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Dataviz 30practical Examples
Dataviz 30practical Examples
30
practical examples
to better understand data visualization
dataviz
Data visualization: Is it still only a concept, or is it a reality for organizations? To
find out, we conducted a study involving organizations from a variety of
business sectors (industry, media, transport, distribution, services, etc.). The
result is this book, in which more than 30 companies describe not just the
theoretical advantages of visually representing data, but concrete projects that
are already producing results.
Their insights and expert opinions will help you understand data visualization
and how to use it in your organization.
Introduction
charts, tables? It's true that data is all around us; yet
intelligence approaches.
1
1
1
1.1 Defining data visualization
Data visualization is a hot topic these days. As with all buzzwords, it becomes a catch-all term, and not many of us know what it
truly means. Luckily, we wont be alone in our search for data visualizations meaning and value, because the expert
contributors to this book have agreed to help. So lets start by defining the term.
SAS defines data visualization as "the visual and interactive exploration and graphical representation of data of whatever size
(from small data to big data), nature or origin. It allows users to identify phenomena or trends that are invisible at first glance."
Data visualization is the art of visual representation for encouraging the best
possible comprehension.
Jrme Tharaud,
Head of Research and Development,
Prisma Media
numbers. Guillaume Deschamps of "exploit"
"quicker, better undersatnding"
Lets examine a couple of
STMicroelectronics describes data Using data visualization to exploit It also fosters a communication
interesting terms from the
visualization as "a way of
data (for decision making) does not flow because visualization allows
quotes above
"visual form"
Representing data in a visual
format is the foundation of data
visualization.
"facilitate access"
Graphical representation should
always serve some purpose, the
first of which is to enable easier
access to the information
conveyed by the data. For most of
us, it is easier and more satisfaying
to look at a chart than a series of
"deduce insights"
Data visualization not only allows
intellectual comprehension, it also
transforms raw data into practical
information.
"sharing information"
Information sharing is also a
means of communication that
prevents data from remaining
isolated within the BI or strategy
realms and allows it to permeate
the whole organization and
become a tool for decision
Data visualization is not an end in itself; it is a means for meaningful production used to better
understand phenomena. In other words, we provide professionals with the ability to better grasp a
reality that they already know by suggesting they consider other points of view.
Maguelonne Chandesris,
Head of the Statistics Team, Econometrics and Data Mining,
Innovation and Research Directorate SNCF
I was manager of our KPI project, and as a result I managed the rationalization and optimization of our
performance indicators. The important thing with this project, that in time it will be generalized and deployed
across the sales teams, as a catalyst for the decision-making process and supported by data visualization. It will
help answer questions like, what can we do to perform better? In what areas do we need to intensify eorts to
quickly obtain specific results?
Sandrine Noail,
Head of Control and Analysis, Coliposte
Dorina Ghiliotto-Young,
Head of Innovation,
Ingenico
1
A brief history of
data visualization
The graphical representation of statistical data has its roots in the work of the Scottish statistician
William Playfair (1759-1823). He invented tools that we still use today - the circular (or pie) chart, the bar
chart and the line graph. At a time when the Cartesian tradition of using mathematical functions
dominated, he highlighted the importance of graphs for representing data. Playfair asserted that simply displaying data in the
form of points and shapes on a chart can improve comprehension. It is one of the ironies of history that , Playfair remained
largely misunderstood by his contemporaries.1
In the 19th century, another trailblazer was Charles-Joseph Minard. He became famous for his "figurative" map of the
successive losses of men in the French army in the Russian Campaign of 1812-1813, published in 1869.2
Minard succeeded in representing (in a single diagram) data of dierent forms such as numbers of troops, geographical
features (distances, towns and water courses), temperatures and directions (toward Russia or in the opposite direction).
1.Howard Wainer : "William Playfair" (version 3). StatProb: The Encyclopedia Sponsored by Statistics and Probability Societies.
Freely available at http://statprob.com/encyclopedia/WilliamPLAYFAIR.html
2.http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Minard.png
1
Why does a graph say more about the
data than the data itself?
In 1973, statistician Francis Anscombe created his eponymous Anscombe's
quartet to show that a graph is more capable of showing the reality behind the
data than the data itself. The quartet takes the form of four sets of X and Y data
as shown below.
When looking at the tables, it is hard to understand what events and properties
are being represented?
To see more clearly, you can perform some statistical calculations to identify
properties. And then, lo and behold, you can see that the four sets have identical
properties. It would therefore be tempting to believe that the four sets represent
similar data.
If you plot the data sets as points on a graph, however, you will notice that they
represent completely dierent models!
