Share:

News / Blog: #data

What is sales data?

08/28/2023 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

Sales data refers to the information collected, processed and analyzed in connection with a company's sales process. This data provides insights into the performance and effectiveness of a sales team, as well as customer interactions and the sales process as a whole. Sales data can come from a variety of sources, including sales activity, customer data, orders, sales figures, revenue and more.

Here are some examples of sales data:

Customer data: Information about existing and potential customers, such as contact details, company details, purchase history, and preferences.

Sales activity: Data about sales activities, such as calls, emails, meetings, and presentations conducted by sales representatives.

Orders: Information about products or services ordered by customers, including product type, quantity, price, and time of delivery.

Sales activity data.

Sales figures: Data about the number of products sold or services completed over time.

Revenue data: Information about revenue generated from sales activities.

Sales Channels: Data about which channels (online stores, physical stores, affiliates, etc.) are used to process sales.

Sales performance: Information about the revenue generated from sales activities.

Sales performance: data that measures the performance of sales teams and reps, such as close rates, conversion rates, and revenue per sales rep.

Sales analytics: the analysis of sales data to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities that can help the company optimize its sales strategies.

Sales data plays a critical role in executive-level decision making. They enable companies to monitor, adjust, and optimize their sales strategies to increase customer satisfaction, drive revenue, and identify growth opportunities.

Like (0)
Comment

Microsoft Excel Revolutionizes Data Analysis with Python Integration

08/24/2023 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

In a groundbreaking announcement, Microsoft Excel has unveiled a new chapter in data analytics by introducing Python integration to its platform. This momentous stride brings together the power of Python's analytical capabilities and the versatility of Excel's data organization and visualization tools. With the launch of Python in Excel, users can seamlessly merge Python and Excel analytics within the same workbook, ushering in a new era of efficiency and sophistication in data analysis.

A Fusion of Python and Excel: The Next Evolution in Data Analytics

From its inception, Microsoft Excel has been at the forefront of transforming data handling, analysis, and visualization. Now, with Python in Excel, Microsoft takes another leap forward, offering a Public Preview of this groundbreaking integration. The synergy between these two stalwarts in the data world allows users to directly input Python code into Excel cells, with the calculations executed in the Microsoft Cloud. The results, including plots and visualizations, are then seamlessly integrated into the Excel worksheet, all without requiring any intricate setup.

The initial roll-out of Python in Excel is available for those participating in the Microsoft 365 Insiders program, accessed through the Beta Channel in Excel for Windows.

Unveiling the Distinctive Features of Python in Excel

Catering to Analysts' Needs: Excel's familiar tools like formulas, charts, and PivotTables are utilized by millions for data analysis. Now, Python in Excel takes this a step further by natively integrating Python directly into the Excel grid. The new PY function enables users to input Python code directly into Excel cells, offering access to potent Python analytics alongside Excel's trusted features.

Unleashing Python's Power via Anaconda: Python in Excel leverages Anaconda Distribution for Python, a repository embraced by countless data practitioners globally. This integration facilitates access to popular Python libraries like pandas, Matplotlib, and scikit-learn, amplifying the analytical prowess available within Excel.

Security and Cloud Compatibility: Python in Excel operates securely in the Microsoft Cloud environment, utilizing Azure Container Instances for isolated execution. The integration ensures data privacy, restricting Python code's knowledge of users' identities and keeping workbook data isolated and secure.

Team Collaboration Made Effortless: Collaboration takes center stage with Python in Excel. Teams can interact with and refresh Python-powered analytics without grappling with complex installations or management of libraries. Collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Outlook seamlessly enable shared workbooks and foster a cohesive working environment.

Microsoft's Commitment to Python: The partnership across various Microsoft teams underscores the company's dedication to enhancing Python's accessibility and integration. Guido van Rossum, Python's creator and Microsoft Distinguished Engineer, lauds this milestone, highlighting the collaborative spirit.

Unlocking New Avenues in Data Analysis

Python in Excel opens up a realm of possibilities, transforming Excel from a traditional spreadsheet tool into an advanced analytical powerhouse. Advanced visualizations utilizing Python's renowned charting libraries, machine learning, predictive analytics, and even data cleaning are now within Excel users' grasp. This integration enhances the workflow of diverse sectors, from education and corporate analytics to financial analysis.

The Road Ahead

With Python in Excel making its debut through the Public Preview for the Microsoft 365 Insiders program, the future holds promise. Expectations are high as Microsoft works on refining the integration, expanding editing experiences, error management, documentation, and more. The integration's potential to revolutionize data analysis and collaboration ensures a keen eye on its evolution.

In this era of data-driven decision-making, Microsoft's Python in Excel heralds a transformative era where two juggernauts, Python and Excel, coalesce to empower analysts and organizations worldwide. The fusion of these platforms unlocks a future of unparalleled data exploration, analysis, and insight generation.

Like (0)
Comment

What is data sourcing?

08/15/2023 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

Data acquisition refers to the process of collecting information or data from various sources. This process is critical in many fields, including science, research, business, technology, and more. Data can come from a variety of sources, such as surveys, measurements, observations, experiments, social media, public records, sensors, business data, and many others.

Data sourcing typically involves several steps:

Determine the goal: Clearly define what type of data you need and why. What questions do you want to answer? What hypotheses do you want to test?

Source selection: Identify the appropriate sources from which to obtain the data you need. These can be structured databases, unstructured text, images, audio, or other types of information.

