I’ve always been skeptical of fortune tellers…mostly because I have a low tolerance for nonsense, or things not rooted in fact. And the nerve — who are you to tell me that severe financial turmoil is in my future? I don’t even know you!
However, on the business side of things, not at least considering the possibilities of what could be…could be disastrous for your organization: What happens to your business if your top customer leaves? How will a 20% spike in fuel costs affect your operating profit? Will your newest product be as big of a success in the European market as it is in North America?
No one can ever predict the future (prove me wrong, fortune tellers), but with predictive analytics, leading companies are telling us that they can get pretty close, by being proactive and getting a jump on critical decisions.
And indeed, with predictive analytics’ proactive approach, leading businesses (“Leaders”) are also setting themselves up for future success, and thus, far less uncertainty and fear:
What’s most stark here is that, other than the vast gulf between Leaders and Followers, organizations without a predictive analytics approach remained flat year-over-year in organic revenue growth. It’s safe to say that they’ve missed out on some critical business opportunities that could have propelled the business forward in a big way.
So while I don’t trust a fortune teller in the least (and you probably shouldn’t trust your business with someone like Miss Cleo), leading businesses find that predictive analytics is the closest sure-thing to a fortune teller actually delivering on the answers to burning questions — and delivering fast information and elevated business performance.
For even more on this topic, check out the related report, Predictive is Proactive: Getting a Jump on Critical Decisions.