Property
Value
9.0
10.0
7.5
3.75
III
II
IV
10.0
8.04
10.0
9.14
10.0
7.46
8.0
6.58
8.0
6.95
8.0
8.14
8.0
6.77
8.0
5.76
13.0
7.58
13.0
8.74
13.0
12.74
8.0
7.71
9.0
8.81
9.0
8.77
9.0
7.11
8.0
8.84
11.0
8.33
11.0
9.26
11.0
7.81
8.0
8.47
14.0
9.96
14.0
8.10
14.0
8.84
8.0
7.04
6.0
7.24
6.0
6.13
6.0
6.08
8.0
5.25
4.0
4.26
4.0
3.10
4.0
5.39
19.0
12.50
12.0
10.84
12.0
9.13
12.0
8.15
8.0
5.56
7.0
4.82
7.0
7.26
7.0
6.42
8.0
7.91
5.0
5.68
5.0
4.74
5.0
5.73
8.0
6.89
II
III
IV
816
y=3+0.5x
The Anscombes quartet goes at the right hand side of the page, the entire
text on this page on the left hand side!
Data visualization allows you to ask new questions about series of data whose
diering characteristics could otherwise remain unnoticed.
10
1
1.2 What is data visualization used for ?
Now that you have a better understanding of what data visualization is, lets examine its practical uses. Data visualization is
applied to a wide array of activities among the organizations we interviewed.
Our panel represented the following business sectors:
FMCG or Fast Moving Consumer Goods (LOral and Ubisoft)
B2B services (Accenture)
Manufacturing (Ingenico, Philips, Schlumberger and STMicroelectronics)
Media (BFM Business, France Tlvisions, InfoPro and Prisma Media)
Marketing and advertising (IFR-GfK, Lagardre Active, PagesJaunes and SM-Marketing Convergence)
Scientific research (IMEC)
Public service (SPF conomie)
Telecom (Alcatel-Lucent, Orange and SFR)
Transport and logistics (Aroports de Paris, ID Logistics, SNCF and Voyages-sncf.com)
All of these organizations use data visualization either to improve certain things that they were already doing (optimization) or
to supplement their activity around value-added tasks (innovation).
Regarding optimization, Lagardre Active for example was able to accelerate production, and STMicroelectronics was able to
enhance the performance of its manufacturing processes thanks to data visualization.
To innovate, PagesJaunes identified and closed gaps in its indexing thanks to data visualization. Voyages-sncf.com introduced
an innovative service to the transportation and logistics market (Mytripset). And Alcatel Lucent is envisioning tomorrow's
mobile applications.
11
We wanted to provide the board with a real management tool. In other words, we
wanted a dashboard with all the strategic indicators required to make decisions.
12
Source: SAS
13
Data visualization as a
reporting tool
We have been using SAS for years for scientific projects. A few years ago we also started
using it for our company reports.
We started o with a simple parameter (telephone use by our sta) and then added new fields in succession
in order to gradually enter all information in the BI environment.
We use the solution mainly to represent the indicators we need to produce for the Flemish government, for
example, with regard to the number of publications produced by our researchers, the number of doctorates
or even our activities that lead to companies being founded (spinos).
In addition, we also produce reports to visualize our scheduling and performance in terms of how our
resources are used.
14
15
16
Our activity is focused around three main channels: points of sale, customer call
centers and our online boutique at sfr.fr. We are developing our dataviz solutions
with the view to optimize the management of these channels. Above all, our eorts are aimed at improving
management and better understanding our KPIs. In this sense, our projects are very focused 'activity
indicators'... Our data visualization development is therefore associated with bringing together numerous
sources of data in order to find relationships and causes in them.
Franois NGUYEN,
Director for IT and Relationship Marketing, SFR
17
Source: SAS
A good customer relationship also requires clear answers to these questions: . What are their interests and behaviors? How do
you segment them? The ability to examine the data using data visualization enables you to get those answers. More about this
later in part two.
Data visualization for better
qualification of customers
magazines, with more than 3 million customers. We would like to develop the analysis
capabilities of our CRM by integrating the dataviz tools into it in order to benefit from a refined overview of
our range of clients.
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising,
Technology Directorate, Lagardre Active
18
The sources of data at SNCF are extremely varied, with many possible fields of
application. We first worked with dataviz back in 2010 and are currently running
several projects aimed at various topics: information, traveler frequency and economic impacts, yield
management and energy-related matters.
Maguelonne Chandesris,
Head of the Statistics Team,
Econometrics and Data Mining,
Innovation and Research Directorate, SNCF
19
Charles du Rau,
Consumer & Market Knowledge Director,
Ubisoft
20
Geolocalization associated with dataviz is an indisputable asset for marketing. It allows us to highlight our
catchment areas or to set up a mapping of groups and companies we are targeting. There is no doubt it is a
powerful tool that we use in our competitive analysis.
