Jay Upchurch from SAS: The Perfect Pairing of Analytics and Transformation Opens Exciting Doors for Small Businesses to Succeed and Flourish

Hey there, I’m Jay Upchurch, and I want to talk to you about the incredible possibilities that arise when analytics and transformation come together. It’s like finding the perfect match!

When I say analytics, I’m talking about the process of using data and technology to gain valuable insights. It’s like having a superpower that allows you to understand your business better than ever before.

And when I mention transformation, I mean making important changes and improvements to your company. It’s about evolving and embracing new ways of doing things to stay ahead in the game.

Now, let me tell you why these two things together are a game-changer, especially for small businesses or SMBs like yours. You see, they offer a unique set of opportunities that can help you not only survive but thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Firstly, by harnessing the power of analytics, you can uncover valuable insights about your customers, market trends, and even your own operations. Imagine knowing exactly what your customers want and being able to tailor your products and services to their needs. It’s like having a crystal ball!

Analytics can also help you identify new market opportunities and areas for growth. By analyzing data, you might discover untapped niches or trends that others haven’t noticed yet. This can give you a competitive edge and help you expand your business in exciting directions.

Secondly, transformation is all about adapting and staying relevant. In today’s fast-paced world, businesses that resist change often get left behind. But by embracing transformation, you have the power to evolve and stay ahead of the curve.

It could mean adopting new technologies to streamline your operations or finding innovative ways to connect with your customers. Transformation opens doors to fresh ideas, new approaches, and increased efficiency. It’s about being agile and adaptable, ready to seize opportunities when they arise.

So, my friend, when you combine analytics and transformation, you’re unleashing the full potential of your business. You become a force to be reckoned with, armed with knowledge and the ability to adapt.

But how can you make this happen? Well, it starts with a mindset. Embrace the power of data and technology. Be open to change and willing to explore new avenues. Seek out experts who can guide you through the process and help you make the most of these exciting opportunities.

Remember, analytics and transformation go beyond survival – they propel you towards success and growth. So, my friend, take the leap, and together, let’s create a thriving future for your small business!

Do you ever stop and think about how every little thing we do these days generates data? From clicking on a website to swiping on our phones, everything leaves a digital footprint. And when the pandemic hit and we had to stay at home, all those clicks and swipes went through the roof! Suddenly, we were relying on apps like Zoom and ordering food through services like Uber Eats and Door Dash. It’s crazy how much our daily lives have become centered around digital transactions and interactions.

But here’s the thing: all that data we generate can actually be really useful. Companies can analyze it to get insights that can help them make smart decisions, especially in times of crisis. Imagine being able to look at all this information and know exactly what moves to make to keep your business afloat. It’s pretty powerful stuff!

I want to share some really interesting stuff I learned about how businesses are using data to cope with tough times like the past year. Recently, I had a great chat on LinkedIn Live with Jay Upchurch, the Chief Information Officer of SAS, a super smart analytics platform provider. We talked about how data and analytics have become even more important during this pandemic, and how artificial intelligence can help small and midsize businesses not just survive, but actually do well in times of crisis like the one we’re still facing a year into Covid-19. It was such an eye-opening conversation!

Now, I’ve got an edited transcript from part of our talk below. If you want to hear the entire conversation, just click on the SoundCloud player I’ve embedded for you.

Small businesses are experiencing changes in the role of data and analytics since the pandemic started. Specifically, how has it affected customer engagement?

Jay Upchurch: Trust is the foundation when it comes to data and analytics. It’s not something given to you right away, but something you earn over time. One important aspect is how you interpret the data. Do you have access to it? Can you analyze it? Can you take meaningful action based on the analysis? And most importantly, do those actions lead to results? It’s an ongoing cycle that builds trust, especially in uncertain times like these.

For a long time, people viewed businesses and leaders as heroes because of their intuition and gut feelings. They were thought to be smarter than the rest. However, data has changed the game. It levels the playing field for all. The key now is having the right talent to access, transform, analyze, and make decisions based on the data. This is the challenging part of the industry today. The truth is, there is a scarcity of talent in this field. Only a few individuals become data scientists each year. So, the question is, how can we make data accessible to everyone and provide tools for anyone to work with it? That’s what fascinates us. Another aspect we consider is the maturity curve that businesses go through when embracing analytics and AI.

So, let’s say you want to access some data, analyze it, and then present it on a dashboard or a report card. That’s like the basics, the first step. As you learn more, you’ll start to see even more data coming in, which means more insights for you to discover. And then comes the next level: what do you do with those insights? How can you take action and automate things? You also have to keep in mind that the data is always changing, just like with this pandemic. The data we had in March or April of last year is totally different from what we have now. It’s the same idea with any model you create for COVID-19 – the one you made last year is probably very different from the one you have today.

