What is Business Analytics
Business analytics can be explained as something "to add value and to support/drive
decisions for businesses, these tools and techniques statistically and quantitatively analyze a
huge collection of data sources, and are collectively called business analytics (BA) nowadays"
(Aydiner et al., 2019. p. 228). When we look for things that have patterns or trends, we can then
take the information we get to show what may come, both good and bad. Having this information
can also help with what steps you may take in a project to have a favourable outcome. When you
look at this from the church's perspective, there are whys business analytics can be used. The
church has leaders in every aspect of its workings. Because the church's success depends on the
leader's abilities, it would be helpful for them to understand business analytics and utilize them
in their congregations.
My Own Work Experience
- - - -I am currently not working and have not been for a few years. My experience will be
reflected upon from. Most of my work experience has been in the nonprofit or government/city
agencies. I worked for a time at the Minneapolis Public Housing Agency in the Housing Choice
Voucher department, more commonly known as section 8. Often when there were participants in
the program that should have been released, it was a nightmare to move forward with
termination. The training employees were given was focused more on how to maintain
participants or how to process a move. Not removing the participant that should be released from
the program would prohibit people on the waitlist that needed housing assistance to wait longer
to get on the program. I was able to develop several simple plans to start to eliminate those
participants depending on what the reason was for terminating assistance. As I would implement
them in my day-to-day tasks, others in the department would come to me for me to share with
them to help. Management noticed that the technicians that were using my method were
becoming efficient in keeping a proper and current caseload of participants. This was me
analyzing the way the Housing Choice Voucher department was keeping their data and making
sure that we would be staying within the expectations of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). If HUD were to do an audit of the Minneapolis Public Housing Agency and found it was
not in compliance, it could lose funding or even be taken over and no longer exist in its current
state. Our textbook talks about business intelligence and that it needs to be used in the best way
possible to get the best outcomes (Bartlett, 2013).
- - - -Machine Learning has different types that are important. This week we learned about the
supervised learning type. "The key point in supervised learning is that you have a known target
or label" (Ahmed & Khan Pathan, 2019, p.24). When I read the information about machine
learning and supervised learning and how it has fit into my prior work experience, I would say
that knowing we had known targets. Those would be participants and HUD. Those would not be
looked at by most to fit the narrative, but being the style of environment, it does. Having those
targets dove into how technology was used, how personnel was used and how funding would be
used.-
Biblical Tie In
- - - -When we go back to what business analytics means, a part of it is to add value. Biblically we
are called to also add value to the world. "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each
other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love" (Ephesians 4:2, New
Living Translation). When we read this verse, we can see we all add value even though we have
faults. This is something we are called to do, add value. This was just one of the many verses that
shows that we are to add value in the bible.-
References
Ahmed, M., & Khan Pathan, A.-S. (2019).-Data Analytics: Concepts, techniques, and
applications. CRC Press.-
Aydiner, A. S., Tatoglu, E., Bayraktar, E., Zaim, S., & Delen, D. (2019). Business analytics and
firm performance: The mediating role of business process performance.-Journal of
Business Research,-96, 228–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.11.028
Bartlett, R. (2013).-A practitioner’s Guide to Business Analytics: Using Data Analysis Tools to
improve your organization’s decision making and strategy. McGraw-Hill Professional.-
Holy Bible new living translation. (2021). DaySpring; Candace Cameron Bure
incorrectly. The reason I say this is because I think when people hear telesales and telemarketing,
they think of scams. But that is not the case most of the time. So, the industry should make sure
they are always following the best practices when it comes to the information, they are gathering
so they can keep a better light on them.
