Cogxen

Appearance

Effective Analytics Translator ​

As an analytics professional, you're well-versed in technical terms like Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and R-squared values. These metrics are essential for evaluating the performance of your models and are frequently discussed with your immediate team members and analytics manager. However, senior management typically has different priorities. Their focus lies in business metrics such as:

  • Year-over-year growth
  • Net revenue
  • Margin
  • Return on Investment (ROI)
  • Sales conversion rates

To be effective, you need to be bilingual: fluent in both the language of analytics and the language of business.

If you’re leading a project, it's your responsibility to ensure that everyone outside the analytics team understands the business implications of your work. This means translating complex analytical results into straightforward business terms that resonate with stakeholders.

The Role of an Analytics Translator ​

At the start of any project, your task is to translate a business objective into a modeling objective. For example, if the goal is to increase customer retention, you might develop a predictive model to identify at-risk customers.

After you've developed and tested your model, the next step is to translate its performance into business metrics. Instead of discussing RMSE, you might present how your model could potentially reduce customer churn by a certain percentage, thereby increasing revenue.

When the Role is Undefined ​

In some cases, your manager might not have a background in analytics but come from a related field such as Business Intelligence (BI), IT, finance, or marketing. When this happens, the translation role may be unclear. It's up to you to step in and either share this role or take it over entirely. Raise the issue gently and, if you're confident, volunteer for additional responsibilities.

Structuring Your Projects for Clarity ​

When managing multiple analytics tasks, it's essential to keep things organized. Define projects by their target variable and algorithmic approach. If a project involves text mining, cluster analysis, and supervised learning, consider splitting it into three distinct projects. Each should have its own:

  • Project lead
  • Timeline
  • Budget

If you’re the only member of your team, you might lead all three projects sequentially to ensure clarity and manageability.

Keep management updated on your progress by breaking down complex projects into simpler, manageable parts. This way, you avoid overwhelming them with technical details and can focus on how each project contributes to the overall business goal.

The Concept of a Program ​

Think of a program as a collection of related projects aimed at achieving a common business goal. When communicating value to management, discuss the program level. This approach helps highlight how individual projects combine to solve larger business problems.

Supporting Your Supervisor ​

If your supervisor is adept at translating between analytics and business languages, support them. Help anticipate their questions and meticulously document your projects. If they struggle with understanding analytics, do your best to stay focused on your role while ensuring management grasps the business implications of your work.


Being an effective analytics translator means seamlessly shifting between technical and business languages. By clearly defining projects, communicating effectively, and supporting your team, you can ensure that your analytical work has a tangible business impact. Embrace this role with curiosity and a willingness to learn, and you'll not only improve your communication skills but also significantly contribute to your organization's success.