As coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, continues its swift and efficient devastation of human lives and economies worldwide, the analytics community steps up its engagement to thwart the greatest global threat in most of our lifetimes. From modeling the spread of the virus to redesigning broken supply chains to informing decision-makers with data-based research and science, analytics professionals and academics alike are lending their skills, tools and methodology to the battle.
Regarding the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, columnist Vijay Mehrotra writes: "I am regularly overcome with disbelief at how suddenly this plague seems to have descended on us everywhere, with grief for what has been lost, and with anxiety about what all of this portends for the future. But so far, I have been one of the lucky ones. "
It is incredible how much our world changed since the end of February. Streets of major cities such as London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, New York and San Francisco are all but empty. The world has suddenly come to a standstill, and humans worldwide have receded to the safety of their homes. Economic activities took a nosedive, stock markets crashed, and unemployment and misery rose to depression-era levels in most nations including the United States, Europe and China. An invisible enemy suddenly created a war-like pandemonium across the globe, but no nuclear weapon can end the war this time.
The pandemic will lead to a recession. In a recession, companies cut back and hunker down. But consider a counterintuitive perspective for a moment. If you can possibly afford to do so, this horrifying moment may be the best possible time to invest in retooling your business for the future.
The Analytics Capability Evaluation (ACE) Coaching Program was developed to engage and assist organizations in developing and enhancing their analytics capabilities using analytics experts.