Changes in Data Transform Businesses

My friend Alan Berkson raised an interesting question: How has the data you work with changed from before and after the pandemic? And what do you expect in the future? It got me thinking about how things have shifted. Before, we could simply go to the store, buy what we needed, pay with cash, and leave. No data was involved in that simple exchange. But now, with online grocery shopping and deliveries, there’s so much more data. The store knows what we buy, and the delivery people know it too. So, the amount of data and the things we can analyze have significantly changed. How have these changes unfolded over the past year or so?

Jay Upchurch: Absolutely right! Data is exploding now. It’s not just big data sets that are being shared or contributed to anymore. Let’s take the grocery store example again, Brent. It’s a perfect illustration of how the Internet of Things (IoT) is playing a big role. We’re gathering data from sensors that people interact with without even realizing it. It’s fascinating to think about all the different data sets we have available and how we can combine them from various sources. As you mentioned, if it’s cold outside, how can a restaurant leverage weather forecasts, supply data, and customer behavior data in real time? For instance, can they optimize their offerings by promoting hot items more when it’s chilly? It’s all about maximizing profits!

There’s so much data out there now, and people are coming to companies like SAS with the question of, How can you help me understand all of this? It’s not just about the data and where it comes from, but also how to handle it, especially in a world where everything is in the cloud. The data can come in different forms – structured, unstructured, in a constant stream, or even after the fact. It’s quite overwhelming, isn’t it? But the real question is, how do you actually do something with that analysis? Do you have the right skills and expertise to make the most of it?

When I think about small businesses, this is a big challenge for them. And it’s not just small businesses – even mid-sized and large enterprises are struggling with this too. So, where do you turn to for help? Where can you find advisory services and guidance? And what tools do you have at your disposal to put all of this into action for your business?

Can Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Survive Without Transforming?

Me: When it comes to small and mid-sized businesses, there were still quite a few before the pandemic who weren’t using the cloud to its full potential. I remember hearing that about 50% of SMBs didn’t even have a website. And not many of them were doing e-commerce either. So, how does the pandemic change things? How does it affect the way we use the cloud, websites, and IoT? And just how important is it for small and mid-sized businesses to start utilizing these tools? I mean, they were able to manage to a certain extent without them before, but can they survive without making these moves and using these tools more effectively?

Jay Upchurch: That’s a really great question. To be honest, I find it hard to believe that any business can survive without embracing these technologies. The future of work is a big question mark for all of us. When will people go back to the office? When will things go back to normal? But even when things settle down, I think there will be lasting changes. We’ve already started accepting certain things as part of our new normal. And in this new normal, I believe that every business will need to be digitally enabled. Now, some people talk about digital transformation like it’s this groundbreaking revolution that completely changes an entire industry. But that’s not always the case.

You know, moments like that, they don’t come around every day. I mean, not everyone gets to experience something like that. So, how can you make big changes in your business? Let me tell you, it all comes down to your digital maturity model. You have to take small steps to figure things out. First, do you have a process? Is it clear to everyone or is it still only understood by a few people? Can you put it into a system? Can you automate it and really understand how it works? And then, can you make it even better? Can you optimize it? And finally, have you earned the right to completely transform it? These are the natural steps you have to take.

Now, let’s take a look at a small business owner. They might have started locally and had a fantastic experience that made their business grow. But then, everything changed. People stopped coming in and everyone started working remotely. Suddenly, they had to embrace digital technologies.

So I really think that the pandemic helped loosen the restrictions a bit when it comes to how fast you can adopt new cloud native technologies. And let me tell you, at SAS (not trying to sell anything here), we have been grappling with this issue for a while. We’ve been trying to figure out how to make our products more digitally native and cloud native, and how to encourage people to use them. You mentioned data earlier. The world around us is changing so fast right now that our platforms and tools must be open to open source, the open source community, and new technologies. We have to stay open because it would be a shame to have a tool that restricts access to certain data sets. We want to give you access to everything!

When it comes to our tools, platforms, and industry solutions, they only work well if we have good data and if we use our creativity to interpret the results. The world of marketing has changed a lot – there are so many different tools available now. Some are small and specialized, easy to try out and discard if they don’t work for you. Others are big and disruptive, giving us more power. But someone needs to make sense of all of this and use it effectively for their campaigns. And let’s not forget the challenge of measuring engagement – that’s a whole task on its own! It can be overwhelming to navigate this ecosystem, but somehow, we’ve all chosen to take it on.

