Month: March 2018

Episode 05: Business Intelligence Trends and Challenges

March 29, 2018 David Weaver Business Intelligence 31:16

I recently sat down with Dr. Boris Michel to discuss the topic of Business Intelligence. Boris is a part of INFORM’s Business Intelligence unit and has worked with some very large and exciting companies in their quests to more intelligently use the data they collect in the business arena. In the interview, we got into some questions that help discover what is hidden behind this shiny, fancy term of business intelligence. Boris talks about some of the latest trends and challenges associated with business intelligence, and we close out the interview with a peak into what the future may hold for this field. So without further ado, here is my interview with Dr. Boris Michel:

Show Notes

Introduction Boris Michel (3:02)

Buzzer Beater round – 5 rapid fire questions (4:35)

Pie Chart or Bar Graph? (7:14)

What is Business Intelligence (BI) all about? (8:10)

Finding relations in seemingly unrelated data (10:42)

How BI goes beyond data visualization (12:09)

Decision-making based on prepared data (14:20)

Challenge of data quality (16:00)

Other challenges for successful use of BI (18:31)

Does every company need a data scientist (19:37)

Current trends in the BI space (22:27)

Chatbots and BI (23:43)

BI and IoT (26:37)

Specific industry with most potential for BI? (27:41)

BI in 2020 – a peak into the future (28:30)

If you have any questions regarding this episode, be sure to write us an email at buzzittalk@gmail.com or connect with Dr. Boris Michel on LinkedIn!

Episode 04: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Operations Research

March 15, 2018 David Weaver Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning 33:18

In episode 04, I sat down with Dr. Ulrich Dorndorf to discuss the topics of operations research, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Ulrich is the chief technical officer for INFORM Software and is a member of the executive board for the operations research association based in Germany.

In this episode, we look at some general definitions for these technologies and how we are interacting with them on a daily basis. We dive into several practical examples of how businesses can benefit from their successful implementation as well as the changing role of humans within some industries. While predicting the future in the tech space is often a shot in the dark, we nevertheless discussed how these technologies may further impact our lives in the coming years. So without further ado, here is my interview with Dr. Ulrich Dorndorf:

Show Notes:

Introduction Ulrich Dorndorf (2:35)

Interesting Artificial Intelligence (AI) Headlines from recent weeks (3:37)

Definition AI (7:11)

Definition Machine Learning (ML) (8:58)

Have ML capabilities reached their limits? (11:10)

Operations Research (OR) (12:37)

Are AI and OR complimentary technologies? (16:18)

Examples of AI applications in the business world (18:21)

Is the end of human work in some industries upon us? (23:04)

Are AI powered robots going to take over the world? (26:05)

Predictions for these technologies in the coming years (29:28)

Episode 03: Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrencies

March 1, 2018 David Weaver Blockchain, General 48:49

In episode 03, I had the opportunity to speak with Jeff George from RGL Forensics and Joshua McDougall from Duff and Phelps on the topics of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.

In this episode, aside from covering the general definitions for blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, we looked at some practical examples for the use of cryptocurrencies as well as some issues surrounding these emerging assets. Josh and Jeff also shared their insights on how people using cryptocurrencies can stay safe and they provide some tips on how to avoid Ponzi schemes. So without further ado, here is my interview with Jeff George and Joshua McDougall:

 

Show Notes:

Introductions: Jeff George and Joshua McDougall (3:27)

General Terminology: cryptocurrencies and blockchain (5:26)

Seizing or acquiring blockchain based assets (12:33)

Validating a transaction (15:22)

Can anyone have a cryptocurrency wallet? (19:03)

What are the risks associated with possessing these assets? (19:34)

Options for using recently obtained cryptocurrencies (21:17)

What is the safest way to set up a cryptocurrency account? (23:24)

How are assets being traced on blockchains? (26:08)

Can anyone create a coin? (28:39)

Are there examples of fraudulent initial coin offerings? (32:21)

Does a cryptocurrency need to have blockchain technology? (35:33)

What are some other potential applications for #blockchain tech? (39:10)

Would Jeff and Josh sell their cars for bitcoins? (42:10)

Where will cryptocurrency and blockchain tech be in 5 years? (44:14)

You can Connect with Jeff George and Joshua McDougall on LinkedIn.