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Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning
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Sales rank 5,532
Customers rating (based on 72 reviews)
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You have more information at hand about your business environment than ever before. But are you using it to "out-think" your rivals? If not, you may be missing out on a potent competitive tool. In "Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning" , Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris argue that the frontier for using data to make decisions has shifted dramatically. Certain high-performing enterprises are now building their competitive strategies around data-driven insights that in turn generate impressive business results. Their secret weapon: Analytics: sophisticated quantitative and statistical analysis and predictive modeling. Exemplars of analytics are using new tools to identify their most profitable customers and offer them the right price, to accelerate product innovation, to optimize supply chains, and to identify the true drivers of financial performance. A wealth of examples - from organizations as diverse as Amazon, Barclay's, Capital One, Harrah's, Procter & Gamble, Wachovia, and the Boston Red Sox - illuminate how to leverage the power of analytics.
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| Publisher | Harvard Business School Press | | Release date | 03/2007 | | Availability | Usually ships in 24 hours | | Edition | Hardcover |
| | List price | $29.95 | | Our price | $19.77 (you save 33.99%) | | Used price | from $12.21 |
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 The book doesn't go into analytics
I was hoping the book would delve into analytics tools and techniques, but it doesn't even get close. It pretty much explains 2 things: first, that analytics are important and second, that there are 5 stages a company must go through (from no analytical capability to corporate-wide capability). The book mentions some companies that use analytics, but again, not the specific tools.
This book does not deliver a message. If you bought the book, you probably already knew that analytics are important.
Worth a few spare dollars ...
If you've never read any books about analytics, this book is a good primer on analytics in general. While it lacks any real specifics (which is a big detractor), it does introduce a lot of the terminology and concepts. All good stuff. If you *have* read a few books on analytics, this book is going to be largely redundant.
I did come away from the book with a solid idea of the concept of being an analytical competitor. This should come as no surprise, as it is, in fact, the title of the book. The authors did a good job of describing the notion.
But the lack of specifics makes me hesitate to recommend the book. Got a few hours and a few dollars to spare? Buy it and read it; if not, I'd skip it.
 Overrated
I found the content very shallow because what the authors have to say are mainly from their surveys or observations rather than any concrete know-how. The idea of the book is to illustrate how important data analysis is and how market leaders are using data to succeed. It further explains the characteristics of companies in each stage, from comapnies that are data impaired to those that are leaders in analytics, always thinking the next steps. Unfortunately, the book fails to go deeper to point out how exactly does a firm analyze the data. Instead, it only touches the idea here and there. For example, it mentions over and over again how Harrah's used data to maximize customer loyalty, but it doesn't illustrate how exactly did they perform the task. The book focus on the idea of data-driven decision making, which is really not a new idea in 2009.
The book is probably a good introdcutory to those who want to know the trend of today's business world. However, for those who are already in a very competitive business environment, the value-add is very limited.
Rather than wasting time reading a book that may not be useful, I would highly recommend another book called "The Profit Impact of Business Intelligence" which has more in depth discussion on BI strategy and its application.
 Analytics 101
This book is great for those who wish to grasp a better understanding of why analytics are such an important tool in today's business world. Although this book is not very long, Davenport delivers some of the most dry information into a relevant, easy-to-read format for the average student, professional, or those just seeking analytical education. This book provides an in-depth look at how the growing amount of company information can be utilized as a competitive edge. Much of the content consists of analytical theory, however Davenport backs it with real-world brand examples such as Netflix, Amazon.com, Progressive, and Capital One. You will see that not all industries are equally susceptible to using these techniques to improve business processes. Davenport shows the reader that there are many companies on the verge of competing with their analytical process and some are already at that level. You will begin to understand why so many companies perform poorly even though they collect mountains of consumer data. Some of the information is a little repetitive, mainly previews of further chapters that go into to much detail. This would not be a book for those who are familiar with current business intelligence models and trends as the information is presented to a general audience. Overall if you are looking to expand you knowledge about business intelligence and don't want a "dry" book, I would recommend Competing on Analytics!
A general manager's guide to making analytical decision-making a core competitive competence
At one level, the premise of this book is clear to most executives: business decisions should be based on rigorous analysis of as much relevant data as possible. When I joined LEK Consulting in 1985 we were pioneers of using spreadsheets for financial modeling, rather than the ubiquitous HP12c calculator: how much more quickly we could model different scenarios and how much more accurately (because spreadsheets could be more easily checked). In many ways it has been a relentless progression along this path ever since. What Davenport and Harris show, however, is that analytics themselves have become a core area of competitive competence: "At a time when companies in many industries offer similar products and use comparable technology ... many of the previous bases for competition are no longer available. Unique geographic advantage doesn't matter in global competition, and protective regulation is largely gone. Proprietary technologies are rapidly copied, and breakthrough innovation in products or services seems increasingly difficult to achieve. What's left as a basis for competition is to execute your business with maximum efficiency and effectiveness, and to make the smartest business decisions possible. And analytical competitors wring every last drop of value from business processes and key decisions."
I would argue that many of the other bases of competition are not "gone" but can only be sustained for short periods of time in today's highly competitive world. What "Competing on Analytics - The New Science of Winning" shows, however, is that to build a true core competence in analytical decision-making takes a huge amount of investment in data collection, cleaning, analysis (techniques and technologies) and interpretation. The interpretation requires, in most cases, highly skilled people who understand both analytics and how to apply its insights. This is a competence which can take years to build and which therefore is not easy for a competitor to copy.
The results cannot be denied: the book abounds with examples of companies which have decreased costs, grown sales and increased customer satisfaction by detailed analysis of their data, and Part II provides a useful guide to "Building an Analytical Capability". "Competing on Analytics" is well written, easy to read and a value guide for executives wanting to maximize the effectiveness of their organization and build analytical decision-making as a core competence.
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