Book excerpt: Transforming data into revenue generating strategies and actions Organizations are swamped with data—collected from web traffic, point of sale systems, enterprise resource planning systems, and more, but what to do with it? Monetizing your Data provides a framework and path for business managers to convert ever-increasing volumes of data into revenue generating actions through three disciplines: decision architecture, data science, and guided analytics. There are large gaps between understanding a business problem and knowing which data is relevant to the problem and how to leverage that data to drive significant financial performance. Using a proven methodology developed in the field through delivering meaningful solutions to Fortune 500 companies, this book gives you the analytical tools, methods, and techniques to transform data you already have into information into insights that drive winning decisions. Beginning with an explanation of the analytical cycle, this book guides you through the process of developing value generating strategies that can translate into big returns. The companion website, www.monetizingyourdata.com, provides templates, checklists, and examples to help you apply the methodology in your environment, and the expert author team provides authoritative guidance every step of the way. This book shows you how to use your data to: Monetize your data to drive revenue and cut costs Connect your data to decisions that drive action and deliver value Develop analytic tools to guide managers up and down the ladder to better decisions Turning data into action is key; data can be a valuable competitive advantage, but only if you understand how to organize it, structure it, and uncover the actionable information hidden within it through decision architecture and guided analytics. From multinational corporations to single-owner small businesses, companies of every size and structure stand to benefit from these tools, methods, and techniques; Monetizing your Data walks you through the translation and transformation to help you leverage your data into value creating strategies.