Data Analysis inspires innovation
Though I’m not a data scientist, I found it satisfying in messing with data and analytic tools to uncover customer & business insights for value creation innovation.
This HBR article proposed 4 skills for next generation data scientists like defining the business problem and scope, how to keep business team in the loop to avoid “surprises”, and then communicate findings in business language.
With the hotel customer experience example, I agree that it is very important to first clarify and align business objectives, as well as clearly communicate the assumptions and data source limitations. However, I would argue that data analysis’s best value is actually in uncover “surprising but true” insights! Not just to validate business leader’s expectation.
Insight beyond data
While operational data alone might not able to tell too much about deeper human insight. What if the data scientist can integrate NLP and LLM qualitative data, then was able to leverage behaviour psychology and sociology knowledge to uncover insights that your competitors can’t? It becomes a real competitive advantage to drive innovation.
Unfortunately, data scientist knows psychology are hard to find, not to mention that they need to speak business language! However, business leaders can at least create an environment and culture to promote more multidisciplinary learning and collaborations beyond functional silos.
Multidisciplinary Talent & Leadership
Great business needs great people, and leaders must re-exam how future of work looks like together with data & AI. Our future need new types of talents who can read between the lines in the oceans of data, to uncover valuable insights and drive innovations for product, customer experience, operation, and new business creation!
