Success Formula: Science, Business and Programming

Miloš Milovanović | 05. 03. 2018.

In every business, the ultimate dream is the one about the magic success formula. The search for ingredients is very extensive, but they often live next door. So now the greater „magic” becomes the question of using, understanding and connecting those dots. That „magic” even has a name.

„Data Science is actually the applied science in business and programming – the attempt to learn as much as we could, from the data we collect”, says Things Solver CEO Darko Marjanovic. „We try to learn from the data, but not to stop there. We use that knowledge to make useful predictions, on which we should base further business decisions, thus becoming more efficient.”

Now that the hype for big data, AI, machine learning, data science is slowly fading, it is the perfect moment to analyze and use their full potential, Marjanovic concludes.
By showcasing their own stories at the Business Tech Talk at ICT Hub, Vip mobile and Planeta Sport presented their efforts in embracing this potential.

Six instead of two lanes of the „highway”

When Vip mobile started their trip on the big data highway, it had only two lanes – only data in marketing and finances was analyzed. Everything ended there, despite the fact that telecommunications is the area in which the greatest amount of data is collected, says Natali Delic, CTO of Vip mobile and A1 Slovenia.

The data science made it possible to expand the capacity of the highway and now the lanes for analysis are also in sale, HR, technology. That helped these companies solve something that looked impossible – to make evaluation of the potential problems with 4G network capacities, based on the user demand for Internet packages and usage at certain locations. Those information made it possible to improve the 4G network on time in order to optimize the sales support and create good user experience. The scientific analysis of big data, as a joint project of „in house” and experts from Things Solver, helped not to make „blind decisions”.

„We are the perfect ground for using the data science and machine learning – that enables us to provide good advice to our customers, solve problems in real time. For us, the new knowledge does not mean a chance to reduce staff – rather to remove the burden of manual work from them and direct their creative forces”, Delic concludes.

No good and bad data

The new galaxy opened for Planeta Sport the moment they opened their webshop. Getting to know the customers was something they wanted in their „offline” stores – in order to provide better shopping experience.

„We started by defining the main task – and from that perspective, we began to analyze the data we collect. Soon we realized that you keep getting fresh ideas when you actually start analyzing the data. It was crucial not to get lost in these piles in which there is no good and bad data – just the need for knowledge to draw good conclusions”, Planeta Sport CEO Zoran Boskovic describes the first experience with big data. He says the greatest obstacle for full digitalization is in the organizational matters – the companies cannot change fast enough to embrace all the changes. That is why the expectations should be kept on a reasonable level, and the results would certainly be better than expected.

„If you haven’t started yet, do it now”

When we talk about the data science, we must not forget that our projects are made for the success of the business, not of the science – the task of science is to help, says Marjanovic. „It is important to involve the experts from the business, they should ask questions and make final remarks. Everything is in vain if they are not satisfied with the results.”

The message from Planeta Sport CEO is very clear – „if you haven’t started big data yet, do it now”. The fishing for data, as Marjanovic describes this scientific mission, should start as early as possible – just like any other fishing adventure.