Live Blogging TDWI NYC Event:

I'm live blogging this morning from today's TDWI NYC event on Game Changing Data Management, in which Emil Werr of JP Morgan Chase is giving the keynote.  His focus is on a new the challenges--and the opportunities--of integrating new data sources (so-called Big Data such as clickstream data, voice of customer data capture, massive transaction data, real-time feeds, etc.).

Emil speaks fast so I'll have to type fast too:

1. On Giving Users Earlier Access to Data While Avoiding Risk of Misuse:  "let users have access to data, and let them create new analysis of that data, but require technical review before the analysis is used" 
2. Resource Monitoring and Usage Orchestration becomes especially important a data discovery environment
3. Know When you NEED 360 Degree customer information vs. other use cases that don't.  Examples:
1. ATM Transactions Don't Require 360-Degree Customer Information
2. Customer Revenue Management Analytics Does benefit from broader customer knowledge  
4. On Governance of Data Discovery Environments and Processes:

#tdwinyc part of governance: all requests for data come through a broker. All requests are tracked.
— ScottDEpter (@septer) June 4, 2014 

5. On the Data Lab / Sandbox:

Analytic sandbox management. Need type of data and include it in analytic architecture in new ecosystem. @TDWINYC #TDWINYC
— TDWINYC (@TDWINYC) June 4, 2014

6. Job Design / Competencies:  These change a lot when you shift to a more self-service -oriented data discovery environment.  As you adjust, the function becomes more mature and efficient.
7. Overview of Functions required to create and maintain a Data Discovery Environment:

About the Event:

PROGRAM Description

A Game-Changing Strategy for Data Management and Self-Service Business Intelligence

The demand for “business insight through analytics” is accelerating.  Exploding data volumes, and integration and usability complexity impede timely and accurate delivery of those insights.  Aggressive technology and process innovation is required to keep pace.  Join the Chief Architect for Data Management & Analytics at JPMorgan Chase, and an illustrious panel of Technology Executives to learn how the Business Intelligence and Data Management profession plans to respond.

PRESENTERS and EXECUTIVE PANELISTS

Emil Werr - Chief Architect for Data Management & Analytics, and Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase, where he spearheads the data management and analytics transformation program, driving innovation and self-service analytics.  Emil has multiple patents pending in data integration and workflow, and has received several awards in technology innovation, and agile information delivery. 

Executive Panelist	Role	Technology Supplier
Tasso Argyros	Founder & Co-President	Teradata Aster
Rado Kotorov, PhD	Chief Innovation Officer	Information Builders
Michael Kravec	Leader, Enterprise Consulting	Tableau Software
Patrick May	Director of Technology	GigaSpaces

Big Data Analytics in the Cloud: NYTECH Panel Event Wednesday June 26th

The Big Data Explosion: How to Process, Analyze and Visualize in the Cloud

This Wednesday, June 26, Jaime Fitzgerald will be moderating a New York Technology Council panel on big data and the role of cloud storage in the big data explosion. Experts in the field including  Edouard Servan-Schreiber from 10gen, Scott Rose from Think Big and Stuart Sim from PlaceIQ will be panelists at the event, answering questions including:

·         What types of organizations will benefit from big data and in what ways?

·         What types of benefits are we talking about, in what functions, in what business models?

·         What does a cloud-based big data solution look like?

·         What do people DO with Big Data IN the cloud…?

·         Once they build cloud based big data solutions, what are companies actually doing with data specifically?

·         What are the benefits and downsides of cloud-based big data services and applications?

·         What are "hybrid" big data architectures?

·         What are the key decisions around building hybrid architectures? What design criteria are most important?

·         How do you create a strong "big data roadmap?"

·         What are the:

o    5 most value-oriented things to know about cloud based data solutions?

o    First 5 things to do to get off to a good start in taking advantage of Big Data in the Cloud?

·         Marketing professionals often say they have too much data and not enough of the new skills needed to analyze new Big Data sources. How do you fix this problem?

·         Of all the uses of Cloud Big Data technologies, what are some of the most surprising and impressive use-cases happening already?

