Decision Makers: Is Your Analytics Tool Worthless?

[Sarah_Miller]

Why you need the right skills to interpret your data, not just the tool.

"Just because you have access to great software, does not automatically make you an expert" - Kevin Hanegan, VP Knowledge and Learning.

Today, the volume of data available to decision makers is simply massive. However, in spite of all this great data, and access to the best analytics tools, poor decisions continue to be made. Why?  Here’s the plain truth: investments in analytics are worthless if employees cannot incorporate that information accurately into their decision making process

So what's the solution?  To learn, visit http://global.qlik.com/us/blog/posts/kevin-hanegan/decision-makers-is-your-analytics-tool-worthless

[Or]

While I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment - giving analytical power to decision-makers lacking analytical skills is to the corporate equivalent of giving a loaded gun to a zoo monkey - one has to wonder how this sits with Qlik's claim that QlikSense is:

Intuitive

Use simple drag-and-drop interfaces to create flexible, interactive data visualizations. Explore data with smart visualizations that automatically adapts to the parameters you set — no need for developers, data scientists or designers.

(Bolding for emphasis mine)

An analytical tool is - quite explicitly - a tool. It needs an operator who knows how to use it. Hopefully Qlik's education services can have a word with Qlik's marketing department and save BI developers worldwide from having to explain, after-the-fact, that those marketing promises are empty.