Data analytics is a vast, technically diverse sector that has come a long way in recent years. The industry has borne witness to incredible growth, particularly over the last decade where the amount of data and information being produced, retained and analysed globally has risen exponentially. In this day and age, data analytics is a crucial component of the global economy – but what is data analytics? And what do data analytic companies actually do?
What is data analytics?
As the name suggests, data analytics is the process of acquiring and evaluating information for the purpose of making data-driven decisions. However, contrary to popular belief, data analytics is about more than simply collecting and analysing statistics.
Data analytics is essentially the practice of unearthing and tracking patterns in information and statistics in order to draw data-driven conclusions about future trends. These days, data analytics is usually carried out on behalf of businesses and organisations for the purpose of shaping their future strategies. As a result, data analytics has the ability to shape marketing campaigns and user experiences alike.
Does my business need data analytics?
Data is the lifeblood of today’s fast-paced world. This perhaps explains why, in recent years, data analytic solutions have become more popular as a means of gaining a competitive advantage over other businesses.
Analytics and data transformation projects can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a business’s day-to-day operations as well as nurture growth. Other advantages include the opportunity to better hone marketing campaigns with a data-driven, customer-centric eye and the innate ability to reduce the response time to new market trends and patterns.
The purpose of data analytic companies
In a nutshell, a data analytic company exists for the purpose of analysing important information. The main goal of data analytic companies is to unearth that information, before collecting and analysing patterns and trends.
Data analytics services are usually done on behalf of a client such as a business or organisation, who are looking to boost the performance of their own strategies and campaigns. There is a range of different data types that can be analysed, from historical information to real-time analytics that are processed as data is collected.
Armed with innovative, modern technology, data analytic companies utilise data analytics, data reporting and business intelligence to provide their clients with actionable information. The information provides large and small businesses alike with key insights and performance indicators that can track patterns in customer behaviour and allow for the further streamlining of specific strategies and campaigns.
Many professional data analytic companies expand their services even further to offer a number of other important analytic and transformative solutions. Other services include data science, visualisation and capability as well as replication and warehousing.
What is data science?
As the name directly implies, data science is an overarching umbrella term for a collection of analytic services. As a result, data science combines multiple analytical and transformative services and solutions across a range of fields. Data science services usually involve statistics, important information, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative scientific methods.
Data science vs data analytics
Although many use the terms data science and data analytics interchangeably, the two fields are actually vastly different. Data science is a broader term that encompasses a number of different analytical and transformative services, while data analytics is a more specific solution.
Data science creates initial observations by analysing patterns and potentially useful insights. This is done by laying down the required foundations and analysing large databases of information. This data is useful in a variety of domains, including modelling, machine learning and AI algorithms, because it can improve how information is processed and organised.
This is in contrast to data analytics, where analysts will focus on developing ways of capturing, processing and organising data in order to unearth actionable insights for current issues and questions. Simply said, data analytics is concerned with finding solutions to challenges for which we are unsure of the answers.
A good way to tell the difference is the ways in which both terms analyse data. Data science is more general and is essentially the process of wading through large swathes of data in search of patterns and insights. Data analytics is a little more exact and will search for the answers to specific questions. Essentially, the two fields are different sides to the same coin. The two services are highly connected and will often overlap each other, but at the end of the day data science and data analytics are not the same.
So what other services will a professional data science and transformative analytics company provide?
Data visualisation
By utilising powerful data visualisation tools, businesses and organisations can essentially translate their collected information and statistics into easily-accessible graphs, charts and other interactive visuals. Data visualisation provides fresh insights into the trends impacting a business or organisation, and can help better predict future patterns.
Data replication
As the name suggests, data replication is the process of replicating and copying data which is then stored in a physical warehouse or a cloud-based server. Businesses and organisations will duplicate their data and information to make it more accessible to both employees and people external to their operations. The service is also a means of backing up important data and information for the purpose of implementing a proactive disaster recovery plan.
Final thoughts
So what is data analytics? And what do data analytic companies do? The answer is, a lot.
At the end of the day, it’s safe to say data analytics is a critical component of the global economy in today’s world.
Data analytics itself is the act of gathering and analysing information in order to make data-driven decisions. Analytical and transformation services are typically performed on behalf of a client by a data analytic company, for the purpose of improving the effectiveness of specific campaigns.
Data analytics is about more than gathering and analysing numbers. The data analytic and transformation industry is a global sector that has advanced significantly in recent years. It’s seen tremendous expansion, particularly in the last decade due to the dramatic increase of data production and retention, as well as a desire from large and small businesses alike who want to see what data analytics can unearth.
