analytic independence roadshow - james lewin of national instruments: applying analytic independence
TRANSCRIPT
3ni.com
James Lewin
Principal Business Intelligence Analyst
National Instruments
• Current responsibilities include the conceptualization, design and execution of analytical projects around NI’s customer base and behavior, product portfolio, and performance management at the enterprise level.
• Support Corporate Leadership, Finance, Product Marketing, and R&D organizations and previously led the Information Delivery team.
MBA Economics
26+ Yrs
4ni.com
NI BI Ecosystem
Finance
Sales & Marketing
Mfg
R&D
Business Intelligence
Data Warehouse
Specialized / Localized Teams
BusinessIT
Data Acquisition & Transformation
Analysis & Modeling
InformationDelivery
Toad
SPSS
OBIEE
Alteryx [late-2014]
IBM Modeler [before 2005]
Tableau
Excel
Ad
van
ced
An
aly
tics
An
alys
ts R (Advanced Analytics)
Corporate Leadership
Ora
cle
ER
PO
racl
e
Pro
ject
sSa
lesf
orce
Web
Spre
adm
arts
/
Mis
cella
neo
us
. . .
Rep
ort
s |
Das
hboa
rds
| R
esea
rch
& A
na
lysi
s M
od
els
Sou
rce
Da
ta
Rouge Rouge Rouge
5ni.com
Analysts face Headwinds…
o Ambiguous / open-ended problem definition
o Changing requirements / expanding scope
o Challenging / “stretch” requests
o Multiple / disparate sources
o Multiple platforms / formats
o Missing / non-existent dimensions or measures
o Speed of change ≠ Speed of demand
Stakeholders
Data
6ni.com
...Wait ...Be Dependent ...Accept Limitations
Analysts Cannot Afford to...
Approach Tools
...Construct ...Take Control ...Adapt
Analysts Need to...
7ni.com
Analysts Assert Independence…
Stakeholders
Data
SQL (Acquire) Alteryx (Blend, Profile, Transform) Tableau (Analyze, Communicate)
8ni.com
How Alteryx is being EmployedAnalyticalData Sets
AnalyticalResearch
Report / Self-serve Tool Data
Goal
Approach
Alteryx Tools
Benefits
Examples
Build a comprehensive data set that supports analytics
Execute complex analytical research addressing key
business problems / issues
Build data structured for reporting or self-serve tools
not supported by existing infrastructure
o Blendo Create value-add fieldso Share Outputs
o Leverage analytical data setso Transform for specific researcho Create multiple outputs from
single workflow
o Aggregate datao Optimize output for information
delivery solution
o Input Data (SQL, Excel)o Output Data (.tde, .yxdb)o Formulao Join / Multi-Join / Union
o Multi-Row Formulao Running Totalo Multi-Field Binning
o Summarizeo Transpose
o Profile / Validate / Understando Modularityo Scalability / Repeatabilityo Governance
o Agility and adaptability through discovery process
o Create value-add fields specific to research
o Vet solution w/business for valueo Foundation for requirementso Prototype solution before heavy
IT investment
o Bookings / Billings Fully Loadedo “Future State” Data
o Product Portfolio Analyticso Customer Base / Behavior
Analyticso Forecast Development Tool
9ni.com
Examples – Data Import
Validation at key
transformations
Visibility to
Join Results
Instantiate
; Rename;
Reorder
Sources:
SQL; .yxdb,
Excel
Union
Join
10ni.com | NI CONFIDENTIAL
Example – Research Specific Data
Value-add
Calculations
Group by,
Aggregatio
n
Running
Total
Multi-Row
Function
Multi-Join
11ni.com | NI CONFIDENTIAL
Value-add
Calculations
Multiple output
formats from one
workflow: .tde, .yxdb,
.sav, .csv
Group tools and
create modules –
replicate
Example -- Outputs
12ni.com
Experience from the front lines…Realized Benefits from
Alteryx• Combined SQL | Alteryx | and Tableau to materially increase my agility and
efficiency: modularity; prototyping & vetting solutions; numerous Alteryx tools; outputs in native formats.
• Enables faster data profiling and validation throughout the development process.
• Increase in processing speed results improved and expanded solutions.
• Enables governed data discovery through multiple analysts leveraging created data sets.
• Supports skunkworks type activities, expanding analytical capabilities