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We’ve all seen beautiful analytics apps — they’re interactive and show you what’s happening in your business. But how can you get even more out of your data? What if artificial intelligence (AI) could dig into your data and take the insights from your analytics a step further? What if you could get those actionable recommendations now?

 

Your analytics journey probably began with dashboards and apps

Maybe you’ve set up dashboards before? If you have, you know they capture data at a specific point in time. With analytics apps, you are often able to interact with the data in your dashboard and see how it dynamically adjusts when you change data points. Analytics apps allow you to view how your data changes over time, and it allows you to drill down further than you could with a static dashboard.

The drawback of both dashboards and analytics apps is they report on past data and require human analysis. But what if a tool could analyze your past, present, and evolving data for you? What if it could predict (with accuracy) future business outcomes and give you actionable recommendations to make those outcomes a reality? And what if you could do this without a large time or financial investment?

 

Now, AI can augment analytics

Today, a modern analytics tool like Einstein Analytics Plus gives you analytics plus AI. Einstein Analytics Plus features include data prep tools, visualizations for building models, and the ability to operationalize models within Salesforce. Beyond the descriptive and diagnostic capabilities you expect, our analytics tool includes AI-driven predictive and prescriptive insights. This AI component provides insight into what may happen and what actions you can take now. If all your data is connected — or within one complete platform like Salesforce — you can take action right where you work in your CRM.
 

How to get started with AI-augmented analytics

1. Make data part of your organization’s DNA

Data management needs to integrate with your customer relationship management (CRM) strategy. The information you log into your CRM needs to be relevant to what you want to measure and analyze. Implementing AI-augmented analytics means you want to transform the way you do business. If you’re ready for digital transformation, a data-driven culture should be a strategic priority at the executive level.

 

2. Start small with a few use cases

Make small changes and build on your success. Prioritize a few use cases that align with your organization’s goals and focus on those. It could be reducing your sales cycle, improving the rate of support’s first call resolution, or maximizing your company’s sales rep retention. Be strategic with rolling out company adoption. By showing how AI-augmented analytics aligns with and contributes to business goals, you can extend its use to more programs and teams.

 

3. Focus on enablement and adoption

Ensure your apps are designed with front-end business users in mind and are actionable right where they work. You should also closely track your successes. Are reps able to close more deals using the “propensity to buy” scores from your AI-augmented analytics? Are your sales forecasts more accurate? By tying user-success through trackable metrics, you will be able to drive company-wide engagement.

 

4. Know AI-augmented analytics is a journey

Get started on your AI-augmented analytics journey now, but be ready to make changes along the way. Create a feedback process to gather insights from your end-users. By incorporating users from the start, you ensure they are invested in the outcome. Commit as a company to a flexible approach that supports iteration. When you actively iterate with stakeholders, you’ll be able to adjust to user needs. This ongoing feedback will help you successfully transform your company.

By incorporating these principles, you can start the journey of bringing AI-augmented analytics to your organization. Imagine a future where every employee can work smarter, making decisions based on data. That future is now, and the power of those decisions can occur within your CRM.

Learn more about AI-augmented analytics and see how Avaya got started on its journey to becoming an AI-driven company through Einstein Discovery and Analytics. Watch this Einstein Analytics session from Dreamforce 2019.