Answer: 4 questions at the END the case study

a business perspective. Data visualization is a powerful way to simplify complex data sets by placing data in a format that is easily grasped and understood far quicker than the raw data alone. Data visualization tools move beyond Excel graphs and charts into sophisticated analysis techniques such as controls, instruments, maps, time-series graphs, and more. Data visualization tools can help uncover correlations and trends in data that would otherwise go unrecognized. Business intelligence dashboards track corporate metrics such as critical success fac- tors and key performance indicators and include advanced capabilities such as interactive controls, allowing users to manipulate data for analysis. The majority of business intel- ligence software vendors offer a number of data visualization tools and business intel- ligence dashboards. Big data is one of the most promising technology trends occurring today. Of course, nota- ble companies such as Facebook, Google, and Netflix are gaining the most business insights from big data currently, but many smaller markets are entering the scene, including retail, insurance, and health care. Over the next decade, as big data starts improve your everyday life by providing insights into your social relationships, habits, and careers, you can expect to see the need for data scientists and data artists dramatically increase. OPENING CASE STUDY QUESTIONS List the reasons a business would want to display big data in a graphic or visual format. Describe how business could use a few of the data analysis techniques to understand how business is operating. Explain how a marketing department could use data visualization tools to help with the release of a new product. Case: Mining the Data Warehouse According to a Merrill Lynch survey in 2006, business intelligence software and data-mining tools were at the top of CIOs' technology spending list. Following are a few examples of how companies are using data warehousing and data-mining tools to gain valuable business intelligence. Ben & Jerry's These days, when we all scream for ice cream, Ben & Jerry's cuts through the din by using inte- grated query, reporting, and online analytical processing technology from Bl software vendor Busi- ness Objects. Through an Oracle database and with Bl from Business Objects, Ben & Jerry's tracks the ingredients and life of each pint. If a consumer calls in with a complaint, the consumer affairs staff matches the pint with which supplier's milk, eggs, cherries, or whatever did not meet the organiza- tion's near-obsession with quality. The Bl tools let Ben & Jerry's officials access, analyze, and act on customer information collected by the sales, finance, purchasing, quality assuranc epartments. The company can determine what milk customers prefer in the making of the ice cream. The technology helped Ben & Jerry's track more than 12,500 consumer contacts in 2005. The information ranged from comments about the ingredients used in ice cream to queries about social causes supported by the company. California Pizza Kitchen California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is a leading casual dining chain in the premium pizza segment with a recognized consumer brand and an established, loyal customer base. Founded in 1985, there are currently more than 130 full-service restaurants in more than 26 states, the District of Columbia, and five foreign countries. Before implementing its Bl tool, Cognos, CPK used spreadsheets to plan and track its financial statements and line items. The finance team had difficulty managing the volumes of data, complex calculations, and constant changes to the spreadsheets. It took several weeks of two people working full-time to obtain one version of the financial statements and future forecast. In addition, the team was limited by the software's inability to link cells and calculations across multiple spreadsheets, so updating other areas of corporate records became a time-consuming task. With Cognos, quarterly forecasting cycles have been reduced from eight days to two days. The finance team can now spend more time reviewing the results rather than collecting and entering the data. Noodles & Company Noodles & Company has more than 70 restaurants throughout Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The company recently purchased Cognos Bl tools to help implement reporting standards and communicate real-time operational information to field management throughout the United States. Before implementing the first phase of the Cognos solution, IT and finance professionals spent days compiling report requests from numerous departments including sales and marketing, human resources, and real estate. Since completing phase one, operational Cognos reports are being accessed on a daily basis through the Noodles & Company website. This provides users with a single, 360-degree view of the business and consistent reporting throughout the enterprise. Noodles & Company users benefit from the flexible query and reporting capabilities, allowing them to see patterns in the data to leverage new business opportunities. Cognos tools can pull information directly from a broad array of relational, operational, and other systems.' Questions 1. Explain how Ben & Jerry's is using business intelligence tools to remain successful and competi- tive in a saturated market. 2. Identify why information cleansing is critical to California Pizza Kitchen's business intelligence tool's success. 3. Illustrate why 100 percent accurate and complete information is impossible for Noodles & Com- pany to obtain. 4. Describe how each of the companies above is using Bl to gain a competitive advantage