Came across this post on the Harvard Business Review site by the GM of the Houston Rockets.  Thought provoking stuff.  As the title implies the data you have is more important than the analysts using the data.  If you’re too lazy to read it here are my cliff notes (you lazy bum):

• There are many excellent analysts with new ones graduating every year.
• If good analysts are plentiful then they cannot provide a consistent competitive advantage.
• “a sustainable competitive edge requires that you have something valuable AND irreplaceable.”
• A real advantage can be created from having “unique data that no one else has.”
• “you need strong analysts…but the leverage comes not from the analysis but from having the data that others do not.”

Takeaway:

What key data could we gather (or reveal if we already have it) to give us a unique advantage?

The full post can be found here:

“Success Comes From Better Data, Not Better Analysis”