Interview with Derek Wilson, Founder & CEO of CDO Advisors

Big data analytics and business intelligence industry is on the brink of a transformation. Disruptive technologies such as cloud computing, mobility, IoT and artificial intelligence are driving a significant change in the industry. Consequently, the demand to provide organizations with unprecedented insight into markets and customers is also growing. A company which offers end-to-end data services ranging from data management, business intelligence, predictive analytics, to data vaulting, and virtual chief data officer services is CDO Advisors. We interviewed Derek Wilson, Founder & CEO of the company to understand how analytics and BI platforms have progressed much beyond reporting and analysis of complex data today.

Kindly brief us about the company, its specialization and the services that your company offers.

We offer Power BI, Business Intelligence and predictive analytics consulting services and training for companies. We are a Microsoft and RapidMIner partner.

What is your biggest USP that differentiates the company from competitors?

We focus on projects that can deliver value in 90 days or less. We scope our projects with our customers to ensure there is a business impact as quickly as possible. Yearlong projects don't deliver the results our customers expect.

What does your technology and business roadmap look for the rest of the year?

We focus on Microsoft Power BI and SQL Server for digital transformation and business intelligence. For data science, we leverage the RapidMiner platform. Our RapidMiner powered predictive analytics services empower enterprises with ingenious abilities such as what are the customers more likely to buy, which customers are more likely to churn, who are more likely to accept a marketing campaign and more.

What are the key trends driving the growth in Big Data Analytics/AI/Machine Learning?

For companies to take advantage of these technologies, they must start with small projects that can create impact without high risk. Companies need to build trust in the data science program and the value it can bring. Transitioning from managing by instinct to trusting a model is difficult for people to do.

How is your company helping customers deliver relevant business outcomes through adoption of the company's technology innovations?

Companies leverage us to build out dashboards, data science solutions and business intelligence projects. We can implement new solutions, enhance existing applications, as well as mentor/ train companies. Unlike the conventional data solution providers, we enter into a symbiotic partnership with enterprise to offer customized data services.

Which industry verticals are you currently focusing on? And what is your go-to-market strategy for the same?

We have experience in financial services, oil and gas, manufacturing, healthcare and insurance. We leverage our experience to apply new and inventive solutions across the industries that we serve.

How does your company's rich expertise help uncover patterns with powerful analytics and machine learning?

We have built analytic solutions to reduce customer churn, text mining, next best offer, preventative maintenance.