HW #5

I chose the article How Big Data Is Changing The Way We Lead published on February 1, 2012 by Dan Woods.  This article is from Forbes.  Dr. Michael Rappa, the Institute Director, trains students to be data scientists and uses data to run a large organization at The Institute for Advanced Analytics at North Carolina State University.  Rappa said, “Data adds clarity, and clarity of vision in big decisions is the cornerstone of success.  Data really parts the clouds from the vision, if you will.”  At Google, many of the functions are support by data analysis instead of middle management.  After looking at relevant data and analysis, the decision you have to make is easier.  At the Institute for Advanced Analytics, the management team uses metrics to track the progress of all significant initiatives.  This allows them to see how they are progressing every day instead of waiting until the end of the year to see the numbers.  Rappa also stated, “What is really fascinating to me is that when you’ve built a team around this culture of data, there is a kind of energy and focus that makes things move in a way that is just profound.  When you build a whole business around that, it is tremendously powerful.  I think that’s behind the fascination about data-intensive businesses like Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  They are truly building a value system around data.”  Sometimes there are disputes about how to understand the story the data is telling you, how to model data and how to interpret it.  There are all different kinds of organizational structures because you can get faster decisions without middle management.  Rappa also said that we know more about everything that happens than we have before.  I agree with that.  I think it is good that they can see how they are progressing by using metrics at the Institute because that will only help them get better.  A faster decision allows things to work smoother and allows them to fix problems quicker.  I think that Michael Rappa is doing a great job at training students to be data scientists.