1) Section 2: Internet of Things

a) What are the major uses of IoT

i) Self driving cars
ii) Fitness trackers
iii) Smartbin
iv) Refrigerator ordering groceries
b) What are the technology building blocks of IoT?
i) Hardware
(1) The physical device, sensors, and actuators where data is produced and recorded
ii) Connectivity
(1) Base station or hub that collects the data from the sensors and sends the data to
the cloud
iii) Software Backend
(1) Where the data is managed
iv) Applications
(1) Where the data is turned into meaningful information
c) What is RFID?
i) Radio Frequency Identification
(1) Using radio frequency waves to identify objects
d) Search online for applications of RFID in healthcare, entertainment, and sports.
e) Identify some key players in the IoT ecosystem. Explore their offerings.
i) Fit bit
ii) ATT
(1) Connectivity to cars with 5G
iii) Google
(1) Google cloud
(2) Sidewalk labs
(3) Autonomous cars
iv) Amazon
f) What are some of the major issues managers have to keep in mind in exploring IoT?
i) Organizational alignment
(1) “IoT will challenge other notions of organizational responsibilities. Chief
financial, marketing, and operating officers, as well as leaders of business units,
will have to be receptive to linking up their systems” (McKinsey, 2015).
ii) Interoperability changes
(1) All devices do not connect seamlessly with each other
(2) Improper wifi connections
(3) Big data processing issues
(a) Companies minimizing the data sent to the cloud
(4) It will take time for consumers to replace analog devices with new IoT smart
products
iii) Security
 (1) Each device connected to IoT becomes an entry point for hackers into larger
systems
2) Section 3: Cloud Computing and Business Analytics
a) Define cloud computing. How does it relate to PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS?
i) “A model for enabling convenient, on demand network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, and services) that
can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service-
provider interaction.
ii) Wikipedia (n.d., Cloud Computing) defines cloud computing as “a style of computing
in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided over the
Internet. Users need not have knowledge of, experience in, or control over the
technology infrastructures in the cloud that supports them.”
iii) Relations to
(1) SaaS (Software as a Service)
(a) An old name for cloud computing
(2) PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
(a) Some of the IT components as a service that combine to create cloud
computing
b) Give examples of companies offering cloud services.
i) Amazon.com’s Web Services
c) How does cloud computing affect BI?
i) Allows organizations to scale up its data warehouses and only pay for what it uses
ii) An end user can switch between organizations when using a cloud based BI service
d) How does DaaS change the way data is handled?
i) Replaces data centralization with master data management and customer integration
solutions where the customer’s record can reside anywhere
ii) Customers can move quickly due to simplified data access
iii) providers can build the base with the data experts and outsource the analysis or
presentation layers (which allows for very cost-effective user interfaces and makes
change requests at the presentation layer much more feasible), and access to the data
is controlled through the data services. It tends to improve data quality because there
is a single point for updates.
e) What are the different types of cloud platforms?
i) Private cloud
ii) Public cloud
iii) Hybrid cloud
f) Why is AaaS cost effective?
i) it provides many virtual analytical applications with better scalability and higher cost
savings
g) Name at least three major cloud service providers.
i) Amazon Elastic Beanstalk
ii) IBM Bluemix
iii) Microsoft Azure
 iv) Google App Engine
v) Openshift
h) Give at least three examples of analytics-as-a-service providers.
i) Teradata Aster
ii) IBM Watson
iii) Tableau
3) Section 4: Location Based Analytics for Organizations
a) How does traditional analytics make use of location-based data?
i) Traditional analytics produce visual maps that are geographically mapped and based
on the traditional location data, usually grouped by the postal codes. The use of postal
codes to represent the data is a somewhat static approach for achieving a higher-level
view of things.
b) How can geocoded locations assist in better decision making?
i) They help the user in understanding "true location-based" impacts and allow them to
view at higher granularities than that offered by the traditional postal code
aggregations. Addition of location components based on latitudinal and longitudinal
attributes to the traditional analytical techniques enables organizations to add a new
dimension of "where" to their traditional business analyses, which currently answer
questions of "who," "what," "when," and "how much." By integrating information
about the location with other critical business data, organizations are now creating
location intelligence (LI).