21
22
Philippe Nieuwbourg,
independent analyst-journalist in decision-making IT
23
Empowering citizens
Data visualization also has its uses outside the business realm. It can help better inform citizens and empower them to act. Two
examples illustrate this nicely: data visualizations available to the public by the Belgian Ministry for the Economy via the Federal
Public Service Economy and the Pariteur" application placed online by France Tlvisions.
Caroline Denil,
Project Manager, SPF Economie
24
Dorina Ghiliotto-Young,
Head of Innovation,
Ingenico
26
1
1.3 An innovation or a revolution?
Strictly speaking, graphical representations of statistical data are not new. They can be traced back to the 18th century. Skeptics
would use its history to argue that data visualization is in no way revolutionary.
However, Claude-Henri Mldo, co-founder of Aldecis (experts in dashboards and organizational performance systems)
reminded us that the term revolution in itself contains the concept of revolving or returning.
And if you insist that using graphics to represent data is nothing new, then that is simply because we have recently returned to it
and found a power and potential that was never before discovered.
Data visualization marks a watershed in the history of business intelligence. Modern data visualization is based on a series of
major innovations that enable it to reach its full potential.
In the following pages, youll read about the big data movement, and how advancements in neuroscience and the development
of new terminals and new interfaces for accessing information have made data visualization an important feature of the
changing face of data analysis.
Big data
Big data refers to both the current data-explosion phenomenon and the technology for handling it.
Its three primary characteristics are often described as the three Vs: Volume, Variety and Velocity .
Several studies have clearly highlighted these characteristics in particular Big Data Analytics (TDWI Research, August 2010),
Big Data: The next frontier for innovation, competition and productivity (McKinsey, June 2011), or even The Deciding Factor:
Big Data & Decision Making (Capgemini, June 2012).
27
580
annual
growth
75
2009
67%
2007
0,8 ZO*
2020
35 ZO*
2011
4. http://www.sas.com/big-data/
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Velocity
+
Volume
+
Variety
x Visualization = Value
Frdrique Pain,
Experience Strategy Director, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs
The challenge we have with big data is information that is more and more voluminous, and therefore we
really must address the complexity for it to stand out. We also have a challenge with big data in how it is used
for enhancing analysis. Visualization must rightly allow a benefit to be obtained by allowing new questions
about the data to emerge.
Fabrice Benaut,
CIO global IFR, head of IS and Operations, IFR Monitoring
29
1
An example of data visualization in
pharmaceutical research
Matters of patient health and safety require strong oversight in order to identify risks and avoid public health disasters. The
intensity of required monitoring is constantly rising. Monitoring the safety and ecacy of medicines in the approval phase
and once they are in the marketplace is critical. Measures in the field require careful and thorough analysis.
Source: SAS
This graph displays the frequency and severity of certain side eects. In particular, the correlation matrix shows a strong link
between a specific medicine, Thiazolidinedione, and chest pain.
To illustrate the importance of analytics in the pharmaceutical industry and the role that data visualization can play, think about
the role of regulatory oversight for patient health and safety in order to identify potential risks and avoid public health problems.
31
Andrew Musselman,
Data Scientist, Engineer and Architect in Accenture's Big Data Department dAccenture
The movement footprint (as exhibited at the Architecture and Heritage Exhibition, from April to August 20127).
7. http://www.orange.com/m_fr/sponsoring/culture/Cite-de-l-architecture-et-du-patrimoine
32
1
The movement footprint, at the crossroads
between art, business and big data
Our work with data visualization is part of our overall big data approach. In this context, implementing
dedicated tools enables processing large volumes of data (and specific operator data). Even though data
visualization is a tool for evaluating data that can be used independently of big data, it is clear to us that the
two are closely linked.
Our projects are aimed at customers with the view to oering them, in time, products or services in line with
their requirements. An initiative developed at group level, l'empreinte de movement (movement footprint),
analyzes and adds value to movement information collected for one or more individuals.
With this approach, we start from physical points and initially integrate a short-term window with data being
captured at regular intervals (for example, every seven minutes). The result is a type of surface area or
footprint that we are able to represent visually.
This visualization reflects the degree of inactivity (one way of reading it) and highlights the ground covered,
but also shows the habits of the individual from the dierent routes. The tool uses logarithmic representation
in such a way as not to obscure the details. By increasing the observation time (over several days or weeks)
and including a longer-term window, we increase the relevance of the individual footprint. The resulting
analysis is enhanced in the same way.
Catherine Ramus,
Team Design Project Leader, Orange
33
Your vision, controlled by the visual cortex located at the back of the brain, is very
fast and eective. You can see things immediately with little eort. Conscious thought,
which is controlled mainly by the cerebral cortex at the front of the brain, is a lot slower and less eective.
