In Analytics, Look Beyond Last Mile and Think Last Twenty Nanometers Members Public

The supply chain industry spends a lot of time worrying about the last mile. How do you ensure delivery to a customer’s front door happens reliably? Similarly, analytics teams puzzle over how to best deliver insights to their customers. Whether it is a discussion about how to visualise data,

Ryan den Rooijen
Ryan den Rooijen
Data & Analytics

Data Leaders: It is Not Who You Report To, but Who You Report To Members Public

Alright data friends, let us conduct a little survey. Who here reports to the Chief Financial Officer? Or the Chief Information Officer? Maybe even the Chief Operating Officer? Surely not the Chief Executive Officer? Lucky you. Spare a thought for poor folks who report to someone other than a member

Ryan den Rooijen
Ryan den Rooijen
People & Culture

Unicorn Farming: Building Capabilities Against the Odds (Part II) Members Public

As we reviewed in Part I [https://qstar.ai/unicorn-farming-building-capabilities-against-the-odds-part-i/], while there is much consternation about the current state of recruitment in data and analytics, the challenge is less than perceived. The world is changing slowly enough that companies have ample time to build the necessary capabilities to adapt, should

Ryan den Rooijen
Ryan den Rooijen
People & Culture

Retaining Talent: Proactivity Is Key Members Public

In his book ‘Drive [https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/1594484805/]’, Daniel Pink discusses the key drivers of motivation in the workplace. In many ways, the three drivers he identifies also represent the reasons employees stay longer in their roles: * Autonomy: Our desire to be self directed and have ownership

Colm O'Grada
Colm O'Grada

Unicorn Farming: Building Capabilities Against the Odds (Part I) Members Public

When data leaders meet at conferences, organisation structures are a key topic of discussion. Who do you report to? What teams do you have? And of course: how is your team resourced? This last question is usually met with an uncomfortable laugh followed by, “Our team’s headcount? With or

Ryan den Rooijen
Ryan den Rooijen
People & Culture

Data Visualisation for Drunks Members Public

Two months ago, I wrote an article [https://qstar.ai/data-visualisation-no-tools-required/] reflecting on how data visualisation is not primarily about creating charts, but should instead focus on effective communication through visual means. Today, I want to share one of my favourite principles for designing impactful visualisations: eliminate complexity. Or as

Ryan den Rooijen
Ryan den Rooijen
Data & Analytics

How Long Will Human in the Loop Decision Making Remain Responsible? Members Public

Fatal autonomous vehicle crashes [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_self-driving_car_fatalities] have consistently made front-page news. Journalists have mused whether we have become too complacent [https://insideevs.com/news/338543/test-shows-why-a-tesla-on-autopilot-might-crash-into-parked-car/] in accepting the capabilities of automated systems, or if our obsession with Artificial Intelligence has lead

Ryan den Rooijen
Ryan den Rooijen
Artificial Intelligence

The One Where Friends’ Least Popular Character Ended Up with the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century Members Public

Although I did not watch the American sitcom Friends [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/] when it originally aired, I have since worked my way through its ten seasons over the course of two years. What is interesting is that while in some ways the show has not aged well

Ryan den Rooijen
Ryan den Rooijen
People & Culture