Actionable Intelligence: A Guide to Delivering Business Results with Big Data Fast!

Building an analysis ecosystem for a smarter approach to intelligence Keith Carter's Actionable Intelligence: A Guide to Delivering Business Results with Big Data Fast! is the comprehensive guide to achieving the dream that business intelligence practitioners have been chasing since the concept itself came into being. Written by an IT visionary with extensive global supply chain experience and insight, this book describes what happens when team members have accurate, reliable, usable, and timely information at their fingertips. With a focus on leveraging big data, the book provides expert guidance on developing an analytical ecosystem to effectively manage, use the internal and external information to deliver business results. This book is written by an author who's been in the trenches for people who are in the trenches. It's for practitioners in the real world, who know delivering results is easier said than done – fraught with failure, and difficult politics. A landscape where reason and passion are needed to make a real difference. This book lays out the appropriate way to establish a culture of fact-based decision making, innovation, forward looking measurements, and appropriate high-speed governance. Readers will enable their organization to: Answer strategic questions faster Reduce data acquisition time and increase analysis time to improve outcomes Shift the focus to positive results rather than past failures Expand opportunities by more effectively and thoughtfully leveraging information Big data makes big promises, but it cannot deliver without the right recipe of people, processes and technology in place. It's about choosing the right people, giving them the right tools, and taking a thoughtful—rather than formulaic--approach. Actionable Intelligence provides expert guidance toward envisioning, budgeting, implementing, and delivering real benefits.

Table of Contents:
Preface xi Acknowledgments xvii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Vision of Actionable Intelligence 5 The Challenge at Hand 7 The Big Data Lie 13 Actionable Intelligence: The Road and the Destination 14 Stages of Actionable Intelligence: Getting Ready for the Journey by Knowing Where You Are and Where to Go 22 Are You Ready to Take the First Step? 26 Summary and Considerations 29 Notes 29 Chapter 2: Discovery of the Business Situation (Business Discovery) 31 Government Intelligence 34 Ask the Questions 37 Answer the Questions: Business Discovery 38 Visual Consistency and the First Tool 42 Off to the Races 45 Summary and Considerations 45 Notes 45 Chapter 3: Creating a Foundation of Data 47 Building the Foundation 48 Benefits of Having the Right Data 49 The Data Challenge 50 Acquire Data in Four Consistent Steps 51 The Byproduct: Master Data Management 61 Data Management Issues in the Spotlight 63 The Data Supply Chain 65 Build the House 65 Summary and Considerations 67 Notes 68 Chapter 4: Visualization 69 Complete Circle 70 So Now, How Can You Do It? 74 The Way Ahead 77 Example of Iterative Visualization to Solve the Question “How Do I Get There Quickly, Safely, Efficiently:” Leveraging Global Positioning System Data 77 Effective Visualizations: Tell a Story to Your Mind 80 Noticing Visualization Pitfalls 80 Summary and Considerations 83 Notes 83 Chapter 5: The Initial Answers 85 Attempting to Regularly Capture Benefits, False Starts, and a Rhythm 87 The Results of Actionable Intelligence Delivered 87 The Power of Quotes 89 Possibilities with Actionable Intelligence 89 Almost Done? 98 Summary and Considerations 99 Note 99 Chapter 6: Time for Change 101 Collaborative Business Planning 103 Linking Collaboration to Actionable Intelligence 106 Summary and Considerations 110 Chapter 7: Governance: Funding Intelligence, Protecting the Results 111 An Actionable Intelligence Governance Methodology 112 Intelligence Budgeting 121 Remember the Key Points of the UPS Story 122 Governing the Use of Actionable Intelligence and Establishing Data Security 125 Summary and Considerations 133 Notes 133 Chapter 8: Sustaining Delivery of Actionable Intelligence 135 Leading Intelligence 136 Quick Wins to Build Trust 140 Hiring Done Right for Big Data with Big Data 145 Training 148 Business Cultural Change 149 Communication 155 Knowledge Lock‐In 157 What’s Next? 159 Summary and Considerations 161 Notes 161 Chapter 9: Tying It All Together 163 Clifford Siegel’s Journey at Lifetime Brands 163 Starting the Right Way 165 Finding the Right Pitch 166 Developing a Mission and Strategy for Intelligence Capabilities 167 TIE: The Intelligent Enterprise at STATS ChipPAC with Elizabeth Lim 170 The Recipe to Greatness 174 Summary and Considerations 179 Notes 180 Chapter 10: Next Frontiers 181 A Healthier Lifestyle with Actionable Intelligence 183 The Street‐Smart Cabbies 184 The Amplified Customer Experience 186 Selling Better 187 Serve Me Better . . . But Don’t Intrude on My Private Life 188 Getting Started 189 The Starbucks Experience 190 Summary and Considerations 191 Notes 191 Chapter 11: Epilogue 193 Four Steps of Actionable Intelligence 195 About the Author 197 About the Contributors 199 Index 201

About the Author :
KEITH B. CARTER enjoys making the lives of others easier with technology and is an avid sportsman, private pilot, fencer, and family man. Born in Long Island, he spent most of his life in New York until moving to Singapore in 2012, where he currently resides. Always interested in both corporate and academic roles, Keith is working as Visiting Senior Fellow of Decision Sciences at the prestigious National University of Singapore Business School as well as principal advisor to KPMG, board member of Mentorica Technology Pte. Ltd. (a retail sales, mobile, big data solution provider), and board member of 1st Call Consulting, a competitive intelligence firm specializing in finance and supply chain. He previously worked at Estée Lauder in supply chain and Accenture in financial services and government. As an inventor, he recently received a patent on a financial intelligence tool design. Keith has a Master's in Business Administration from Cornell University and a Bachelor's in Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.