The panel brings a diverse mix of case studies and applications. Looking forward to a stimulating conversation with our three participants!

The event will be held at the 10gen offices, 229 West 43rd Street, 5th Floor, at 6:30pm.

Click HERE to register…

Presentations from Behavioral Finance Event: How Data Visualization Impacts Financial Decisions

Presenter Gunjan Banati

The way data is presented--and how visualization is used to present it--has a profound impact on our decisions.  As this insight has moved from academia into the private sector, Financial Services firms have begun to apply these insights in fascinating ways.

On May 1st the Analytics in Financial Services group--of which Fitzgerald Analytics is the founding sponsor--curated and organized an event on this topic.  Both featured speakers are applying behavioral finance concepts, together with data visualization tools, to help improve financial decisions.

For more on the event agenda, see our pre-event blog post here.  

Slides presented by Dan Egan, head of Behavioral Finance at Betterment:

Analytics in financial services prez behavioral finance + data visualization - visualizing risk and return from Fitzgerald Analytics, Inc.

Slides presented by Gunjan Banati, Fund Research & Analytics at Royce & Associates:

How Data Visualization Impacts Financial Decisions - Event Preview

The way data is presented--and how visualization is used to present it--has a profound impact on our decisions.  As this insight has moved from academia into the private sector, Financial Services firms have begun to apply these insights in fascinating ways.

On May 1st the Analytics in Financial Services group--of which Fitzgerald Analytics is the founding sponsor--will host an event on this topic.  Both featured speakers are applying behavioral finance concepts, together with data visualization tools, to help improve financial decisions.

Our presenters will be:

• Dan Egan, Director of Behavioral Finance and Investing at Betterment.  Mr Egan was Formerly at Barclay's Wealth and Investment where he focused on using behavioral finance to help people make better financial decisions.  His presentation will focus on the impact of how we visualize risk and return.
• Gunjan Banati, Fund Research & Analytics at Royce & Associates.  Ms Banati Manages all aspects of the investment research operations including identifying, analyzing and monitoring recommended mutual funds and alternative investments.

More on both presentations, and the experts who will give them, can be found below.

Dan Egan:

1. Theme: What people invest in really is driven in part by how the various choices are presented to them.  He aims to help people make the right decision, not the knee-jerk "OMG I have to sell now!" decision which leads to selling low and then buying high later.
2. Topic: Visualizing Financial Risk and Return, focusing on the influence of presentation format on how individuals make decisions when investing. He'll review a number of different standard methods, and introduce some new forms geared towards helping consumers make the right decisions.
3. Bio: Director of Behavioral Finance and Investing at Betterment.  Formerly of Barclay's Wealth and Investment, Americas Using behavioral finance to help people make better financial decisions.
4. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dpegan/

Gunjan Banati:

1. Theme: Using quantitative methods and visualization within her company to decide which investments to recommend. Visualizations are then used to communicate the recommendations to clients so they believe in what is being recommended.
2. Topic: The analytics of mutual fund research, meaning the methods used to evaluate mutual fund recommendations using quantitative methods combined with visualizations.
3. Bio: Gunjan Banati, Fund Research & Analytics at Royce & Associates. Ms Banati was previously at Allegheny Financial Group where she managed all aspects of the investment research operations including identifying, analyzing and monitoring recommended mutual funds and alternative investments.
4. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/gunjan-banati/3/380/9a6

The location for this meetup has been graciously provided by the Ricoh Technology Portal.

Neil Raden on Business Intelligence, Tony Baer on Big Data + Convergence

Business Intelligence ROI Remains Elusive; A next-generation approach to “ease of use” may hold the answer

On March 6th, 2013 the Fitzgerald Analytics team attended the quarterly symposium of the TDWI NYC Tri-State Chapter.  The keynote presenter was Neil Raden, founder of CEO of Hired Brains Research and author of a leading book on decision management: Smart Enough Systems: How to Deliver Competitive Advantage by Automating Hidden Decisions.

For decades, Business Intelligence has been seen as both an essential and sometimes disappointing area of technology investment. Billions of dollars have been invested in presenting insights to business managers, but frequently the ROI has been soft and difficult to measure.

