Today is Episode 8 of the Interview series on Expert-talks @MAAVRUS,  with Leaders in the Analytics, AI and Transformation space.  For this episode, our CEO Mahadevann Iyerr (Mahaa) is in conversation with Vijoe Mathew, Senior Global Director - Analytics at AB InBev.  Prior to AB InBev, Vijoe was Advanced Analytics solutions leader at Honeywell. He has also worked across all areas of retail analytics at TESCO.  Vijoe is an Engineer, Masters in Industrial Management and Six Sigma Black Belt. 

Listed below are, some key points from the interview :

• Vijoe articulates a few success factors for analytics. Firstly, analytics must serve a business purpose and create value for the company. Secondly, it is important to partner with subject matter experts to understand the business problem statement. Thirdly, it is crucial to have a good understanding of data maturity and invest in building the right skill set to build analytics as products rather than just services.

• Business should receive the credit for the solution, rather than the analytics teams taking the laurels. He believes that data science is domain agnostic, but business collaboration and domain inputs are necessary to make it a success. He believes that analytics teams should work closely with business owners who share the same passion to make solutions successful.

• Analytics can be used for both tactical and strategic purposes. He notes that today, everyone in a business is measured on value creation, which has led to a shift from efficiency-based KPIs to focusing on data-driven value creation. Vijoe explains that creating solutions that address today's problems and creating a pipeline for future solutions is crucial.

• He emphasizes that the credibility of the value created through analytics projects is necessary to attract business stakeholders and sponsors, and to improve the acceptance and reach of analytics in a company. Attributing success can be a challenge, especially in top-line growth-related initiatives, since at a particular point in time there could be many projects with overlapping benefits.  There is a need for a framework and standard processes to ensure that solution benefits go through a test versus control methodology and are approved by the relevant teams.

• To understand customer behaviour in the CPG industry, companies need to partner with the right data providers to gain insights into the market, customer preferences, and competitors. Vijoe also discusses the importance of an outside-in perspective from data, mentioning that partnering with the right retailers and Point-of-consumption chains can provide valuable data to create tailored offerings.

• For aspiring data scientists, he stresses the importance of continuous learning, as technology is constantly evolving. He mentions the need for leadership skills and the ability to work with the business to understand and solve problems. Vijoe encourages a transformative mindset and problem-solving skills, as these are essential to stay relevant in the field. He concludes by stating that technologies will come and go, but great problem solvers will always be in demand.