The general feeling among some of the newer users of business analytics and algorithms, is that these are there to replace human managers. But in reality, those who have experienced the grind, are aware that a seamless combo is far more effective. Algorithms too require managers, in order to extract the required business insights. Smart algorithms on their own have the propensity to lead their users astray. One of the obvious reasons for that is that they are far too literal in their approach. They are also like black boxes, in the sense that they do find out the factors, but fail to indentify the real reasons behind someone’s success or failure. Managers need to be explicit about the end goals they are seeking. The myopic view has to be replaced with a far- sighted one. Usually, the data captured leads its users towards short- term outcomes, as a result of the algorithms’ focus on data at hand. For the requisite data warehousing, the team needs to be aware of the right input sources. Diversity is key. Before work begins, the manager must also be aware of the limitations that such data imposes upon the user.

Source:https://hbr.org/2016/01/algorithms-need-managers-too?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Uploaded Date:28 January 2020