The Value of Business Analytics: Identifying the Path to Profitability

THE LIGHT-BULB MOMENT

“And that’s where I’m at.”

The barista dropped a coffee cup on the floor, making them both jump at the crash, loud even over the din of the café. After a few days of deliberation, Sarah had decided to eat her pride and give Kate, a colleague of hers, a call. Years ago, Kate and Sarah had worked together on the same team, forming the core of the team’s insight- generation abilities. Kate had been interested in more responsibility and, given that their then-current manager did not appear to have any interest in moving, she had decided to look outside. She had taken on a role as the senior modeler within another organization and, in the six intervening years, had managed to work her way through to leading the team, and eventually to reporting directly to the chief marketing officer. At the time, Sarah had been somewhat jealous of Kate’s rapid career progression, but she also knew that she enjoyed what she was doing; greater responsibility and more money would have been nice, but it was not something she had been expressly looking for.

Things, obviously, had changed. As hard as it had been for her, she had decided to give Kate a call to try to find out why her organization had been so different. She also wondered whether there might be a role for her there.

Kate had listened to her story with a sympathetic, understanding, and at times amused look on her face. She still knew most of the people Sarah worked with and, when she heard Sarah’s description of the direct ...