c) What is the value provided by geospatial analytics?
i) Gives organizations a broader perspective and aids in decision making. Location
intelligence (LI) is enabling organizations to gain critical insights and make better
decisions by optimizing important processes and applications. By incorporating
demographic details into locations, retailers can determine how sales vary by
population level and proximity to other competitors; they can assess the demand and
efficiency of supply chain operations. Consumer product companies can identify the
specific needs of the customers and customer complaint locations, and easily trace
them back to the products. Sales reps can better target their prospects by analyzing
their geography.
ii) Enables aggregate view of a large geographic area; poor granularity
iii) Integrate "where" into customer view
d) Explore the use of geospatial analytics further by investigating its use across various
sectors like government census tracking, consumer marketing, and so forth.
e) Search online for other applications of consumer-oriented analytical applications.
f) How can location-based analytics help individual consumers?
i) If a user on a smart phone enters data, the location sensors of the phone can help find
others in that location who are facing similar circumstances, as well as local
companies providing services and products that the consumer desires. The user can
thus see what others in their location are choosing, and the opportunities for meeting
his or her needs. Conversely, the user's behaviors and choices can then contribute
information to other consumers in the same location.
 g) Explore more transportation applications that may employ location-based analytics.
h) What other applications can you imagine if you were able to access cell phone location
data?
4) Section 5: Issues of Legality, Privacy, and Ethics
a) List some legal issues of analytics.
i) What is the value of an expert opinion in court when the expertise is encoded in a
computer?
ii) Who is liable for wrong advice (or information) provided by an intelligent
application? For example, what happens if a physician accepts an incorrect diagnosis
made by a computer and performs an act that results in the death of a patient?
iii) What happens if a manager enters an incorrect judgment value into an analytic
application and the result is damage or a disaster?
iv) Who owns the knowledge in a knowledge base?
v) Can management force experts to contribute their expertise?
b) Describe privacy concerns in analytics.
i) If it can keep track of the movement of a cell phone, privacy of that customer is a big
issue. Some claim only needs to gather aggregate flow info not individual identifiable
info. Some stories appear that violate this principle
ii) have to be aware of the giving out private info as well as collecting such info.
iii) Is the right to be left alone and the right to be free from unreasonable intrusions. Two
rules heavily followed in past court decisions concerning this
(1) 1)The right of privacy is not absolute. Privacy must be balanced against the needs
of society
(a) 2) The public’s right to know is superior to the individual’s right to privacy.
iv) How much is too much?
(1) Originally too expense to invade a person’s privacy. But with internet in
combination with large scale databases has created an entirely new dimension of
accessing and using data. This amount of data can be used for the good of society
i.e eliminate crime fraud etc. Two effective tools for collecting info of individuals
are cookies and spyware.
(2) Most individuals unaware of information being tracked through mobile PDA or
cell phone use. Track your phone. Location based analysis/profiling. GPS enabled
devices transmit users’ locations.
v) Many people recognize that analytic tools are effective and efficient means to
increase security even though the privacy of many innocent people is compromised.
Because government is acquiring personal data to detect suspicious patterns of
activity there is the prospect of improper or illegal use of the data. People see it as a
violation of citizens freedoms and rights.
vi) Many companies have been found to employ advanced analytics to develop profiles
of users on the basis of their device usage movement and the contacts of the users.
"What they know" about you(wsj.com/wtk). Articles by the wall street journal
consistently updated to highlight the latest technology and privacy/ethical issues.
c) In your view, who should own the data about your use of a car?
 d) List ethical issues in analytics.
i) • Electronic surveillance•
ii) Ethics in DSS design (see Chae, Paradice, Courtney, & Cagle, 2005)•
iii) Software piracy•
iv) Invasion of individuals’ privacy•
v) Use of proprietary databases•
vi) Use of intellectual property such as knowledge and expertise•
vii) Exposure of employees to unsafe environments related to computers•
viii) Computer accessibility for workers with disabilities•
ix) Accuracy of data, information, and knowledge•
x) Protection of the rights of users•
xi) Accessibility to information•
xii) Use of corporate computers for non-work-related purposes•
xiii) How much decision making to delegate to computers
5) Section 6: Impacts of Analytics in Organizations: An Overview
a) List the impacts of analytics on decision making.
i) -Change the manner in which many decisions are made and can consequently change
manager's jobs
ii) -Help managers gain knowledge, experience and expertise --->Enhances quality and
speed of decision making
iii) -Info gathering is more efficient when analytics are used
b) List the impacts of analytics on other managerial tasks.
i) Most important task of managers is making decisions.
ii) Impacts:
(1) -less experience is required for making many decisions.