Data collection: collect data according to your target specifications. This can be done through manual data entry, web scraping, sensors, surveys, or other methods.

Data cleaning: Review the collected data for errors, outliers, missing values, and inconsistent information. Clean the data to ensure it is suitable for analysis or application.

Data integration: If you are collecting data from multiple sources, it may need to be integrated in order to analyze or use it in a coherent form.

Data processing: this step involves transforming the raw data into a form suitable for analysis or applications. This may involve aggregation, transformation, normalization, or other methods.

Data analysis: perform analysis to extract patterns, trends, or insights from the collected data. This may include statistical analysis, machine learning, or other techniques.

Communicating results: usually prepare and present the findings or results obtained to make them available to other people or systems.

The quality of data acquisition and processing has a direct impact on the accuracy and reliability of the conclusions that can be drawn from the data collected. It is important to be careful and methodical in order to obtain meaningful results.

Like (0)
Comment

Soon no startup will be able to get by without AI and data analysis

08/11/2023 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

The tech landscape in Germany has changed rapidly in recent years, and technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics play a central role. According to a recent survey of 203 tech startups commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, these technologies have proven to be indispensable for the success of startups. The results impressively show that startups that rely on AI and data analytics are not only ahead of the game, but are also the ones shaping the innovations of the future.

The current status quo: AI and data analytics dominate

A look at the statistics makes it clear just how entrenched AI and data analytics now are in the startup world. More than half of the startups surveyed (53 percent) are already using Big Data and data analytics to optimize their business processes and gain deep insights into their target groups. Even more impressive is the prevalence of AI, which is being used by 49 percent of startups to develop smart solutions and products.

It gets even more exciting when you look at the startups' future plans. Almost 40 percent of the companies surveyed are planning to introduce AI in the near future. The situation is similar for Big Data and Data Analytics, where 31 percent of the startups are discussing or planning their use. These figures underscore not only the current importance of these technologies, but also their future relevance for the startup landscape.

Startups leading the way: AI and data analytics in the overall economy

Comparing the use of AI and data analytics in startups with the overall economy, the pioneering role of young companies becomes particularly clear. While only 15 percent of companies in the overall economy use AI, 49 percent of startups already rely on this technology. Similar proportions are also evident in data analysis: In the overall economy, 37 percent use these technologies, while the figure for startups is 53 percent.

Bitkom President Dr. Ralf Wintergerst highlights the importance of this development, saying, "The fact that so many innovative founders are using AI and Big Data to develop new products and services is a positive sign. Startups will play an important role in making these technologies more accessible to smaller companies and SMEs."

The symbiosis of AI and data analytics

One notable aspect of this development is the close relationship between AI and data analytics. AI requires data to learn and make intelligent decisions. At the same time, AI enables more efficient analysis of big data, which in turn enables deeper insights and better business decisions. This interaction highlights the need for an integrated approach to implementing AI and data analytics.

Emerging technologies and their relevance to startups

The survey also provides insights into emerging technologies that could become more important in the coming years. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already being used by a quarter of startups, while nearly 30 percent are discussing or planning integration. 5G technologies have also piqued the interest of startups, with 17 percent in the planning or discussion phase.

Also exciting is the growing discussion about technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and blockchain. Currently, 8 percent of startups are using VR/AR, while an impressive 22 percent are discussing its use. Similarly, while 5 percent of startups are already using blockchain, 22 percent are planning to use the technology.

In summary, the survey highlights the changing nature of the German startup scene. AI and data analytics have evolved from emerging trends to indispensable tools that determine the course of business development. With their agile approach and willingness to integrate new technologies, startups are at the forefront of this movement that will undoubtedly shape the future of business.

Like (0)
Comment

What are no-go's in marketing?

08/10/2023 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

No-go's in marketing are certain approaches or strategies that should generally be avoided because they can have a negative impact on a company's image. Here are some examples of no-go's in marketing:

Deception and Misleading: Consumers should not be deliberately deceived or misled. False claims about a product or service can undermine customer trust and lead to legal consequences.

Spamming: Mass mailing of unsolicited commercial messages, whether by email, text message or phone call, is an unprofessional and unethical marketing practice. It can damage relationships with potential customers and tarnish a company's reputation.

Inappropriate targeting: It is important to carefully analyze the target audience and develop appropriate marketing strategies. Inappropriate targeting based on prejudice or discrimination, for example, can lead to negative reactions and damage the company's image.

Inappropriate targeting can lead to negative reactions and damage the company's image.

Ignoring customer feedback: Customer feedback is valuable to companies because it provides insight into their needs, wants and complaints. Ignoring or dismissing customer feedback can make customers feel unheard or disrespected and turn away from a company.

Personal Data Breach: Inappropriate handling of customers' personal data, for example through unauthorized disclosure or insecure storage, can destroy customer trust. Companies should always comply with applicable data protection laws and ensure that customers' privacy is protected.

Failure to provide transparency: a lack of transparency can affect customer trust. Companies should clearly communicate what information they collect, how it is used, and the benefits or risks associated with a product or service.

This list is not exhaustive, but it provides an overview of some important no-go's in marketing. It is advisable to follow ethical principles and best practices for long-term successful and trustworthy marketing.

Like (0)
Comment

Our offer to you:

Media & PR Database 2024

Only for a short time at a special price: The media and PR database with 2024 with information on more than 21,000 newspaper, magazine and radio editorial offices and much more.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and receive the latest news & information on promotions: