“ If you are in a certain domain for a very long time you become more of a subject matter expert and depth-oriented person rather than becoming somebody who can think beyond the traditional way of approaching things. For AI & Analytics which is more of a horizontal function, it works well if you come with a cross-industry experience. If you see many of the successful leaders in the analytics space they don't come from a single domain and are generally able to set up teams with the curiosity to learn about the new domain. The cross-pollination of ideas across industries is what sets them up for success”

– Excerpt from the interview with Bharathram Ramakrishnan

Today is Episode 21 of the Interview series on Expert-Talks, with Thought Leaders in the Analytics, AI and Transformation space.  For this episode, our CEO Mahadevann Iyerr (Mahaa) is in conversation with Bharathram Ramakrishnan ( Bharath ), Global Head of Data Science and AI, at Novartis.  Before Novartis, Bharath was the Global Head of Data Science and Analytics at Dupont. He also held  Analytics leadership roles at Shell, TCS and Mu Sigma. Bharath holds a PhD in AI, an MBA in Systems and a Bachelor in Electronics Engineering.

We are listing below a few key points from the interview :

·         Bharath highlights the significance of understanding domain-specific challenges and being able to communicate effectively with business stakeholders. He emphasizes the need for collaboration within analytics teams and across departments to achieve success in delivering analytics solutions.

·         Key functional areas for business analytics in Pharma include operations, research, and distribution, each requiring high accuracy and reliability.

·         In the pharmaceutical industry, there's a push for faster delivery of impactful analytics, necessitating innovative approaches like synthetic data to bypass red tape.

·         Generative AI is predominantly used in research and development within Pharma, aiding in summarizing large volumes of documents for decision-making, while explainable AI remains crucial for ensuring safety, reliability, and compliance within the industry.

·         The interview touches upon the shift towards freelance and remote work arrangements in the industry, necessitating adaptability from both organizations and employees.

·         The top 3 areas an aspiring analytics professional needs to develop, are curiosity about domain challenges; effective communication with business stakeholders; and a collaborative work approach

 You can watch/listen to the interview on our Website, YouTube, Apple, Amazon Music and Spotify podcasts on the links given in the comments section below.  Please do share your comments and subscribe/follow us on @maavrus on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

The point is, how can we create an ancillary ecosystem based on Generative AI capabilities? So that is where the crux for people like me will be because I am not going to focus on creating a chat GPT backend engine. My focus would be on how I can use them for my business needs, right? How can I improve my product description based on an understanding of Google Search parameters, to help improve my organic search ranking, and hence improve my Marketing RoI – Excerpt from the interview with Bhargab Dutta

Today is Episode 20 of the Interview series on Expert-Talks, with Thought Leaders in the Analytics, AI and Transformation space.  For this episode, our CEO Mahadevann Iyerr (Mahaa) is in conversation with Bhargab Dutta, Chief Digital Officer at Century Plybvoards.  Before Century Plyboards, Bhargab was Director of Digital & Analytics CoE at Colgate Palmolive India Ltd. He has also held leadership roles in Digital & Analytics at Aditya Birla Group, General Mills and Honeywell. He is recognised as among the Top 10 Chief Digital Officers in India by CEO Insights Magazine and Top 100 AI leaders by 3AI.

We are listing below a few key points from the interview :

• Bhargab emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making, incremental growth, and cost-saving opportunities for organizations.
• Domain expertise plays a crucial role in articulating solutions and identifying the right data points.
• Analytics leaders should tailor their analytics journey & approach based on an organization's technology & Data maturity.
• Situational awareness is key in analytics and transformation journeys, allowing for immediate course correction and redefining solutions.
• New technologies, such as neurovision-based analytics , geospatial analytics and AI, are gaining ground in understanding end consumers and their buying patterns in the FMCG industry.
• Advice for Aspiring Data Scientists and Digital Professionals- Invest at least 5 years in one domain for depth of industry exposure. Focus on basics, especially statistics, before pursuing advanced topics like machine learning. Emphasize defining the problem statement before jumping into solution mode.

 You can watch/listen to the interview on our Website, YouTube, Apple, Amazon Music and Spotify podcasts on the links given in the comments section below.  Please do share your comments and subscribe/follow us on @maavrus on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Attribution has been word talked about and made more complicated as well. Thanks to a lot of the analytics products and companies who have come through, I would say there is an inherent bias to let people not properly attribute. It is better to focus on the efficiency & effectiveness of each channel. By getting a very strong UTM framework implemented at each channel, you will be able to tell for eg that 50% of my traffic comes from organic, 30% comes from Google, and Facebook, 10-20% comes from CRM, and thereby help maximise the effectiveness of each channel for eg in performance marketing can I reduce that bidding on my keyword so that I can let the organic traffic flow?

– Excerpt from the interview with Saurabh Agrawal.

Today is Episode 19 of the Interview series on Expert-Talks, with Thought Leaders in the Analytics, AI and Transformation space.  For this episode, our CEO Mahadevann Iyerr (Mahaa) is in conversation with Saurabh Agrawal, Founder & CEO of DAIOM ( Data and AI in OmniChannel ).  Before DAIOM, Saurabh was SVP of Analytics and Growth Marketing at LENSKART. He has also held leadership roles in Digital, AI and Analytics at MothersonSUMI,  Tata Insights & Quants and American Express. Saurabh speaks frequently at industry forums on leveraging marketing analytics to enable profitable business growth.

We are listing below a few key points from the interview :

• The key areas where analytics plays a role in D2C brands are growth marketing, customer experience, and financial profitability. These areas help drive business growth and increase customer engagement.

• D2C brands are expanding into physical stores to bridge the gap between online and offline customer experiences. This allows customers to overcome challenges like size and product quality, and helps build brand identity and trust.

• Digital native brands have an advantage in terms of tech agility and nimbleness compared to traditional brick and mortar retailers. Process digitization and consistent store experiences are essential in ensuring a seamless customer journey.

• Data availability and quality are challenges in the omnichannel world. Customer identity management and unifying data from different tech systems are crucial for effective analytics and personalized customer experiences.

• Influencer marketing can be a cost-effective way for brands to reach their target audience. It is important to choose the right influencers based on their audience, engagement, and relevance to the brand, and to measure the impact of influencer campaigns using attribution and analytics.

• Balancing digital marketing spend across different channels is essential for reaching the right audience. While traditional media can still be effective for brand recall, digital channels offer more targeted and measurable results. Consistent and measurable efforts in organic and influencer marketing can lead to a higher ROI.

 You can watch/listen to the interview on our Website, YouTube, Apple, Amazon Music and Spotify podcasts on the links below.  Please do share your comments and subscribe/follow us on @maavrus on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.