The conventional way of representing and making sense of data requires conscious thought for almost the whole
process. However, data visualization shifts the performance balance to the visual side of perception, taking
advantage of the speed of our eyes as much as possible.
Source :
Few, Stephen (2013): Data Visualization for Human Perception.
In: Soegaard, Mads and Dam, Rikke Friis (eds.).
The Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, 2nd Ed.
Aarhus, Denmark: The Interaction Design Foundation. Available online at http://www.interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/
data_visualization_for_human_perception.html
34
8. Holding a master's degree in communication technology from the University of Washington and a degree in physics from the Reed
Faculty, Noah Illinski (@noahl) is an IT developer who focuses on how to eectively approach visual representations of information.
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-oiKt7bUU8
10. The full conference is available at: http://fr.slideshare.net/Cooperatique/noah-iliinsky-prsente-la-dataviz
11. http://www.01net.com/editorial/592687/chute-historique-des-ventes-mondiales-de-pc-au-1er-tri-mestre-2013/.
12. http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/internet-mobile/les-ventes-de-tablettes-depasseraient-celles-des-pc-0413.shtml
35
The spread of our data visualization solutions came about in a trivial way, due to a
restricted group (that we want to expand). That is, those who use an iPad. And more
And this is just a start. The progress in making more and more intuitive man-machine interfaces (MMIs) is opening new
horizons for data visualization.
Renewed interest in MMIs - a source of
innovation for data visualization
For us, data visualization has a bright future, in particular with the soon-tocome touch tiles, which promises even more interactive graphical
representations, and the boom that tablets and 3-D are bound to create. These technological advances will
change the ways of representing things. As proof, INRIA is currently experimenting with multiscreen
visualization, involving the user's gestures.
1
1.4 For whom is data visualization intended?
Lets clarify a point of confusion data visualization is not just for big data. While data visualization makes sense when dealing
with large volumes of data, it would be wrong to suggest that data visualization is only for large organizations or very large data
sets. As highlighted by SAS Jrme Cornillet (in section 1.3), smaller organizations are just as likely to process large volumes of
data and want to do so in the easiest way possible, without having to bring in statistical analysis experts.
If you look at the profiles of those who use data visualization, you will notice that they are wide-ranging, but they can be
grouped into three broad categories:
The general public.
Internal stakeholders (management, workers or service providers).
External partners.
Some use cases of data visualization by the general public have already been mentioned e.g. France Tlvision's Pariteur
app and data access for citizens provided by the Belgian Ministry for the Economy. In these examples, you can see that the same
application can be targeted at dierent audiences.
This is particularly true with data provided by the Belgian FPS (Federal Public Service) Economy: "On the one hand, our data is
available for the general public who access it via an open data portal, and on the other for users at the National Statistics Oce,"
explains Caroline Denil.
The challenge is in determining the most appropriate methods of access and visualization for each group (more about this later).
38
13. http://ecorama.inbox.fr
39
Of course, data visualization allows our content to be evaluated, but above all I see definite value for
responding to three essential objectives.
With regard to audience, it is the way to make our content available to everyone (e.g., ranking engineering
schools) or our mapping of BTS.
Secondly, it is the ability to bring real added value to the way we manage our subscriptions, which is not
negligible in view of the challenging media landscape that we face.
Furthermore, it is no longer a question of traditional subscriptions to magazines, but real subscriptions to
information systems; With Industry Explorer, for example, we oer access to magazines, but we also oer a
file-by-file consultation of information about companies. This is how we are able to enhance our editorial
product while at the same time developing the revenue from our subscriptions.
Finally, we use dataviz to develop specific business lines. With the mapping feature, in particular, we have at
our fingertips a value that goes beyond the value of the subscription alone which was impossible with
conventional technological resources. For example, you can consult a map of all the factories in Aquitaine (a
province in France) that are planning to invest more than 10 million euros next year.
40
Making decisions
based on key
indicators
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising Production, Technology Directorate,
Direction des Technologies Lagardre Active
42
In time, once our system has been put into production, it will be aimed at both
technical teams and business teams. In fact, it is the latter that contribute largely to
the development process because they are responsible for setting the parameters, qualifying the data and
feeding the engine. The system will help them with reporting and monitoring the quality of the service
oered to online users.
Eric Lajarige,
Head of Search Project, PagesJaunes
43
1
PagesJaunes automatically detecs badly categorized requests
Martin Daniel,
Head of Data Visual Project, 55
44
1
PagesJaunes search analytics interface
(The closer the figures in the columns Anage or Localit are to 1, the greater the
probability that the professional has been assigned the wrong labels in the database.)
45
Because the "base" data is quantitative, data visualization is a real means of exploiting it.