(2) -faster decision making is possible because of the availability of info and the
automation of some phases in the decision-making process.
(3) -less reliance on experts and analysts is required to provide support to top
executives; managers can do it by themselves with the help of intelligent systems.
(4) -power is being redistributed among mangers (the more info and analysis
capability they possess the more power they have)
(5) -support for complex decision makes them faster to make and be of better quality
(6) -information needed for high level decision making is expedited or even self-
generated
(7) -automation of routine decisions or phases in the decision-making process (i.e for
frontline decision making and using ADS) may eliminate some managers
iii)
c) Describe new organizational units that are created because of analytics.
i) One change in organizational structure is the possibility of creating an analytics
department, a BI department, or a knowledge management department in which
analytics play a major role. This special unit can be combined with or replace a
quantitative analysis unit, or it can be a completely new entity
d) Identify other examples of analytics applications to redesign workspace or team behavior.
 i) Examples can include the use of HR systems to identify potential job candidates that
will be the best fit within an existing organization. Another example is analyzing how
employees move through the organization and who they collaborate with. This is data
that can be used to design office space that is more efficient.
e) How is cognitive computing affecting industry structure?
i) Cognitive computing will have a large impact in many different industries because
jobs that were historically completed by humans may be automated. This would have
large cultural implications as well as business implications. From a business
perspective, automation has the possibility to decrease cycle time while increasing
quality. Conversely, startup cost for automation may be significant.
f) Which jobs are most likely to change as a result of automation?
i) According to the articles, initial job losses will focus on areas that are not skill-based,
and that may require repetitive actions that do not require a high amount of
knowledge.
g) Study The Economist (Standage, 2016) report mentioned in this section. What other
impacts of automation did you find interesting?
6) Section 7: Data Scientist as a Profession
a) What is a data scientist? What makes them so much in demand?
i) Data scientists use a combination of their business and technical skills to investigate
Big Data, looking for ways to improve current business analytics practices (from
descriptive to predictive and prescriptive) and hence to improve decisions for new
business opportunities. One of the biggest differences between a data scientist and a
business intelligence user—such as a business analyst—is that a data scientist
investigates and looks for new possibilities, while a BI user analyzes existing
business situations and operations. Data scientist is an emerging profession, and there
is no consensus on where data scientists come from or what educational background a
data scientist has to have. But there is a common understanding of what skills and
qualities they are expected to possess, which involve a combination of soft and hard
skills.
b) What are the common characteristics of data scientists? Which one is the most important?
i) One of the most sought-out characteristics of a data scientist is expertise in both
technical and business application domains. Data scientists are expected to have soft
skills such as creativity, curiosity, communication/interpersonal skills, domain
expertise, problem definition skills, and managerial skills as well as sound technical
skills such as data manipulation, programming/hacking/scripting, and knowledge of
Internet and social media/networking technologies. Data scientists are supposed to be
creative and curious, and should be excellent communicators, with the ability to tell
compelling stories about their data.
c) Where do data scientists come from? What educational backgrounds do they have?
i) Data scientist is an emerging profession, and there is no consensus on where data
scientists come from or what educational background a data scientist has to have.
Master of Science (or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, MIS, Industrial Engineering, of
postgraduate analytics are common examples. But many data scientists have
 advanced degrees in other disciplines, like the physical or social sciences, or more
specialized fields like ecology or system biology.
d) What do you think is the path to becoming a great data scientist?
i) Becoming a great data scientist requires you to delve deeply into developing
quantitative and technical skills, as well as interpersonal and communication skills. In
addition, you will need to gain significant domain knowledge (e.g., in business). This
effort will most likely require an advanced degree. It also requires a continuous thirst
for knowledge and an intense curiosity; you will always be learning in this profession.
In addition to meticulous analytical skills, it also requires creativity and imagination