We applaud the many analysts and supporters of these analysts, managers, and teams, who decided to swim past the buoys and toward uncharted territory. They’ve never looked back. That’s what happens when you turn big data troubles into triumphs with self-service analytics.
These analysts and their organizations are the champions who figured out how to streamline basic data prep and blend (aka “cleaning up data,” “data munging,” whatever you may call it). They even moved on to solving the previously unsolvable, and you can too.
So how do you push past your buoys and experience your own wide ocean of analytics possibilities? We’ve listed the seven things badass analysts say, but more importantly, what they do to tackle common tasks and leverage powerful solutions.
1. “I am free.”
Truly empowered analysts are able to streamline tedious data preparation processes manually done in spreadsheets, leading to incredible efficiencies. New research from IDC reports that 54 million data workers worldwide spend 44% of their workday on unsuccessful data activities.
Productivity is lost to analysts juggling four to seven different technologies for their data tasks. An additional seven hours a week are forfeited to manually updating spreadsheet formulas, pivot tables, and cell and sheet references.
Analysts who broke free discovered that what they were missing was the flexibility to go anywhere they wanted with the time they recovered. Performing analytics on a modern analytics platform opens the possibilities of freedom and innovation. Andrew Simnick of The Art Institute of Chicago says that self-service analytics has enabled his team to produce incredibly complex and creative analysis to the most pressing questions they have, within the realistic time and financial constraints they have as an organization.
2. “I didn’t realize data cleansing could actually be painless.”
Data analysts are inspired and driven, determined to follow the clues and connect the dots until the clearest narrative is revealed. You don’t want to be shackled to agonizing prep work that requires too much manual intervention and too much time.
3. “Join Tools are like shortcuts around traffic jams.”
Arriving at a usable answer from cleansed data is mission-critical. How you solve for it will send you down very different paths. Those who are in the know use an analytics platform to join multiple sources of data together no matter the structure or location.
Data analysts are inspired and driven, determined to follow the clues and connect the dots until the clearest narrative is revealed.
4. “It’s pretty awesome to track ALL my data sources in one place and collaborate.”
With a shared platform, it’s easy to locate, and even rate, data sources so you won’t have to spend time looking for information. Accessing a common location to find and collaborate on data with different people in your organization improves the overall quality of information throughout the organization — and saves you time. Dawn Rinehart from Daimler Trucks North America reports that using modern analytics has led to an amazing transition for her team — “moving from manual, tedious, cumbersome processes, where they still didn’t have insight into the data, to a world where we have self-service analytics.”
5. “Hard questions? Bring ‘em.”
If you could ask any question to rock your department, what would it be? Entering a new level of maturity using your data is within reach. The power of advanced analytics, traditionally the domain of coders and data scientists, is in the hands of analysts using self-service analytics.
The power of advanced analytics, traditionally the domain of coders and data scientists, is in the hands of analysts using self-service analytics.
6. “It’s one thing to see the future. Now I can do something about it.”
As you bring in additional dimensions of data, you will start to ask more mature questions of your data, starting with “What if?” and “Should we?” Once you know you can do this, you might feel compelled to try out building a model. If you feel like you don’t have time for predictive and prescriptive, know that the ability to prep and blend data on a self-service analytics platform gives you the time back to try and allows you to level up your skills.
7. “I can transform analytics in any industry.”
From healthcare to government to higher education, organizations in every sector need data analysts. Regardless of which industry you work in, collecting data and compiling your findings into insights that will help the business is a part of the job. Just ask Adam Rant at Amway, who stated that self-service analytics makes him feel boundaryless, where no problem exists that he hasn’t been able to solve, giving him confidence in his role.
From healthcare to government to higher education, organizations in every sector need data analysts. Regardless of which industry you work in, collecting data and compiling your findings into insights that will help the business is a part of the job.
Swim Beyond the Buoys
As a data analyst, you provide one of the most-needed services in business today, triggering important decisions with the insights you provide while grappling with impossible deadlines, high expectations, and IT bottlenecks.
Your organization counts on you to answer your organization’s toughest data questions with pinpoint accuracy. It’s vital to get the answers right because decision-makers use those answers to make important choices. In your pressure-cooker role, it can be a challenge just to survive, much less thrive. Do it successfully, and you’ll achieve badass status.
A modern, self-service data science and analytics platform is the only way to reduce data prep and blend from weeks to hours or minutes so you can get to the type of real insight that puts you at the head of the pack.
Stay PUT.
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Chat with us at @alteryx about the things you would say as an empowered analyst.