All business divisions or areas are aected. Further, even qualitative data can be put into
images; it just needs to be converted into numerical values (e.g., not happy equals one point, very satisfied
equals seven points). Data visualization is very eective for marketing in particular, as it allows you to present
quantitative data in a visual form to visual thinkers, and is therefore easier and quicker for them to digest.
Laurence Kerjean,
Global Digital Manager, LOral
Sometimes you can encounter business units not very attuned to the field. Until now, these business units have not had the
right reporting or analysis tools. Data visualization is able to bridge this gap.
Data visualization, a tool for understanding the
competitive environment
In order to analyze competition, our tools are aimed principally at the purchasing, sales and marketing
departments. In this regard, they provide targeted sector-based intelligence useful for defining our strategy.
46
Franck Jouenne,
Director, IT & Services Strategic Sourcing, Alcatel-Lucent
Thanks to its practical side, data visualization leaves the oce and brings the power of analytics to the field. Operations teams
are able to use it to make decisions quickly, as is the case with STMicroelectronics.
When implementing our dataviz solutions, we aim them at all of our employees: from the
typical worker, the engineers to the head of department. In this respect, a worker will more
likely use control cards and machine status charts, for example, while the head of department will be more
interested in performance trends.
Guillaume Deschamps,
FMT/Central Functions YTI/EDA, STMicroelectronics
47
Maguelonne Chandesris,
Head of the Statistics Team,
Econometrics and Data Mining,
Innovation and Research Directorate SNCF
48
The energy sector is another industry where data visualization has turned out to be very useful.
Source: SAS
ways to use
data
visualization
51
2
2
52
2
2.1 Data visualization makes data easier to understand
From a theoretical standpoint, the example of Anscombe's quartet (in part 1) illustrated that a spreadsheet of raw data is not
always easy to interpret and that a graph often speaks for itself.
From a practical point of view, the panel we interviewed confirms the theory: When our goal is to give data a meaning, then
graphical representation is a major ally.
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising,
Technology Directorate, Lagardre Active
53
Frdrique Ville,
Innovation Director, Voyages-sncf.com
Mytripset, Voyages-sncf.com
54
2
Mytripset, Voyagessncf.com
Our unique advantage is that we can simultaneously aggregate and visualize data from dierent
structures production data (trains) and commercial data (how many empty seats are left in the trains?). We
are making the complexity of the system visible.1
Maguelonne Chandesris,
Head of the Statistics Team, Econometrics and Data Mining,
Innovation and Research Directorate, SNCF
We created new information that was not previously available, just by combining dierent data sources.
Yves Daelmans,
ICT Project Manager, IMEC
Data visualization allows complexity to be represented and interpreted more easily interpreted in order to extract the most value
from it. This is what Bernard Lebelle, founder of the Bleu-Cobalt agency, explained in his books Convaincre avec des
graphiques ecaces (Convincing with eective graphs) (Eyrolles, 2009) and Dites-le en images: des ides? Un crayon! (Say it
with pictures: Any ideas? A pencil!) (Eyrolles, 2013).
55
Visualizing complex dimensions (time, geographic, relational) allows us to better identify growth areas of
productivity, competitiveness or margin. In the above example, we have four elements (turnover, market
segments, changes over time and two dierent stakeholders) represented on a single graph. By enhancing
and optimizing the way data is represented graphically, we avoid information overload (where the addition
of too much numerical data to new dimensions overloads the mind's ability to process it). Suddenly,
significant amounts of multidimensional data is easy to interpret.
56
Confronted with this new constraint of speed and complexity, organizations need to face facts: it is unrealistic to put all data
into equations or to rationalize everything. The real world cannot be put into theoretical models. Data visualization, however, is
well suited to observation without theoretical preconditions.
Claude-Henri Mldo said, "Data visualization techniques, particularly with regard to big data, brought something new. We have
seen the emergence of graphs that not only come after the analysis - for the purpose of explaining or communicating - but that
come before them - for exploring it."
57
2
Discovering data
With traditional BI, the user is in query mode (selection, then data retrieval) and needs to ask the
question first. In this sense, traditional BI 'reduces the data' in a certain way and may deprive the user of
information that they would have spotted by visually retrieving all of data.
With traditional tools, something implausible may not be readily apparent, and we run the risk of missing it.
If we look at things in the context of big data, this is even more striking. However, with data visualization, the
user is in a full discovery mode of all the data. An exploratory analysis can be undertaken we can 'walk
through the data.'
Lets imagine a data series that includes some misleading data; perhaps its a problem with data quality or
because it highlights an exception that is worth noticing. I challenge you to identify it with a traditional BI
tool unless you develop multiple queries. With a visual interface, this particular piece of data will grab your
attention almost instantly.
