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Applying Analytic IndependenceJune 25, 2015

James Lewin

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James Lewin

Principal Business Intelligence Analyst

National Instruments

• Current responsibilities include the conceptualization, design and execution of analytical projects around NI’s customer base and behavior, product portfolio, and performance management at the enterprise level.

• Support Corporate Leadership, Finance, Product Marketing, and R&D organizations and previously led the Information Delivery team.

MBA Economics

26+ Yrs

4ni.com

NI BI Ecosystem

Finance

Sales & Marketing

Mfg

R&D

Business Intelligence

Data Warehouse

Specialized / Localized Teams

BusinessIT

Data Acquisition & Transformation

Analysis & Modeling

InformationDelivery

Toad

SPSS

OBIEE

Alteryx [late-2014]

IBM Modeler [before 2005]

Tableau

Excel

Ad

van

ced

An

aly

tics

An

alys

ts R (Advanced Analytics)

Corporate Leadership

Ora

cle

ER

PO

racl

e

Pro

ject

sSa

lesf

orce

Web

Spre

adm

arts

/

Mis

cella

neo

us

. . .

Rep

ort

s |

Das

hboa

rds

| R

esea

rch

& A

na

lysi

s M

od

els

Sou

rce

Da

ta

Rouge Rouge Rouge

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Analysts face Headwinds…

o Ambiguous / open-ended problem definition

o Changing requirements / expanding scope

o Challenging / “stretch” requests

o Multiple / disparate sources

o Multiple platforms / formats

o Missing / non-existent dimensions or measures

o Speed of change ≠ Speed of demand

Stakeholders

Data

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...Wait ...Be Dependent ...Accept Limitations

Analysts Cannot Afford to...

Approach Tools

...Construct ...Take Control ...Adapt

Analysts Need to...

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Analysts Assert Independence…

Stakeholders

Data

SQL (Acquire) Alteryx (Blend, Profile, Transform) Tableau (Analyze, Communicate)

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How Alteryx is being EmployedAnalyticalData Sets

AnalyticalResearch

Report / Self-serve Tool Data

Goal

Approach

Alteryx Tools

Benefits

Examples

Build a comprehensive data set that supports analytics

Execute complex analytical research addressing key

business problems / issues

Build data structured for reporting or self-serve tools

not supported by existing infrastructure

o Blendo Create value-add fieldso Share Outputs

o Leverage analytical data setso Transform for specific researcho Create multiple outputs from

single workflow

o Aggregate datao Optimize output for information

delivery solution

o Input Data (SQL, Excel)o Output Data (.tde, .yxdb)o Formulao Join / Multi-Join / Union

o Multi-Row Formulao Running Totalo Multi-Field Binning

o Summarizeo Transpose

o Profile / Validate / Understando Modularityo Scalability / Repeatabilityo Governance

o Agility and adaptability through discovery process

o Create value-add fields specific to research

o Vet solution w/business for valueo Foundation for requirementso Prototype solution before heavy

IT investment

o Bookings / Billings Fully Loadedo “Future State” Data

o Product Portfolio Analyticso Customer Base / Behavior

Analyticso Forecast Development Tool

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Examples – Data Import

Validation at key

transformations

Visibility to

Join Results

Instantiate

; Rename;

Reorder

Sources:

SQL; .yxdb,

Excel

Union

Join

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Example – Research Specific Data

Value-add

Calculations

Group by,

Aggregatio

n

Running

Total

Multi-Row

Function

Multi-Join

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Value-add

Calculations

Multiple output

formats from one

workflow: .tde, .yxdb,

.sav, .csv

Group tools and

create modules –

replicate

Example -- Outputs

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Experience from the front lines…Realized Benefits from

Alteryx• Combined SQL | Alteryx | and Tableau to materially increase my agility and

efficiency: modularity; prototyping & vetting solutions; numerous Alteryx tools; outputs in native formats.

• Enables faster data profiling and validation throughout the development process.

• Increase in processing speed results improved and expanded solutions.

• Enables governed data discovery through multiple analysts leveraging created data sets.

• Supports skunkworks type activities, expanding analytical capabilities

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Thank you….

…Questions?