Over the next one month, we will do some cutting edge analytics using entirely free open-source software (so that you dont have to approach your boss for that million dollar analytics budget).

Yes, you guessed it right. This blog is for people who, like me, are tired of all the hype created around analytics by commercial BI vendors and the exorbitant prices they charge for bad software products. This blog is for people and organizations who want to discover the world of analytics and use advanced data-mining for actualizing their highest potential, but haven’t been able to do it so far. Its a gentle introduction that takes you deep into the techniques used by the best companies today to leverage their data for optimal decision making. And that is exactly how you (or your client) will have to run your business in a very short time.

Just in case you are not convinced about the benefits data-mining brings, you could get started with What and Why of Data-Mining.

Here’s a broad outline of what we will be doing over the next one month for a fictitious organization:

1. Understand the business and design its Data Model,
2. Design and build a Data Warehouse,
3. Develop Reports in multiple formats,
4. Do slice-and-dice cube analysis (OLAP),
5. Develop Data-Mining Models to extract and use hidden patterns from the data in Decision Making.

Quite a mouthful? Don’t worry. Its simpler than you would have ever dreamed. And at the end of the month, I promise, doing something similar for your organization will be a real breeze.

So do start thinking about how you plan to showcase your ‘private’ project to your big-boss on 1st of December (you really don’t need that new dress for this), and keep checking the Open Source Analytics Category on this blog…

P.S.: I am thinking of taking up a hypothetical Consumer Finance company as an example (as I have a decent amount of relevant experience in that area), but we can take up some other examples if you want. Please do drop your suggestions as comments below, and we can discuss it together.