Data visualization brings a lot to the table. A number of our clients already have a lot of experience with BI or
statistics and, for them, data visualization oers an opportunity to revisit business questions they would have
missed with traditional BI. Really, a whole new world opens up for them.
58
2
One example of data visualization in
pharmaceutical research.
Source: SAS
59
2
Two examples of monitoring enhanced
by data visualization
Source: SAS
60
2
Data visualization for
exploring trends
Dataviz is, without doubt, a targeted way of mining data, which is of increasing interest for
marketing: filtering or the ability to zoom into a time, for example, are ways of exploring trends. They allow
assumptions to be validated and also experiments to be performed with regard to the user experience.
Ideally, we would love to highlight information that was invisible without data visualization. Eventually, our
aim is to extract trends from huge volumes of data. Trends that would be dicult to identify without visual
representation. We would like to explore this in more depth, more specifically for our marketing data.
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising,
Technology Directorate, Lagardre Active
With its ability to highlight atypical data and make it stand out, data visualization, when used for data exploration, is also an
excellent way of identifying problems and fixing them.
61
2
Exploring data to fix
a problem
We needed to explore our data set in order to better understand the relevance of the results we
send to online users. To date and in order to improve the quality of our indexing we only had statistical
information available. It was dicult to exploit when you take into account that we process tens of millions
of requests each month. With this volume it is particularly dicult to identify requests to which our search
engine gave an incorrect response. A tool like data visualization will give us another way of detecting
problems more quickly.
Eric Lajarige,
Head of Search Projects, PagesJaunes
Data visualization allows the mining of structured or unstructured data that up until now has remained untapped and poorly
understood. This is all the more important if you look at the explosion in data volume, especially with the increasing use of
social media.
62
2
Data visualization for mining online
content and social media
Its clear data visualization is inviting us to take another look at the traditional distinction between data, information and
knowledge. If data is raw units that reflect reality, then transforming it into information gives it coherence and meaning.
63
2
Data visualization and the decision-making process the benefits of an analytical approach
In simple terms, the Anscombe example1 perfectly illustrates the benefits of data visualization
using an approach that could be regarded as analytical (with the additional need of
implementing solutions in a decision-making process based on data). In the example, data
visualization calls for reconsidering the very (too) simple linear adjustment model which is
clearly insucient for describing and explaining observed data in a suciently relevant manner,
and also to look for more precise and suitable alternative models.
There are some simple terms for expressing these additional approaches HINDSIGHT,
INSIGHT and FORESIGHT. These form the main pillars of an experimental approach suited to an
analytics-based decision-making process aimed at giving meaning to data and justifying
optimum decisions.
A recent study showed that during the last 10 years, companies in the S&P 500 who use analytics
at the heart of their decision-making processes outperform their competitors by about 64
percent. The use of analytical approaches focused on data are in fact finding their worth in a
growing number of professional processes that produce stunning results.
Revenue management, also known as yield management, has been widely used by airlines and
Mouloud Dey, Director of Solutions and
Emerging Markets, SAS France
Data visualization allows users to take their information, process it and extract its value. But to maximize this value, it has to be
shared throughout the organization. This is the subject of the next chapter.
1.See I.1, Definitions of dataviz
2.See I.2, inset "Dataviz for developing SNCF's product in dierent fields.
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2.2 Data visualization improves communication
Data is not just a tool for managing the activities of an organization. It is also a communication tool. Unfortunately, not many of
us speak the language. Most of us need an interpreter to help get at the intelligence held in the data.
This is where data visualization comes in.
Data visualization can be used for communicating issues both internally and externally within companies and public
agencies, as well as government. This is why SPF conomie uses it when communicating with the Belgian public.
Improving communication
with the public
The benefits of our dataviz program are felt by the public at large. They do not just
need graphs showing progress (e.g., progress of those liable for VAT) but also to be able to export their data as
they see fit. This is what we are now able to oer them.
Caroline Denil,
Data Warehouse Program Manager, SPF Economie
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Data visualization can be used in many ways. For example, it can be used to navigate a map to
find the mean or median price of housing and export the results to a spreadsheet.1
Managers dont enjoy tables of complex figures any more than the general public does.
In fact, senior management doesnt want to leaf through long, complicated reports.
What they need is for the information to be set out clearly and accurately to allow them
to make decisions. This is where the graphical representation of data finds its home.
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising,
Technology Directorate, Lagardre Active
1.http://economie.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chires/economie/construction_industrie/immo/prix_moyen_appartements/
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When data is well understood and properly communicated, it becomes a catalyst for action. You will see how in chapter 2.3.
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We are now able to extract data and pull out the indicators from it at the last minute before our managers
need it, whereas before, this required a protracted process.