Speed is Essential

USamerica.US: I’m seeing so much new data these days, just like you mentioned. It’s coming from all kinds of sources. Remember when nobody even knew about things like Clubhouse last year? Now it’s a big deal, and there’s bound to be some interesting data coming out of it. We’re all getting more involved with live streaming and virtual events, so there’s an overwhelming amount of information hitting consumers and companies. And it’s not just coming from one place, it’s coming from everywhere, and it’s coming fast. But here’s the thing: if you don’t do something with that information quickly, you might miss a chance to make a real connection. So how does speed, both in terms of data and our ability to react to it, fit into this whole equation?

When it comes to speed, there’s something interesting I’ve noticed about us humans – we often hesitate to be as curious as we should be. I wrote an article about this a while ago, where I highlighted the power of curiosity. It’s actually one of the things we value greatly at SAS. You see, being curious about data is crucial. If you allow it, the data can paint a clear picture for you. But here’s the thing, you need to encourage curiosity in yourself, in your team, and in those around you. It’s funny because when we were kids, curiosity came naturally to us. I have three sons, and there have been countless times when I’ve had to beg them to stop asking questions. Honestly, I realize now that it was wrong of me to discourage their natural curiosity. Because as we grow older, that curiosity becomes a key factor in our success, especially when it comes to data and analytics. It’s your personal curiosity that sets you apart.

So, I believe when it comes to speed, don’t be afraid to dive in and try out those science experiments. Play around with it and see what happens. Understand how moving data in and out affects your models. There’s another important aspect of speed, and that’s model management. Your models can weaken over time because the data around you keeps changing. It’s changing so fast that it’s hard to grasp the full extent of it. So, you have to be aware that what worked for you yesterday may not work for you today.

Also, there are many applications, like SAS, that emphasize the importance of model management and the entire analytic life cycle. You have to make sure that even if you’ve created something and it’s working well, you continue to take care of it, nurture it, and expand on it.

Lastly, you need to ensure that whatever science experiment you’re conducting, regardless of the size of your business, can scale up as you grow. This is where trust becomes crucial. Are you using reliable tools and datasets? Are you leveraging aspects of your business that you trust? This is important because if you let it, this thing can take on a life of its own. This is an area where we, at SAS, believe we’ve excelled in the past four years. When the market shifts around you, having the right data and insight to confidently pivot your business into a new area becomes vital for survival. Unfortunately, many companies underestimate the power of analytics in this aspect.

Surviving and Thriving the Pandemic: Analytics, AI, and SMBs

Let’s chat about how analytics and AI can help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) not only survive but also thrive during these challenging times. Trust me, it’s more than just a way to cut costs or increase profits.

Now, imagine having a digital twin – a virtual replica of your business. With analytics, you can test out new ideas and explore different strategies in a safe and low-risk environment. It’s like having a crystal ball that shows you the outcome of your decisions before you actually make them. Pretty cool, right?

Let me give you an example. One of my buddies is in the taxi business, and boy, oh boy, has it been rough for him during the pandemic. But instead of giving up, he made a brilliant pivot. He started using his fleet and scheduling systems for food delivery services instead of traditional passenger transportation. Smart move, huh?

See, analytics and AI can help you find innovative ways to adapt and thrive, even when things are tough. It’s all about thinking outside the box and leveraging the power of data to make informed decisions. So, don’t underestimate the potential of analytics and AI – they might just be the key to unlocking new opportunities for your business.

Jay Upchurch: You know what? It’s like one of those things where you think, Yeah, that totally makes sense as a natural step in using technology. But here’s the thing, using data and analytics lets you smoothly transition into that industry and meet the demand head-on. They already had the supply part sorted out. I find that really fascinating.

AI is basically all about taking analytics and turning it into automated action. It goes beyond just analyzing and coding.

If I were to use natural language processing, like customer service does, I could take my small business and use these technologies to operate on a much bigger scale. It’s like what we were talking about before, taking experiments and making them into something much bigger. This is something that a lot of companies have trouble with, figuring out how to move beyond just experimenting and make it a reality.

I find AI absolutely fascinating! About a month ago, I was invited to be part of a panel at the North Carolina Technology event. It’s a local organization that supports startups and small businesses all over North Carolina. During the panel, we had many discussions about AI and its future. It’s amazing to see that we are finally starting to see the potential of AI that people dreamed about in the past, especially in the ’60s and ’70s. As we bring more of these ideas to life, it’s incredible how much AI is already intertwined in our everyday actions without us even noticing. It’s all around us, quietly working behind the scenes, enhancing our lives in ways we might not even realize.

• Interviews with Brent Leary

This is a series of interviews with important people where I talk to them one-on-one. I’ve made some changes to the transcript to make it easier to read. If it’s a recording of a conversation, you can listen to it by clicking on the player above or you can subscribe to it on iTunes or Stitcher.