Machine learning is taking a significant role in many big data initiatives today. Large retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are using machine learning combined with predictive analytics to help them enhance consumer engagement and create more accurate demand forecasts as they expand into new sales channels like the
Manufacturing
What if you could predict with near-perfect accuracy what you’re going to sell and when your customer is going to buy? Right supply, right time is the goal German manufacturers have set themselves, without reducing the configuration options customers expect. Having almost completed stage 1 of their plan – changing
Since the idea of an “IoT analytical lifecycle,” may be understood in many different ways, let’s start with a definition. Performing analytics at the data center and the cloud is well established practice, and is still quite relevant. With growing numbers of connected devices and availability of computing capabilities at
"Tap into all your demand signals. Organize. Visualize. Analyze. Predict. Orchestrate. Optimize." The availability and collection of data are compelling companies to invest in demand signal management solutions to take advantage of the vast amount of information to support their planning processes. However, many have not gotten the return on
Data monetization, at its simplest, is the process of turning data into bottom-line value for a company -- often through improving efficiency and/or customer experience, and building customer loyalty as a result. This may sound simple, but in practice, it’s anything but. Good data, advanced analytics and real-time decision making
Some weeks have passed since the United Kingdom voted, by a margin of 52 per cent for and 48 per cent against, to leave the European Union, the organization it's been a leading member of since 1973. The tumultuous global reaction to the vote has those of us in information
It’s clear from the minute you step into Accenture’s Digital Innovation Center (Future Camp) in Kronberg, Germany, that you're stepping into the future of innovation. The writing is literally on the walls, and everything you need to inspire big ideas – from brightly colored furniture to racks and racks of gadgets
For those of us who haven’t been hermits stuck in a remote section of Middle Earth, The Lord of the Rings book and movie series brought to our awareness the mythical powers of The One Ring: An object with a sinister inscription that reads “One Ring to Rule Them All.”
Some estimates suggest that the number of connected objects will be more than 50 billion by 2020. Each of us will own between six and 10 connected objects. But what exactly is the Internet of Things (IoT)? Wikipedia describes it as “the network of physical objects — devices, vehicles, buildings
“Good afternoon, Mr. Yakamoto. How did you like that three-pack of tank tops you bought last time you were in?” Washington D.C. Year 2054. Chief of PreCrime John Anderton is running from the law for a crime he has not committed yet. After a risky eye transplant in order to
It's an exciting time to be in the automotive and transportation industry. The opportunities for business transformation and growth are enormous – and those companies that lead in implementing new ways to drive intelligent customer interactions will capture the greatest share of new revenue streams. For those of us fortunate enough
“And the weather yesterday was a sunny 18oC with warm spells in the south and showers in the north. This is similar to the pattern we saw last Thursday.” Imagine if the weather forecast only restated what happened in the past -- would we bother waiting until the end of
The expletive leapt from the lips of the orthopedic surgeon as he entered my hospital room. He was swathed in a green gown, purple gloves, and a white surgical mask – for his protection, not mine. He was clearly upset. “What, exactly, does $#@! mean?” I asked. “It means you’re
Inventory is a result of decisions. Inventory is not the problem... the problem is the decisions. I recently had an interesting conversation with the VP, Supply Chain at a leading global manufacturer. He is not happy with the results from the inventory optimization he is using. He was told inventory optimization
In 2012, the value of big data equity in the UK was estimated at £12 billion a year or 0.7 percent of the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Four years flew by and the second report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) puts the opportunity at £46
Has analytics become just a buzzword, the hype du jour? It’s great that analytics are now cool, but few people have taken then time to understand what analytics really are and how they can help solve their business problems. Last month at the the 30th Annual International Maintenance Conference, I
Over the course of my career as industrial engineer turned supply chain planning advocate I've had the opportunity to work hands-on with many manufacturing and supply chain planning solutions. This has included solutions offered commercially by the usual suspects of ERP and post-SCM consolidation supply chain solution providers. Most of these
When we talk about the Internet of Things and “analytics at the edge,” we’re talking about modeling data as close as possible to the device – not far away in some warehouse or data storage appliance. So, generally, the edge is anything with a sensor that is transmitting data: an
Today, we live in a polarized world that divides family members, friends, and business colleagues. It effects everything we do from the way we communicate with one another to how we handle business challenges. I have seen long time business colleagues have passionate discussions to defend their supply chain position
Recently I toured a manufacturing plant floor for a company that builds construction materials related to energy. I find a number issues people face in production of which the most common are around asset efficiency, product quality, and safety. This manufacturer like most had similar concerns on all those areas
Here in the US, California is known as "wine country" - but I was wondering what other states make wine, and whether there have been any big changes in recent years. This seemed like a good excuse for some graphical analytics... My previous blog analyzed where various Thanksgiving foods were produced. I was
In my previous post, I discussed some of the challenges and costs organizations face when they’re stuck in Excel hell with no real data strategy. Now that we’ve discussed the problem, let’s dive into the solution. Every organization needs a data strategy with these building blocks: Your top priority is
By now, you’ve probably seen a video of a 3D printer discharging layers of plastic to create a model of a building or a plastic figurine. You may have heard stories about 3D printed guns, 3D printed airplane parts and even 3D printed body parts. While 3D printers are becoming more common, they are
“Our job at the lab is to find technology that’s new, cutting edge and cool – and to give it to someone else to be brilliant with.” – Matthew Horn, Manager, SAS Emerging Technologies UI Lab If you’ve heard of Google Glasses or Occulus Rift, you’ve heard of augmented reality.
Today, we celebrate Manufacturing Day 2015. Manufacturing may not be the world's oldest profession, but it is likely the world's oldest industry. The very earliest characteristics that separated us from other animals is the manufacture of tools. Other animals use sticks and rocks and other collected items to help them
Will the Internet of Things (IoT) create a web of connected devices that make our lives better or an infinite infestation of annoying devices invading our privacy for no good reason? I don't know. I do know that the answer is going to depend less on the technology and more
While discussing ways and means to improve Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) and forecasting, many a time business executives ask “What can we do with social media?" This was definitely NOT a usual topic in S&OP forum just a few years back! Most of the time, I push back the
It’s been very hot here in Northern Italy: electricity provision has struggled to keep up and we’ve had frequent power outages in the area, even within our apartment building. A bit inconvenient? Don’t get me started. I feel like my home appliances have turned against me, taking me back to
SAS recently held the Detroit Automotive Analytics Executive Forum to bring together leaders from the Industry. We heard from an experienced group of leaders on the future of the automotive industry, best practices for analytics success, innovative retail analytics, customer experience analytics, the connected vehicle, and competing on analytics. Following
The amount of data being produced and captured from the plant floor today is staggering. When you add it all up, a factory can easily generate over 34 Terabytes of data per day, or nearly 9 Petabytes a year - that's 9 Million Gigabytes! Yet, with all of those systems, and all