Author: Myles Gilsenan

Myles has more than 20 years of global experience in the design and deployment of large scale ERP and data warehousing/BI solutions. He spent the first 10 years of his career at a Big 4 consulting firm leading international ERP and BI deployments including Oracle and SAP. He then moved into industry where he held senior management positions in Business Intelligence and Corporate Finance Technology. He has a unique blend of deep experience in both the ERP and BI arenas. Myles has lived and worked in Tokyo, London and Hong Kong and has a demonstrated track record of delivery in complex environments. He has leveraged a blended onshore/offshore model for the last 10 years.

April 22, 2019 - Should You Move Your Enterprise Data Warehouse to the Cloud?

Myles Gilsenan

In many companies, the enterprise data warehouse (EDW) plays a central role in information analysis and decision making. For companies that have them, EDW’s often represent a significant investment in terms of time, cost and resources. They are often used by multiple business units and departments either natively or as a source of data for local data marts. Re-platforming or replacing them can be a significant effort with a large impact on the organization as a whole. Most data warehouses that have been developed prior to the last several years were developed as on-premise or hosted solutions. So, it is natural for there to be some hesitancy when considering a move to the cloud. That said, over the past couple of years, cloud data warehouses now come with some compelling benefits that make it worthwhile to consider the option. First, let’s review some of the benefits of cloud data warehouses, then we will discuss some considerations for deciding whether moving the EDW to the cloud is the right decision for your organization.

Myles Gilsenan

February 28, 2019 - Using Machine Learning in Oracle Analytics Cloud to Predict HR Attrition

Myles Gilsenan

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have become popular mainstream topics. You no doubt have read about them or seen programs about them. Typically, they are presented as very complex topics that require specialized computer processing and large teams of highly experienced data scientists. This was true for many years but it is beginning to change and Oracle is at the forefront of this change. Oracle has built machine learning capabilities directly into its Cloud BI platform, Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC), thereby making functionality like ML and predictive analytics available to regular business analysts (BAs). BAs who are willing to explore this new functionality will find a broad array of ML capabilities that don’t require an extensive background in ML or data science. They will be able to interact with and analyze data in ways they previously have not done and they will be able to add a whole new level of analytical value to their organization – enabling the data-driven decision making so many organizations are pursuing. This functionality is part of the Data Visualization component of OAC and is natively available without any special licensing. In this post, I will show you how to use the machine learning capabilities in Oracle Analytics Cloud to predict HR attrition. It is easy to use and requires no writing of computer code but here are some quick points to know before we begin:

Myles Gilsenan

January 3, 2019 - 4 ‘Must Ask’ Questions for a Modern BI and Analytics Strategy

Myles Gilsenan

As you are probably aware, the world of data, business intelligence (BI) and analytics has been changing rapidly over the past several years and that trend is expected to continue. It is therefore necessary to look differently and ask some new and different questions when defining a BI and analytics strategy and architecture. In this article, I will outline 4 questions that must be asked when defining a modern BI and analytics strategy. I will not address some ‘old school’ but vitally important topics like, defining your audience, aligning BI objectives to corporate and business unit goals, and understanding the key metrics that drive your business. Those are still necessary and it is assumed that they will be completed. Instead, I will focus on the non-traditional questions that need to be asked. As recently as 2 years ago, these questions might have been optional. But those days are gone. Although I have some strong opinions on the answers, I will only be providing things to consider – not answers.

Myles Gilsenan

July 6, 2017 - 5 Scenarios to Roadmap Your BI and Analytics to the Cloud

Myles Gilsenan

When it comes to moving BI and analytics to the cloud, there are many paths to reach the same goal. So, if you want the power of BI and analytics in the cloud, but think your environment is too complex, take a look as these scenarios. Continue reading “5 Scenarios to Roadmap Your BI and Analytics to the Cloud”

Myles Gilsenan