By now, you’ve probably seen a few posts on this blog that deal with topics like data literacy, the performance of artificial intelligence in various tasks, and the one level of analytic comprehension that non-analysts need to have to stand out in data analytic cultures. Seems like kind of a hodge-podge of materials, right? Let me help clarify for you what this blog is all about and who I am.

The F1 Analytics blog is the location for you to find content focused on helping business professionals who are not analysts learn about data analytics without having to become programmers or data scientists themselves.

I have worked in an analytic culture for nearly my entire adult life. During my time in the trenches, I’ve seen many colleagues who were not trained as analysts struggle to understand what the analytic teams were doing. I have worked with managers who really didn’t understand what their own teams were working on and were therefore less effective at helping clients achieve their goals. When I developed training materials for staff, I often received the greatest thank you from the non-analytic staff for explaining everything so clearly.

As the world has moved in the direction of becoming an increasingly analytic workplace the reliance on data and analytic tools has increased as well. Many business decisions are now being made in a data-driven manner. No longer are managers working strictly from a sense of intuition and gut instinct. Instead, businesses are using the data available to them through a variety of internal and external sources to make informed decisions that are optimized for the most desired results.

The shift toward data-driven business processes has come at the expense of many business professionals who previously were either not exposed to data analytics at all, or only in the most cursory of manner. Now, these staff are expected to embrace the data analytic culture around them and contribute to the ongoing success of the organization. For many, however, there is a gap between what they currently understand about data analytics, and what they are being asked to do. And unfortunately, fake-it-till-you-make-it really doesn’t work in an analytic world.

My goal with the F1 Analytics blog is to build a community for business professionals who need to work in an analytic culture but feel that their skill sets need improvement. Maybe your educational background didn’t include strong analytic training. Perhaps you are feeling a bit rusty having received training a while ago and simply never having the opportunity to use it until now. Perhaps you are looking for that promotion at work, and you know that executive management will look favorably on staff with stronger analytic skills. Maybe you are even considering crossing over to the dark side and becoming an analyst yourself. If any of these statements sound like you, my friend, then this is a blog you’ll want to pay attention to.

I’ll be releasing new posts once a week on Wednesdays and will be communicating the release of those posts through our private groups on LinkedIn and Facebook: Data Analytics for Non-Analysts. Additional content will be released through the groups as well, including video shorts, live chats, and a lively analytics discussion. To join the group, go to either LinkedIn or Facebook and search for Data Analytics for Non-Analysts. The groups are free to join but are kept private to reduce the amount of spammy posts and junk in your feeds. Trust me, it’s better this way.

The social media groups on Facebook and LinkedIn will also receive additional content not included in the F1 Analytics blog such as video shorts, weekly live chats, and more! These groups really are going to be the place to be to get this fantastic content.

I’ll also be asking for feedback from the community to help all of you receive the information you want to have. So, please do not hesitate to reach out to me either on the groups, or via email community@f1analytics.com.

So don’t wait any longer. Head over to LinkedIn or Facebook (your choice), sign up for the Data Analytics for Non-Analysts Group, and start strengthening your data analysis skills today.

I look forward to seeing you all there!

~ Rob Fornango