Davenport to headline INFORMS Analytics Conference

Thomas Davenport, analytics pioneer, thought-leader and best-selling author, will headline the 2014 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics and O.R. with a keynote address on “Analytics 3.0: Where Big Data and Traditional Analytics Meet.” The meeting, scheduled for March 30-April 1, is expected to draw more than 900 analytics professionals to Boston for three days of intensive engagement and real-world learning on the science and art of analytics and operations research.

Davenport’s 2006 Harvard Business Review article and best-selling book, “Competing on Analytics,” launched the revolution that has made analytics the hottest business trend and “data scientist” the sexiest job title in business today. His most recent book, “Keeping Up with the Quants: Your Guide to Understanding and Using Analytics,” has been called “the quantitative literacy guide” for managers.

In addition to Davenport’s keynote, attendees will see presentations from the “best of the best” in applied analytics and O.R. Each finalist for the 2014 Franz Edelman Award, the highest international award for achievement in operations research, will present their work on March 31, with the winner announced at the Awards Gala and Banquet that evening. Other high-impact work will be showcased throughout the meeting in talks by finalists and winners of the INFORMS Prize, Daniel H. Wagner Prize, UPS George D. Smith Prize, Innovative Applications in Analytics Award, Gary L. Lilien Marketing Science Practice Prize and the coveted Spreadsheet “Guru” Prize.

Hand-Picked Topics and Speakers

The key to the conference’s ongoing success is its program committee, chaired this year by Freeman Marvin, VP and Executive Principal Analyst at Innovative Decisions, Inc. The 36 members of the committee include analysts and managers from companies such as Google, Target, IBM, Chevron, Amtrak, SAS, Chevron and UPS, as well as leading universities and government agencies. The committee develops the topic tracks, selects speakers and organizes the presentations that comprise the heart of the conference.

“Our goal is to bring together the best analytics work being done today that helps organizations make smarter, fact-based business decisions,” says Marvin. “The conference emphasis will be on real-world analytics across industries and applications, along with skill-building tutorials, software training, and exceptional networking.”

The conference committee has designated eight topical tracks for the 2014 invited speaker program: The Analytics Revolution, Healthcare Applications, Big Data, Marketing Analytics, Decision Analysis, Soft Skills and Supply Chain Management. New this year is a track organized by the INFORMS Roundtable that will feature world-class O.R. projects in established and mature analytics companies. The program will be rounded out by six tracks of member-contributed talks plus additional tracks on software solutions.

The conference will also feature special career-building programs such as the Early Career Connection, Professional Colloquium, Soft Skills Workshop, Technology Workshop and facilitated Birds-of-a-Feather discussion groups.