Business Analytics: Page

What is a standard operating procedure (SOP)?

A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions for performing a routine activity.

By Paul Kirvan, Kate Brush, Cameron Hashemi-Pour • Sept. 9, 2025

Real-time edge analytics use cases for business

Real-time edge analytics use cases in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and retail show how localized processing balances latency, compliance and integration.

By Donald Farmer • Sept. 3, 2025

AI in sports: Agents and the future of analytics

Pragmatic advances such as improved data integration and streamlined information delivery will aid teams, as will transformative gains including agent-driven game strategies.

By Eric Avidon • Aug. 28, 2025

AI in sports: How modern tools are changing analytics

With recent technological advances making it easier to access and operationalize data, advanced analysis is now the norm for teams when evaluating players and plotting strategy.

By Eric Avidon • Aug. 27, 2025

AI in sports: A look back at the analytics pioneers

Where once baseball's Oakland A's gained a strategic edge by discovering undervalued statistics, teams across all sports are now using emerging technologies to inform decisions.

By Eric Avidon • Aug. 26, 2025

Using simulation forecasting in business analytics

Simulation forecasting allows organizations to explore future scenarios, strengthen planning efforts and improve outcomes through advanced modeling techniques.

By Jacob Roundy • Aug. 26, 2025

What makes an effective data science team structure?

Data science team structures vary in strength, and their success depends on how roles and leadership align with business goals to meet analytics needs.

By Robert Sheldon • Aug. 5, 2025

Synthetic data vs. real data for predictive analytics

Synthetic data helps simulate rare events and meet privacy compliance, while real data preserves natural variability needed to evaluate models against unpredictable conditions.

By Donald Farmer • July 28, 2025

7 predictive analytics skills to improve simulation modeling

Predictive analytics skills such as statistical analysis, data preprocessing and model evaluation can help data professionals build more accurate, dynamic simulation models.

By Jacob Roundy • July 16, 2025

Knime updates framework for agentic AI development

The open source analytics vendor is keeping up with competitors by providing features aimed at enabling users to create cutting-edge applications capable of autonomous action.

By Eric Avidon • July 8, 2025

Qlik adds trust score to aid data prep for AI development

By measuring dimensions such as diversity and timeliness, the vendor's new tool helps users understand if their data is properly prepared to inform advanced applications.

By Eric Avidon • July 2, 2025

Agents, semantic layers among top data, analytics trends

The top 10 predictions for the next few years are all influenced by the increasing deployment of AI to help make business decisions and take action.

By Eric Avidon • July 1, 2025

ThoughtSpot evolving as BI becomes driven by AI

Recent releases, including the Agentic Analytics Platform and Agentic Semantic Layer, demonstrate that the vendor continues to be creative amid the changing analytics industry.

By Eric Avidon • June 13, 2025

Latest Databricks tools use AI to simplify AI development

Fueled by user feedback, the vendor's newest features include a framework that automates building agents and a no-code interface for creating the pipelines that feed applications.

By Eric Avidon • June 11, 2025

7 top cloud-based analytics tools for enterprise use

Cloud-based analytics tools offer flexible deployment, advanced visualization and integration capabilities to help organizations turn data into actionable insights.

By Robert Sheldon • June 9, 2025

More reasoning, interoperability key to future of agentic AI

As agents evolve from hype to reality, research and industry must collaborate to improve agents' recall and ability to work together so that they can realize their full potential.

By Eric Avidon • June 6, 2025

What is data preparation? An in-depth guide

Data preparation is the process of gathering, combining, structuring and organizing data for use in business intelligence, analytics and data science applications, as explained in this guide.

By Craig Stedman • June 3, 2025

Sisense unveils new suite of AI-powered capabilities

Featuring a natural language interface and autonomous capabilities to augment human analysis, the vendor's toolkit simplifies developing and embedding advanced applications.

By Eric Avidon • May 28, 2025

How to select the right IoT database architecture

Understanding the core components of IoT databases is essential when evaluating and choosing the best architecture for a particular IoT initiative and its requirements.

By Johna Johnson • May 21, 2025

New Microsoft database, analytics tools target agentic AI

New features across the tech giant's broad array of BI and data management offerings, including Fabric and OneLake, provide developers with tools for agentic AI development.

By Eric Avidon • May 20, 2025

Qlik evolves to keep up with latest AI, analytics trends

The longtime BI vendor continues to expand beyond its historical base to keep current with what's happening in GenAI and agentic development, analytics, and data management.

By Eric Avidon • May 15, 2025

4 types of simulation models used in data analytics

Combining different types of simulation models with predictive analytics enables organizations to forecast events and improve the accuracy of data-driven decisions.

By Kurt Cagle • May 14, 2025

Qlik unveils agentic AI capabilities, launches lakehouse

An insight generation tool and capabilities that unlock unstructured data are among the longtime analytics vendor's latest features, while a data lakehouse represents expansion.

By Eric Avidon • May 14, 2025

SAS update targets responsible agentic AI development

The longtime independent analytics vendor's latest Viya platform update includes Intelligent Decisioning, a set of governance-infused capabilities for developing agents.

By Eric Avidon • May 7, 2025

8 top cloud analytics certifications

Cloud data analytics certifications enhance careers and business efficiency. Compare costs, skills taught and time required to earn top credentials.

By Donald Farmer • May 6, 2025