Yves Daelmans,
ICT Project Manager, IMEC
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2.4 Data visualization helps motivate staff
Data visualization is becoming part of a movement towards worker autonomy, improved working conditions and accountability
as expected by employees, according to Yves Daelmans, ICT Project Manager at IMEC: "Users appreciate being able to edit
reports by themselves."
This is even truer for digital natives, who are accustomed to being creative in their private lives using digital tools and dont
understand why they cant in the workplace. This explains the emergence of a new role within organizations, the power user.
Not specialized in BI, but more operationally focused, they use data visualization tools to develop real expertise that everyone
can benefit from.
The new BI that data visualization allows provides users with a high level of self-
suciency. In this context, one type of player has a major role the power user. For me, the power user has
two main characteristics: autonomy and expertise. The power user is a member of sta within an operational
department who has sucient command of BI or analysis tools to be able to manage on their own due to the
previous experience or because its their passion and they made themselves an expert. In other words, they
know how to do a lot because of their job type or because they learned on the job due to circumstances. It is
someone who does not require any assistance and instead is able to help others.
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Yves Daelmans,
ICT Project Manager, IMEC
But the benefit to work teams is not only for power users. When applied to management (individual performance indicators,
monitoring of annual objectives, etc.), data visualization improves transparency. Managers, executives, foremen, workers and
employees are able to use the same dashboards when holding discussions and adjust their focus quickly if required. In a real
sense, data visualization becomes a tool for corporate dialogue.
Data visualization as a
management tool
The faster and more frequent creation of reports allowed by dataviz contributes to the local
management that we wanted to install. Where the manager has more information on the activity of those he
or she manages, and where this information is reliable, both parties find it easier to talk. It creates trust. This
is particularly noticeable with the continual monitoring of annual objectives for each member of sta over
the year.
Richard Core, Senior Business Analyst,
PagesJaunes
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Ultimately, when teams have access to data and they see that it is useful, they will feel that their management is moving in the
right direction. The feeling of empowerment that comes out of it tends to motivate them.
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2.5 Data visualization encourages innovation
This chapter on the advantages of data visualization would be incomplete without looking at its potential for innovation. In fact,
data visualization can lead an organization to look at new possibilities such as providing new ways of interacting with users.
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A project led by the Acceleration Platform of Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs representing
mobile applications used over time and by many users
Researchers are at the front line of this innovative work, and they make it a point of pride to bring data visualization out of the
labs to demonstrate that it has practical application.
Pragmatic innovation
The aim of our work is not just to look into the future, but above all to provide internal support to
fixed-term operational solutions. In this context, dataviz allows:
Insight by revealing the potential wealth of data mining. Here, what we are doing is really educational.
Food for thought by opening up the range of possibilities.
Forecasting applications and interfaces for tools to help the decision making of tomorrow.
Maguelonne Chandesris, Head of the Statistics Team, Econometrics and Data Mining, Innovation and Research Directorate, SNCF
This advanced approach helps spread innovation within a team and provides ideas for future customer oerings.
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3
3
Implementing data
visualization projects
Now that you have seen what data visualization is and its uses and advantages, next you will read
about the best ways to implement it. In fact, shifting to data visualization is a project in its own
right with all the normal demands of any other large project, but with two built-in advantages
speed and ease of use. In this respect, data visualization fits in well with flexible project
management methods, as the panel will explain.
You will also find that data visualization can, in certain cases, shift focus between the IT
department and business divisions (the panel will provide tips for a making it a win/win
relationship).
This IT department and business division partnership is one of the success factors for a data
visualization project. You will also read about other keys to success as well as the pitfalls that may
crop up (and ways of overcoming them).
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3.1 Fast and easy projects
One of the main attractions of data visualization projects is that they are, on the whole, quick to implement. Their advantage is
in reducing the time between launching the project and debuting the first operational version.
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Frdrique Pain,
Experience Strategy Director, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs
Another reason is that data visualization lends itself to proof-of-concept experimentation and test-error iteration procedures.
Data visualization projects have an empirical side to them completely in sync with current agile development approaches such
as SCRUM.
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Agility at the heart of the
approach
The project was spread over a year. We had a flexible approach to meeting the users during
the exploratory phase. Then we imagined dierent solutions. Over the last quarter, we took on a continued
improvement approach.
With regards to the flexible method, I will add that I chose to deliver quickly and often. As for us, as soon as
we had something ready, we showed it to the users so that it could be used straightaway. It is not just an
eective method for obtaining feedback and amending the solution, it is also a powerful way of motivating.
In other words, the flexible methodology and the mindset of the project team (a real team spirit) really
contributed to the success.
