Online Business Intelligence Fall 2024

    Hi, my name is Evan, and this blog will cover material from MIS 587 - Business Intelligence, my final class in the Masters of MIS program at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. I have a B.S. in Information Science and Technology from the University of Arizona School of Information and currently work as a senior COTS software support and deployment analyst. I currently focus on Manufacturing, Operational, and Supply Chain applications for a large aerospace engineering company with a large presence in Tucson. I have previous experience in Help Desk support, IT management, Engineering Product Data Management (PDM), and COTS deployment/support. I am proficient in Python, SQL, and R with working knowledge of C and Java.

    The lecture presentation and Decision Foundry article introduce the concepts of Big Data and Business Intelligence by describing their potential impact on information processing and analysis. Both emphasized the importance of businesses leveraging data-driven insights for better decision-making. Traditionally Business Intelligence has been a manual descriptive reporting process but has now evolved into advanced analytics, cloud solutions, data mining, and visualizations. Big data, defined by its volume, velocity, and variety of data, is central to Business Intelligence, pulling external and internal data from diverse sources into companies. Integrating this data enhances customer segmentation, operational efficiency, and predictive modeling, as shown by the Walmart, Netflix, and UPS case studies. These case studies show how Business Intelligence with integrated Big Data can optimize sales, personalization of content, operational efficiency, and provide a competitive advantage.

    There are also challenges companies need to address to get the benefits of Business Intelligence and Big Data. The rapid growth of Big Data will surpass 200 zettabytes by the end of the year, quantities that Business Intelligence tools will have to evolve to be able to manage. This evolution will need to enable real-time insights, dynamic predictive modeling, support AI/machine learning, and IoT while tackling the challenges of data silos, quality of data, and data privacy. This will also require a shift in leadership to enable greater data literacy across organizations to ensure Big Data and the Business Intelligence gained from it, do not go to waste. Together Big Data and Business Intelligence are shifting how companies operate, innovate, and grow, but organizations must be prepared for that shift.

    Module 1 resonates strongly with my daily work. Coming from a background in Information Science and Technology and currently working at an engineering and manufacturing company, utilizing business intelligence with big data is on every middle manager’s wish list. Yet its integration faces notable resistance from C-suite executives and the front-line employees. Their reasoning often aligns with the fact that they are both worried about how changes to Business Intelligence will affect their roles at a company. For the C-suite, if Business Intelligence and Big Data are making business decisions, what role do they play, and would that mean they would have to play a backseat role to Business Intelligence? For the front-line employee, like most technological improvements, does this mean their job will disappear in favor of improved Business Intelligence? Both of these questions are deeply impactful and need consideration when talking about the decision-making of business intelligence. Often, we forget the costs of efficiency.

    Another consideration, discussed briefly in the Decision Foundry article, is regarding the quality of Big Data used for Business Intelligence. Just because data is available does not mean it is useful to an organization and finding the right balance of information is extremely important and difficult. Using Generative AI as a reference, over the last year its use has grown 17%, but the quality of its data is increasing 10% year over year according to VentureBeat. This means that even with 200 zettabytes of Big Data by 2025, there might not be enough quality data for  specific decision-making. This, which I have seen personally, can result in Business Intelligence decisions made on substandard quality data.

The Evolution of Business Intelligence with Big Data. (2024, August 12). Decision Foundry. https://www.decisionfoundry.com/business-intelligence-consulting/articles/big-data-and-business-intelligence-unveiling-the-impact/

Nuñez, M. (2024, October 22). Generative AI grows 17% in 2024, but data quality plummets: Key findings from Appen’s State of AI Report. VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/ai/generative-ai-grows-17-in-2024-but-data-quality-plummets-key-findings-from-appens-state-of-ai-report/

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 27, 2024 at 2:47 PM

    Congratulations on making it to your last class of the MIS program. This is only my second and still have a good distance to go. Has working in the field proved to be an asset while in this program? I have also been working at a high level in IT for a few years now and I haven't found much relevance in the one class I have taken so far. I feel more and more that degrees are just becoming a piece of paper to put on the wall and I honestly was expecting more out of this course. Again, this is only my second course so hopefully time will prove my first impression wrong. Good luck in your last class.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ETOctober 28, 2024 at 10:48 AM

      Hi Harvey,
      Unfortunately I have to agree with your assessment about the classes in the program. During the whole program I can count the number of things I've learn on two hands. For me it is just a piece of paper that will give me the justification to my management that I am committed to continued learning. Hope you have a good time with the rest of the program!
      Sincerely,
      Evan

      Delete
  2. MJ TruiniOctober 27, 2024 at 7:34 PM

    Hello Evan,
    It's great to meet a fellow December graduate—congrats! I related to your comments about this week's material. In my previous roles, I often saw C-suite executives reluctant to embrace big data, and I understand the concerns that come with that. However, in my current position, leadership is fully encouraging expansion into this area, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. While I’m excited about the potential impact, I also have concerns about security and deeply value the human touch our operational staff bring to their work. I’m looking forward to exploring these topics further and seeing the diverse perspectives you and our classmates will share in these blog posts.
    Best, MJ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ETOctober 28, 2024 at 10:56 AM

      Hi MJ,
      Glad to see another December graduate because, at this point, I thought I was the only one! I have also seen what you are talking about it being hot and cold with certain C-Suite executives. On the Operation and Supply Chain side I'm currently on I see constant pushes for refinement for Big Data and Business Intelligence, but simultaneously see other exec's shunning it. Can't wait to see what the class has to say about this topic!
      Sincerely,
      Evan

      Delete
  3. Christopher ChungOctober 27, 2024 at 8:06 PM

    Hey Evan, glad to see you survived MIS 531. Best of luck on this last class.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ETOctober 28, 2024 at 10:57 AM

      Hi Chris,
      Survived by the skin of my teeth. Good to see you also survived and are also in this class! Hopefully this one will be less stressful.
      Sincerely,
      Evan

      Delete
  4. A.J. YehOctober 29, 2024 at 5:51 PM

    Hi Evan,
    Congrats on almost finishing, I'm also hopeful on a less-stressful course load for this class
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Giovanna AcuñaNovember 3, 2024 at 9:05 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Giovanna AcuñaNovember 3, 2024 at 9:06 AM

    Hi Evan!
    It’s great to meet you, and congratulations on reaching your final class in the MIS program—what an exciting milestone! Your background in Information Science and Technology, combined with your experience in COTS software support and deployment, clearly provides you with a strong foundation for the complexities of Business Intelligence and Big Data. Working in such a dynamic field like aerospace and focusing on manufacturing and supply chain applications must offer fascinating challenges and opportunities.

    Your observation about resistance from both C-suite executives and front-line employees is very insightful. It’s true that, while data-driven decision-making can optimize processes, it also raises concerns about job security and the shifting roles of leadership. Helping stakeholders understand that BI and Big Data are tools to enhance strategic vision rather than replace human roles might reduce some of this resistance.

    You also raise an excellent point about data quality. Even with a huge volume of data available, ensuring that it is high-quality and relevant to specific business needs is critical. Relying on substandard data can indeed lead to flawed insights. This underscores the need for strong data governance practices and ongoing data validation to maintain accuracy.

    ReplyDelete

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