Neil Raden has long been concerned about the fact that usage rates for large-sale BI systems has “stalled at 10 to 20 percent of users, depending on which survey you believe.”

Of course BI will survive, but Raden said “we may not recognize it ... the need to analyze and use data will not go away, but BI will be part of a 'decision management continuum' incorporating predictive modeling, machine learning, natural language processing, business rules, traditional BI, visualization, and collaboration capabilities.”

Neil's talk focused on these questions:

∎ Why do many Business Intelligence implementations fail to achieve their potential?
∎ Will a broader definition of the concept enable better results?
∎ How can you optimize BI systems when you are not in complete control?
∎ What best practices and case studies are most instructive?

ROI on Business Intelligence - Neil Raden on Next-Generation "Ease of Use"  

Neil Raden is CEO and Principle Analyst at Hired Brains Research. He is a long-time practitioner, well-known author and consultant focused on data warehousing, Business Intelligence, analytics, big data, and decision sciences. He is the author of "Smart (Enough) Systems,” together with James Taylor. This book focuses on decision automation for optimizing practical business decisions. A favorite topic for Mr. Raden has been how to integrate strategy, planning, management and execution as the tools to achieve optimum decision making.

Neil Raden's talk was followed by a presentation by Tony Baer of Ovum Research entitled " Making Big Data Manageable: Getting Better Results by Managing Big Data Quality"

Intersecting with Neil Raden's keynote, Mr Baer asked “what does it take to turn the promise of Big Data into tangible results?”  Big opportunities to benefit from new technology have come and gone, yet the consistent challenge has been translating new potential into concrete benefits.  Mr. Baer shared a practical perspective on making big data manageable by understanding key challenges you must overcome to leverage big data, especially the unique data quality issues the Big Data sources introduce.

Mr. Baer also shared his insight that while Business Intelligence and Big Data are viewed and managed separately, in reality "Big Data and Business Intelligence must converge." Big Data needs to be approached with "less of a silo mentality," and so does Business Intelligence.

Tony Baer - Big Data and Business Intelligence Must Converge

1.  

Jaime Fitzgerald, Founder and Managing Director at Fitzgerald Analytics, served on the Board of Directors of the TDWI NYC Chapter, and helped organize the event.

Top 10 Books on Analytics -- A Data to Dollars™ Starter Library

Several years ago I created a list on Amazon called  Top 10 Books on Analytics -- A Data to Dollars™ Starter Library which listed 10 books I recommend to my teammates, my clients, and use myself.  

I'm updating the list for 2013 -- what recent books do you believe should to be added?

-Jaime Fitzgerald

Big Data Symposium from TDWI - October 3rd in NYC

Join us for the latest event of the Tri-State NY/NJ/CT Chapter of the Data Warehousing Insitute

For a Symposium Entitled: “Big Data. Social Media”

What’s Real and Worth Learning About?

October 3rd, 2012 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Information Builders, Two Penn Plaza, New York City

Event Description Follows:

How are companies using Big Data and Social Media to transform their industry?

Big Data.  Social Media.  What’s real and worth learning about … what is breathless hype?  What's in it for me?  What's the best way to start?  How do I start?

Join the NYC Tri-State TDWI Chapter in Midtown Manhattan on October 3rd to find out.  Register here.

Interest in Big Data has surged in recent years, as new data sources, methods, and technologies expand the frontier of how data can be used.  Yet because the topic is so new, developing a road map to unlock the benefits of Big Data can be a daunting task.

Key questions include:

•               How do we justify, and maximize ROI on our investment in Big Data initiatives?

•               What types of Big Data are most important for our business?

•               When is Social Media data valuable?  How do we decide how to use it?

•               How do we manage Big Data assets in tandem with traditional data assets?

•               What technologies should we use, and how do we fit these into our existing IT stack?

