Competing on analytics : the new science of winning
/ Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris.
- Boston, MA : Harvard Business School Press, 2007.
- xv, 218 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 25 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 187-197) and index.
Foreword / by Gary Loveman -- The nature of analytical competition -- What makes an analytical competitor? -- Analytics and business performance -- Competing on analytics with internal processes -- Competing on analytics with external processes -- Building an analytical capability -- A roadmap to enhanced analytical capabilities -- Managing analytical people -- The architecture of business intelligence -- The future of analytical competition.
In Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris argue that the frontier for using data has shifted dramatically. Leading companies are doing more than just collecting and storing information in large quantities. They're now building their competitive strategies around data-driven insights that are, in turn, generating impressive business results. Their secret weapon? Analytics: sophisticated quantitative and statistical analysis and predictive modeling supported by data-savvy senior leaders and powerful information technology. Why compete on analytics? At a time when companies in many industries offer similar products and use similar technology, distinctive business processes count among the last remaining points of differentiation. Many previous bases for competition — such as geographical advantage or protective regulation — have been eroded by globalization- Proprietary technologies are rapidly copied, and breakthrough innovations in products or services are increasingly difficult to achieve. That leaves three things as the basis for competition: efficient and effective execution, smart decision-making and the ability to wring every last drop of value from business processes — all of which can be gained through sophisticated use of analytics.