Listed below are reviews of the book titled
Analytics for Business Success
A Guide to Analytics Fitness™
by Hema Seshadri, Ph.D.
Dr. Seshadri is an expert in data analytics in a complex business setting, and her book outlines in plain language how companies can structure their approach to becoming more data-driven. Her methodical descriptions are clear and concise, and her holistic approach to the role of data in business thinking and strategic development will resonate strongly with busy executives who face the daily challenge of trying to gain meaningful insights from imperfect data systems, processes, and tooling. Her detailed descriptions of the key considerations around a unified data analytics approach are well thought through in this context. Her suggestions for how to think about, analyze, and implement a unified data analytics system are clear, actionable, and full of potential benefits for leaders of organizations and individual contributors alike. As a practitioner herself, she has “lived the problem,” and has some valuable things to say about how to address it with incremental and large-scale improvements and insights. A must-read for anyone facing these common challenges!! –Lisa A, a senior executive with a Fortune 500 technology company, CA
Analytics for Business Success is one of the most useful resources for anyone looking to understand the power of analytics in business. Dr. Seshadri provides a crisp and comprehensive overview by leveraging analytics to drive business success. Extremely valuable is that she covers not only the expertise but also the roles and organizational culture required to effectively deploy analytics in a business and link to business objectives. Her book explains how to manage data for transformational analytics, how to create an analytics product life cycle and a roadmap for starting an analytics journey which has potential to become a critical part of an organization’s strategic planning process. Overall, Analytics for Business Success is an essential guide for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of analytics in the business world. Finally, Dr. Seshadri uses very clear and crisp language so that the book is smooth to read and understand, also for those who are non-native English speakers.-–Sabine Sitterli, Vice President, Network Infrastructure Europe, Middle East & Africa, Akamai Technologies, Munich, DE
Analytics for Business Success brings to life the need for all organizations to embrace data analytics as an essential and foundational capability to survive through the 4th Industrial Revolution. Dr. Seshadri offers a comprehensive guide for any institution, large or small, looking to establish, maintain and evolve a data analytics function. She offers the structure and processes along with a set of frameworks, tools, and use cases to shepherd a novice through the dizzying world of data science to make a strong business impact while building the infrastructure for scale. In an era of boom and bust attempts by organizations to swiftly transform their digital relevance in the face of disruptive innovations, Analytics for Business Success provides a focused, pragmatic and stable approach to getting the business outcomes every organization desires from their data science and analytics initiatives.-Robert Ciamarra, Senior VicePresident, Global Sourcing, Cardinal Health, OH
Dr. Seshadri’s take on the relationship between “analytics” and “business success” provides analytics practitioners with a much-needed guidebook on using insights to drive change. While many in the analytics community remain mainly focused on the technical, this prescriptive narrative steps back and tries to acknowledge the elephant in the room: even the best models are not enough to move the needle on business problems. By focusing on analytics in the context of business processes, decision-making, and “Analytics Fitness,” Dr. Seshadri provides her audience with a perspective that most practitioners don’t see until after their projects have failed. The “Analytics Revolution” IS POSSIBLE with the right eye to the transformations that will be needed, and this text provides one way for practitioners and leaders to prepare for their journeys. –Dr. Joe Dery, VicePresident – Dean of Data Analytics, Western Governors University, UT
In Analytics for Business Success, Dr. Seshadri has created an essential companion for any business leader seeking to establish analytics-based products or mature their data-based insights. Her book is both an initial primer and a comprehensive guide for understanding the concepts of analytics and then establishing a practice for using data to create business impact. Dr. Seshadri’s explanations are approachable, practical, and business-focused while avoiding heady visions or dire consequences of AI gone awry. What is impressive is that this guide goes beyond the establishment of simple business intelligence teams applications and provides a fully functioning example of creating analytics-based products, data governance, supporting team structures, and the Analytics Product Life Cycle needed to grow and mature these products. Finally, in describing the Analytics Journey, Dr. Seshadri brings the learnings together and reminds us not only of the governance, functions, and authorities required to make effective use of data but also touches on some of the pitfalls that can arise when leaders may not appreciate or may try to manage the results revealed by data. –Dr. Joe Dery, VicePresident – Dean of Data Analytics, Western Governors University, UT
Analytics is no longer just a buzzword, it’s a critical practice for organizations that want to derive and create value in today’s data-driven world. However, despite significant investments in analytics resources, success rates at a large scale are alarmingly low. ‘Analytics for Business Succes‘ offers a sharp look at how analytics can shift from a cost center to a value driver.
Dr. Seshadri’s book is full of useful frameworks and pragmatic recommendations for analytics professionals and organizations at all levels. It is well-researched and provides comprehensive cross-references for deeper context, yet is an easy read for everyone. It will be particularly helpful for data non-practitioners looking to strengthen their analytics acumen as well as for those with strong data and tech backgrounds looking to grow their business acumen.
If you want to make the most of analytics as a driver of business value, this book is a must-read.
-Andrew Jacobus, SMU Cox MBA, Vice President of Research and Data Science (Institute Leader), MA
Today, organizations all over the world are looking at leveraging data and analytics (D&A) for improved business performance and outcomes. However, despite being data-rich and having high data analytics ambitions, many companies struggle to derive business value from D&A projects. One of the reasons is that D&A is a complex subject with many interdependent factors. In this regard, this book “Analytics for Business Success: A Guide to Analytics Fitness” simplifies the complex world of D&A by providing a clear explanation of the drivers that offer business value. The author, Dr. Hema Seshadri, analyzes the blend of strategies, frameworks, models, technological capabilities, skills, governance, and culture that fuel D&A’s success. This book is easy to read, thoughtful, pragmatic, and relevant to anyone seeking to maximize the ROI in their organizations with D&A. –Dr. Prasanth Southekal, Data & Analytics Consultant, Author, & Professor, CAL, Canada
Book Blurb: https://dataworksai.com/book-blurb/
Book Reviews: https://dataworksai.com/analyticsforbusinesssuccess-bookreviews/
Author Biography: https://dataworksai.com/author-biography/