The rise of analytics and big data presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for organisations to put themselves at the cutting edge, to create a competitive advantage by developing a culture of analytical success within their organisation. Yet most seem unable to grasp the opportunity that is within their reach.

Eric Hoffer wrote that "In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." So why in this time of rapid change are our organisations failing to invest in educating their most important asset - their employees?

Organisations should be investing time and money into programs and courses to supercharge their staff for success with analytics in business.

With the recent advances in analytical programs and training, many staff will be new to the latest education. Even those with relevant education may not have had the chance to complement their knowledge with industry experience, as a result they may be missing essential domain knowledge and communication skills.

Three things you can do to invest in your organisation’s biggest asset and secure a competitive advantage:

1. Involve staff in classroom training courses and workshops available that provide the skills and experience needed to succeed in a rapidly changing environment. Couple this with professional accreditations where they are available.
2. If struggling for initial budget to invest, access complimentary training to demonstrate the value created. For example, at SAS we have made our Programming 1 and Statistics 1 eLearning courses available at no cost, accessible online. Showing the ROI through investing time to develop skills can build support for investment in further education.
3. Look out for some of the full degree University programs being developed around Data Science, Business Analytics and Advanced Analytics. Integrate these into individual’s professional development plans.

Interested in learning more about education programs? Please leave a comment below or tweet me @james_enoch

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It doesn’t matter how many resources you have. If you don’t know how to use them it will never be enough.