Join us on October 3rd for a practical discussion of Big Data in general, and Social Media data specifically.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Glenn Peipert – KPMG BI Practice Director contributing to the planning, growth, leading practices, methodologies, and talent management of both the Information Management and SAP practice. Strategically focused on IT enablement and strategy, transformation, business process improvement, application development, packaged Application implementation, Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, Information Management, Program Management and Governance. Strong focus on strategic planning through execution and oversight – current/future state, roadmap, budgeting, resourcing, and planning. Strong expertise in financial services (banking, insurance, capital markets), consumer products, pharmaceutical (Life Sciences), entertainment, and publishing.  Founder, Conversion Services International

CASE HISTORY & PRACTITIONER DISCUSSION

A discussion of practical examples, lessons learned, and key success factors will follow.  We will be joined by guests with practical experience unlocking value from Big Data assets.  Drawing from their experience, they will share use-cases, lessons learned, and best practices in areas such as:

1.     Big-data technology:  where to start?  How to setup your first Hadoop cluster?  What other technologies make the transition easier?

2.     Data Visualization:  how and when does it help increase ROI on Big Data initiatives?

3.     The Human Dimension:  what best practices improve the ability of leaders, teams, and individuals to get practical results from Big Data projects?

Confirmed case study participants will include:

Alex Hasha, Chief Data Scientist, Bundle.com (a joint venture between Citi, Microsoft, & Morningstar)

Alexander Hasha is the lead Data Scientist at Bundle.com, the definitive source for information on how people spend, save, and invest their money. Alex is responsible for everything data-related -- from data architecture to MDM to assuring the accuracy of day-to-day statistical analysis. With his team he converts data from diverse sources, including Citigroup, the US Department of Labor, and other third parties, into unique insights available nowhere else. Bundle Corporation is an innovative joint venture of Citi, Morningstar, and MSN Money, and operates the website www.bundle.com. Prior to joining Bundle, Alex worked in analytic modeling at Citigroup in the company's mortgage division, where he also wrote articles for publication. He is a graduate of M.I.T. and earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from NYU's Courant Institute. He also holds an advanced certificate in mathematics from Cambridge University.

Lee Feinberg, Founder of DecisionViz.

Lee is the Founder of DecisionViz, a management consultancy that helps companies “escape the legacy of reporting data by transforming complex data into simple pictures for making decisions.”  He is also the expert author of the BeyeNETWORK channel “HD Visualization – Driving BI & Analytics”

Ten years ago, working with companies generating large amounts of Internet data, Lee realized that visualization would be a disruptive capability. Clients have used his Decision Visualization™ business strategy and DRAW-ON™ visualization services to make data actionable. Industry leaders frequently ask Lee to address domestic and international audiences, most recently including O'Reilly Media Strata, Tableau Software European and North American Customer Conferences, CBS Interactive, and WARC.  He served on Tableau Software's customer advisory board and is the founder of the NJ and NY Tableau Software User Groups. 

Prior to founding DecisionViz, Lee joined Nokia in 2009 with the vision of “making data a part of every conversation.” His team launched data visualization services, providing 1000+ employees access to dashboards and analysis, under the credo "running business intelligence like a business." At Razorfish, Lee established an analytics management practice for the Ford Motor Company. At Digitas, Lee served on IBM’s corporate task force to define online metrics standards and introduced early interactive visualization technology.  Lee received a B.S. and M.S. from Cornell University and holds a U.S. Patent for a PC-telephone interface.  He is a member of the Cornell Entrepreneur Network and the Sandler Sales Institute.  

REGISTRATION

The seminar is open to all business, analytics and information technology managers, with an interest in Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing, Analytics and Healthcare.  There is no fee to attend our program, although pre-registration is required.  Visit the TDWI Chapter Registration Link  or the NYC Tri-State Area Chapter page to register.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Jaime Fitzgerald

Vice-President, TDWI, NY-NJ-CT Region
Member, Board of Directors

ROI On Technology Investments: THE Theme @ the Financial Services Symposium

“We have lots of information technology… but we don’t have any information!” – so goes the caption of a popular cartoon for technologists and business people alike.

Yet behind the joke, there is a serious problem statement: “We have lots of technology, but we need to get better results from it.” That’s the theme we will be focused throughout the one-day Financial Services Symposium on August 18^th.

