That shortage will only grow exponentially in the next decade. What is not well documented is what exactly makes a “good” analyst. Many hiring managers operate under the assumption that, by definition, an analyst must fit into the Analytical Thinker persona. Analytical Thinkers are defined as left-brain, numbers-oriented people as opposed to right-brain, creative types. Unfortunately, while it would be incredibly convenient to stick to these caricature-ish definitions Read more

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