Photo By JMC Public Affairs Office | Visually representing the data continuum, this graphic provides a path of each of the...... read more read more
Data will provide a competitive edge to those who wield it correctly. It is pivotal in making business decisions which impact immediate and future processes.
Across the Joint Munitions Command, a framework called the data continuum has been adopted to differentiate between the different types of analytics being conducted with data. As data analytics increases in complexity, the further along the continuum an individual finds themselves.
At its foundational level, the data continuum begins with descriptive analytics. By analyzing historical data, this phase answers the question, what happened? During this phase JMC is providing a story through tables and visualizations of what occurred in the past. Aggregation of information, groupings of like categories, and measures of success are defined in this stage.
Across the entire JMC enterprise, analysts are using descriptive analytics to manage munitions in JMC’s core competencies of production, distribution, storage, and demilitarization. Utilizing descriptive analytics, alongside business intelligence tools and programming languages, is providing reproducible answers to predefined questions in near real time. These descriptive analytics begin to tell a story and paint a picture through numbers.
Further along the data continuum an analyst will find diagnostic analytics. This is the interpretation of the picture that descriptive analytics painted. During this phase, the why behind the data takes a larger presence. In a landscape where key decisions will greatly impact a business, grasping the reason for specific trends and patterns is vital.
The analysis that uses diagnostic analytics is a compass that begins to provide an azimuth for the analyst to follow. At JMC, diagnostic analytics are used to describe a variety of points in data. These descriptions encompass diagnosing outliers, pinpointing directional change, assessing variability, and identifying a range of other indicators within the data.
The forward-looking position of the continuum is predictive analytics. Leveraging different algorithms and robust statistical models, the predictive state forecasts potential future outcomes. The power in forecasting helps JMC improve its preparation and agility with a certain level of confidence.
Predictive analytics provides JMC with the tools necessary to understand where the command is headed based on statistically significant analysis. This has been proven in a variety of analysis, allowing JMC to adjust course or provide additional resources to capitalize on opportunities and navigate potential pitfalls.
“Predictive analytics is helping the JMC understand what lies ahead, while also identifying areas for efficiency and improved service to the warfighter. Specifically, in helping us determine optimum stockage levels at Continental United States Ammunition Supply Points,” said Ryan Senkbile, the Chief of Distribution for JMC. “The predictive model has the potential to forecast future workload by adapting and adjusting to data trends over time.”
The silver bullet, however, is prescriptive analytics. Going beyond mere prediction, this stage begins to use further optimization techniques to recommend decisive actions. Using prescriptive analytics, JMC can model how doing one thing will impact the future state.
Prescriptive analytics provides the exact route in which should be taken to reach the desired destination. It is the most complex sort of analytics in the data continuum, and where JMC is placing specific analytical resources.
Each phase of the data continuum serves a unique and important role in the analytics conducted across the JMC enterprise. The analytical approach utilized is determined by the problem being addressed, the business question being asked, timelines available, and the action that is desired. By utilizing the data continuum, JMC is ensuring timely and strategic decisions utilizing data to propel the organization towards success of its mission.
| Date Taken: | 10.03.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.03.2023 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 454986 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Joint Munitions Command adopts data continuum, by JMC Public Affairs Office, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