I hope you will join us on August 18^th for the event of the season. I will be giving the morning keynote presentation on Analytics, and will moderate a panel discussion on technology and on results in Capital Markets and Brokerage Services. Click here to register for the Financial Services Symposium.

Medicare Cost Analysis - Guest Radio Appearance to Explore Data-Driven Insights

On Thursday, July 28th Jaime Fitzgerald, will approach the challenges of Medicare costs and quality via analytics, as a guest commentator on Inside Analysis, a new show by AOL.gov which analyzes federal spending trends. The conversation will be completely non-partisan, hinging exclusively on data-driven insights and interpretation.

This week’s Inside Analysis discussion centers around the financial side of Medicare—ensuring high-quality care while controlling costs and preventing fraud.  Jaime will join phenomenal panelists whose experience in the sector will complement Jaime's focus on the numbers...

• Michael Haisten, Principal at Real Intelligence
• Gary Baldwin, Editorial Director of Health Data Management
• David Wiggin, Program Director of Healthcare and Life Sciences at the Teradata Corporation
• and moderator Eric Kavanagh, CEO of The Bloor Group

Together, Jaime and his colleagues will tackle big questions including:  

·         What is the return on investment for fraud detection?

·         What accounts for the major variations in Medicare costs by region?

·         Is there an efficient way to handle end of life costs while protecting quality of care?

·         What can be done to keep Medicare viable?

Tune in to the exciting live webstream (audio plus video) Thursday, 12:00pm EDT

Register here: http://www.insideanalysis.com/ to submit questions for Jaime and the other panelists!

Data to Dollars™ - Analytics in Financial Services - Executive Luncheon July 21st @ at Delmonico’s

Five Ways Analytics Drive Profit in Financial Services Analytics is making money for your competitors and peers. We'll show you which ones and how. You'll also learn about the powerful Data to Dollars™ methodology that transforms information into opportunity, profit, and growth. The Venue:  Steaks at Delmonico's (56 Beaver Street New York, NY) Guest Speaker: Jaime Fitzgerald, independent expert in financial services analytics When   July 21, 2011 | Noon - 1:30 PM  Register Here! Lunch is free but seating is limited, so reserve your spot today. Registration is subject to qualification. Contact us to make arrangements for special meal requirements (e.g., vegetarian, kosher, etc.).“Data to Dollars™” is a trademark of Fitzgerald Analytics, Inc., and is used here with permission.

Turning Data to Dollars™ in Financial Services: Business Analytics and the Five Key Profit Engines in Financial Services

How can financial services firms boost profitability and market share, and still cut costs? By transforming customer, product, and performance data into insights that assess the risk, outcomes, and probability of business decisions.

Data captured by financial institutions is loaded with potential. But using it to look into your business future, and to forecast what will happen next, requires the application of segmentation, visualization, and dashboard technologies.

Join Information Builders, and Jaime Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of Fitzgerald Analytics, to hear about how business analytics can turn Data to Dollars™ by making information your most important asset, pushing you ahead of your competition. Jaime will provide the road map that plots a quicker, more reliable course to analytical maturity, and will also discuss the Five Key Profit Engines in Financial Services.

Register Now!

Lunch is free but seating is limited, so reserve your spot today. Registration is subject to qualification.

Special meal requests (e.g., vegetarian, kosher, etc.) can be accommodated with prior notification. Contact us to make arrangements.

Defining my Mission in Professional Life

At the start of the keynote presentation on "Analytics in Financial Services" w/ TDWI and the NY Tech Council on March 30th, I needed to introduce myself to nearly 200 strangers without wasting their precious time.  It was necessary to articulate succinctly my "mission in professional life"



My professional mission: "to find and unlock opportunities for clients via data, technology, processes, and the ever-crucial role of people."

About the Panelists – Practical Stories from the Trenches

At the event on March 30th, we will make financial services analytics more accessible, actionable, practical and doable.

Our goal is to share more based on my experience and on the experience of analysts in the trenches…with the help of the other panelists:

Click here to register for this free event...

Click here to register for this free event...

Preview of Analytics in Financial Services (March 30th Event w/ TDWI and NY Tech Council)

On March 30^th, at TDWI’s Tri-State Area Chapter  seminar, I’ll be giving the keynote address to discuss how analytics can be practically used to make better business decisions.   This theme in my speech, practical uses of analytics, I feel, captures the essence of this event – a different type of analytics event – it’s focused on giving the audience practical takeaways they can use to improve results at their job and build their career further.

Click here to register for this free event...

 Click here to register for this free event...

Analytics in Financial Services: A Competitive Imperative

Preview of Analytics in Financial Services

On March 30^th, at TDWI’s Tri-State Area Chapter  seminar, I’ll be giving the keynote address to discuss how analytics can be practically used to make better business decisions.   This theme in my speech, practical uses of analytics, I feel, captures the essence of this event – a different type of analytics event – it’s focused on giving the audience practical takeaways they can use to improve results at their job and build their career further.

About the Panelists – Practical Stories from the Trenches

Our goal is to share more based on my experience and on the experience of analysts in the trenches…. goal is to share practical insights…I will do this with the help of the other panelists:

• John Ruda of TDAI has been able to better predict and sense if a customer is less satisfied and may leave…being able to sense this early has allowed TDA to save millions of dollars
• Denis Mrkva, of Hartford Insurance Company, he’ll be talking about how they built a tool to substantially improve impact of marketing investments targeting consumers across a variety of channels

Overall, we will try to make financial services analytics more accessible, actionable, practical and doable.

So much Information, So Little Practical Analytics that “Works”

The bottom line when discussing analytics is that when it works, it can add huge value; however in the world of analytics there is a deluge of information, technology and analytic options – so much so that I’ve noticed a pervasive frustration in the business community that analytics solutions do not work smoothly or often enough.   Together with the TDWI, New York Technology Council, and event sponsors, we’re going to take a step toward fixing this problem.  In my keynote, and in this event, we’ll try and bridge the gap between the awesome potential of analytics and the complexity of figuring out how to realize that potential.  

We will discuss the key drivers of results in a number of key business models in financial services, and we will be clear about the decisions we need to make to improve results in these business models, without overcomplicating the analysis.  We will share with you a simpler way to translate a business decision that needs to be made into an analytics method that is fit with purpose…in the trenches practitioners have figured this out but there’s not a lot of sharing of how to best do this…our goal is to share more…based on real experiences of myself and others.

Benefits to Attendees Interested in Analytics

While this event is a financial services event, it can be useful for those not in financial services.  We’ll be using a set of universal frameworks to distill business models, find points of opportunity and choose the best way to address this opportunity via analytics; these frameworks can be applied in any industry where high-stakes business decisions are made.  So if you’re interested in analytics, this is an ideal event for you.

Benefits to Students or Job Seekers

This is the perfect event for anyone who’s entering or aspires to enter the field of financial services (investment bankers, or financial services professional in retail, insurance, consumer banking, credit cards).   I guarantee you’ll walk away with practical takeaways you can use back in the office or to turbo-charge your career.

So much Information, So Little Practical Analytics that “Works”

The bottom line when discussing analytics is that when it works, it can add huge value; however in the world of analytics there is a deluge of information, technology and analytic options – so much so that I’ve noticed a pervasive frustration in the business community that analytics solutions do not work smoothly or often enough.   Together with the TDWI, New York Technology Council, and event sponsors, we’re going to take a step toward fixing this problem.  In my keynote, and in this event, we’ll try and bridge the gap between the awesome potential of analytics and the complexity of figuring out how to realize that potential.  

Click here to register for this free event...

 Click here to register for this free event...

We will discuss the key drivers of results in a number of key business models in financial services, and we will be clear about the decisions we need to make to improve results in these business models, without overcomplicating the analysis.  We will share with you a simpler way to translate a business decision that needs to be made into an analytics method that is fit with purpose…in the trenches practitioners have figured this out but there’s not a lot of sharing of how to best do this…our goal is to share more…based on real experiences of myself and others.