Judah Phillips - Building a Digital Analytics Organization: Create Value by Integrating Analytical Processes, Technology, and People into Business Operations

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Building a Digital Analytics Organization

Create Value by Integrating Analytical Processes, Technology, and People into Business Operations

Judah Phillips

Vice President, Publisher: Tim Moore
Associate Publisher and Director of Marketing: Amy Neidlinger
Executive Editor: Jeanne Levine
Operations Specialist: Jodi Kemper
Marketing Manager: Lisa Loftus
Cover Designer: Alan Clements
Managing Editor: Kristy Hart
Senior Project Editor: Jovana Shirley
Project Editor: Elaine Wiley
Copy Editor: Apostrophe Editing Services
Proofreader: Anne Goebel
Senior Indexer: Cheryl Lenser
Senior Compositor: Gloria Schurick
Manufacturing Buyer: Dan Uhrig

2014 by Judah Phillips
Publishing as Pearson
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

Pearson offers excellent discounts on this book when ordered in quantity for bulk purchases or special sales. For more information, please contact
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Company and product names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing July 2013

ISBN-10: 0-13-337278-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-337278-6

Pearson Education LTD.
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013939001

Praise for Building a Digital Analytics Organization

The allure of Big Data is immense. There is SO MUCH DATA! Yet, data collection does nothing by itself. It actually does financial harm left in the wrong hands. Fix that, and you win. Let Judah show you how to build an organization where Big Datas primary imperative is to drive Big Action. Avinash Kaushik , author of Web Analytics 2.0 and Web Analytics: An Hour a Day Without a digital analytics organization, you arent optimizing your business, your site, or your app. Reading this book can help you. I just hope you adapt before one of your competitors does. Bryan Eisenberg , author of Call to Action , Waiting for Your Cat to Bark , and Always Be Testing , Keynote Speaker, Cofounder of the Digital Analytics Association, and Publisher of UseTheData.Since founding Gomez 15 years ago, Ive had the privilege of working with many pioneers in the field of web site and e-commerce excellence. I am impressed with the managerial principles and analytical techniques Judah has developed and presented in this book. A must read for the 21st century analyst and executive who wants to learn how to create value and deliver excellence with digital analytics. Julio Gomez , Founder of Gomez, Inc., General Manager at AttivioBefore Big Data and Data Science became buzz words, Judah was extracting actionable insights from immense data sets and revolutionizing the field of business analytics. Unfortunately, the digital version of his nerdy brain is still too big for a download, so reading and internalizing this book is the second best option for anyone interested in improving their business via an intelligent approach to data and analytics. Yaakov Kimelfeld , Ph.D., Chief Research Officer of CompeteAmong the most valuable things youll find in Judahs book is his experience. Building a Digital Analytics Organization is packed with real-life guidance and wisdom from his years of work as a practitioner and manager in the analytics field. From defining measurement needs, to analyzing data, to comparing analytics tools, Judah has done just about everything. We can all put his experience to use as a guide as we build out our own analytics organizations. Justin Cutroni , author of Google Analytics , Analytics Evangelist at Google.Judah writes about enterprise analytics from a deep operational understanding, rather than from solely a research perspective. His erudite observations are both unique and most valuable to those building new or evolving an existing data-driven organization. A must read. Rand Schulman , Cofounder of Digital Analytics Association, Managing Partner of Efectyv Digital, pioneer in digital marketing and new mediaThis excellent book is a practical guide to help business practitioners make better decisions based on digital analytics. There couldnt be a better time for this book as data-driven decision making is a core skill for successful business executives, managers, and practitioners alike. Raj Aggarwal , Founder and CEO of LocalyticsCompeting online today demands competency around measuring and optimizing customer behavior, and this useful book takes a practical look at the latest practices for digital analytics and data science. Eric J. Hansen , CEO of SiteSpectEvery organization today needs to be data-driven. Judah has been at the forefront of the digital analytics discipline for many years, and one of his primary strengths is his ability to communicate technology requirements to the business in a way thats actionable. This book should become an essential part of every digital marketers toolkit. Andrew Edwards , Cofounder of the Digital Analytics Association, Managing Partner of Efectyv DigitalJudah Phillips delivers an enlightening and practical guide to building your digital analytics organization that will help any reader derive more value from their analytics. Larry Freed , CEO of Foresee Results, author of Managing Forward: How to Move from Measuring the Past to Managing the Future In this book Judah provides a clear and compelling explanation of the power of digital analytics. This book is a great read for everyone seeking to harness digital data intelligence and maximize its business value. Jean Paul Isson , co-author of Win with Advance Business Analytics: Creating Business Value from Your Data , Global Vice President Predictive Analytics & BI at Monster Worldwide, Inc.

To the loves of my life, Elizabeth and Lilah;
Steven and Elyse for always believing in me;
and to every analytics professional who has ever
wondered what they got themselves into.

Table of Contents

Foreword

The disciplines for managing information and information technology have grown up over more than half a century. Computing and programming had been largely academic activities in the early days, but these disciplines transformed the field into a true profession. When corporations first applied data processing approaches to financial and other forms of internal information, they introduced formal processes and structures to a previously unstructured field. Operators in computer centers often wore white coats to signify their professional and scientific focus. The high level of formality may have been misplaced, but it allowed information management for structured, internal information to eventually be mastered and to flourish as a field.

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