Universality of Analytics

Analytics is evident in nature, organizations and individual lives. 'The divine proportion' for example, is where the ratio of the whole line to the large segment is the same as the ratio of the large segment to the small segment. The eye, fins and tail fall at golden sections of the length of a dolphin's body. Humans began using it in Egypt, where it was analyzed as the most stable structural design ratio and was used to build the Pyramids. The Greeks referred to it as the “dividing line between the mean and the extreme" and used it in architecture for balance and beauty.

Similarly for a beehive, close packing is important to maximize the use of space. Hexagons fit most closely together without any gaps; so hexagonal wax cells are what bees create to store their eggs and larvae. Hexagons are six-sided polygons, closed, 2-dimensional, many-sided figures with straight edges.

In individual lives too, we apply analytics day in and day out, consciously or not realizing that we are succumbing to the power of the magic of ANALYTICS. For instance, when you buy a car, follow a recipe, or decorate your home, you're using analytics principles. People have been using these same concepts for thousands of years, across countries and continents. Whether you're sailing a boat off the coast of Japan or building a house in Peru, you're using math to get things done.

How can analytics be so universal? First, human beings didn't invent these concepts; we discovered them. Also, the language of math is numbers, not English or German or Russian and it helps us to shop wisely, buy the right insurance, remodel a home within a budget, understand population growth, or even bet on the horse with the best chance of winning the race.

In organizations, business analytics enables professionals to convert extensive data and statistical and quantitative analysis into powerful insights that can drive efficient decisions. Business analytics can answer essential questions - like why is a particular event happening, what if these trends continue, what will happen next and likewise-problems that form the crux of any decision in a company, based on hard data.