Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/124472
Business Case The Analytics for The era of Big Data is here, and business schools must expose graduates to the skills that today's analytics-based organizations are looking for. Here's what we need to do. by Hugh J. Watson W e all have transformational moments where we change our perceptions of the world. One of mine occurred a little over ten years ago as I was conducting a case study on First American Corporation (FAC), a regional bank headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The experience convinced me that we needed to change what we teach in business schools. FAC had been on the brink of failure until a new management team adopted a customer intimacy strategy based on analytics and facts—not on intuition. The team used analytics to better understand the needs and preferences of FAC's customers; track the profitability of its customers, products, and services; and redesign its distribution channels, such as branches and ATMs. This new approach helped inspire the organization's turnaround. BizEd May/June 2013 49