With regards to procedures, we chose to innovate in the sense that we reduced the traditional V cycle. By
their nature, these projects are shorter, and we already have the necessary data at our disposal. We opted for a
more collaborative working method with a system of evolving deliveries and reviews.
Franois NGUYEN,
Director for IT and Relationship Marketing, SFR
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3.2 The impact of data visualization on the relationships
between IT and business divisions
Data visualization projects have this unique feature, as you saw earlier, in that they oer users a large degree of autonomy.
This is why the relationships between IT and the business divisions must be nurtured.
Friction sometimes occurs when the IT department feels it is giving up areas of competency.
Business divisions, are naturally
quicker with data visualization topics
decision-making tools that were just as successful. We are making a lot more ground than they are with
these topics. The IT department is unable to be as successful as the business division with a data
visualization tool because it does not have the professional knowledge. An IT department still needs to
receive a requirements document, then write a specification, while the business division, by virtue of its
experience and expert knowledge of the benchmark data, is aware of everything and is able to produce
things easier and without restriction.
Sandrine Noail, Head of Control and Analysis,
Coliposte
Unfortunately, these tensions have been fed by certain suppliers of data visualization solutions that only focused on the
business divisions and bypassed the IT departments in order to gain sales.
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The risk of
circumventing IT
Certain solution providers show up with tools that can fulfill the requests from business
divisions that the organizations IT department is unable to provide. Because investment costs
were not high, the business divisions were able to equip themselves using their own budgets.
The problem with this practice is that it contributes to the phenomenon of shadow IT with the gradual
development of parallel IT departments beyond the control of, and potentially incompatible with, the overall
IT system.
Serge Boulet, Director of Marketing and Communication,
SAS France
Resistance and resentment can arise, particularly within traditional BI teams who could feel unsettled by this new approach to
BI.
Data visualization benefits from traditional BI;
it does not call it into question
We actually encountered minor problems internally within my own
team. This was because we attempted to break from traditional BI without bringing it into question but
instead by focusing on what we had obtained in order to make us stand out . . . We had to explain that it was a
way of exploring a voluntary break with existing BI tools without eliminating what we have obtained. In
reality, it is a question of focusing on what we currently have and complementing it at the same time. And in
order to calm growing concerns, we insisted that the project be based on the foundations of BI.
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising,
Technology Directorate, Lagardre Active
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Data visualization
at IFR-GfK
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In reality, data visualization is an opportunity for the IT departments and BI teams. It will relieve them of time-consuming tasks
by allowing them to focus on activities with the greatest added value. It will also enable them to invent a new form of BI and
forge a better relationship with their business divisions.
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An opportunity for IT
departments and BI teams
At SAS, we believe that data visualization is an important asset for an IT department. It oers it a real
opportunity to invent a new service for the business divisions and to reposition itself as a business partner.
Based on this new partnership, we can imagine two forms of business intelligence based on their
requirements:
Traditional BI to respond to need for conventional reporting.
New BI. To be specific, it will be designed to respond to new business questions from the users that
cannot be met by traditional reporting because they want to analyze and explore their information for
business purposes.
The BI teams would implement a server dedicated to a data visualization tool like SAS Visual Analytics,
completely scalable, with the ability to add an additional resources to business divisions without needing to
write a statement of needs. It would provide a self-service BI environment in which business divisions could
access their data in order to explore it and quickly produce any reports they required, including ones they
had never imagined.
They would have a much healthier governance model at their disposal. At the BI manager level, these ideas
have been well received. It would also remove a thorn from their side. Nowadays, having to meet the specific
reporting requirements for all departments entails quite a lot of work. Data visualization allows BI to be
relieved from a part of this load and be able to oer more value to the business divisions.
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Philippe Nieuwbourg,
independent analyst-journalist in decision-making IT
Numerous organizations are already at this stage with their data visualization projects. The more advanced ones are clearly
those in which the IT departments and business divisions are already working in partnership1.
1. With regards to the relationships between the IT department and the business divisions, refer to the Guide for IT Practices, 2013 edition, 80 companies sharing their experiences and their projects for tomorrow, EBG, April 2013.
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cooperation with the business divisions operating in project mode, a way of functioning that we have
systematically adopted. Because of this, the focused dataviz approach did not have any significant impact on
the IT department/business division relationship.
Emmanuel Vexlard, DSI,
ID Logistics
Certain organizations are structured around partnerships between IT and business divisions, with heads of business divisions
aware of IT matters and IT project leaders aware of business division problems. This type of organizational relationship is a
major plus, particularly for data visualization projects.
A cooperative eort between
IT and business divisions
I work for a business division and not for the IT department. I represent users while
having a sort of alter ego within the IT department a business analyst that supports me.
Because of this relationship, progress related to data visualization is the result of this collaboration.
Guillaume Deschamps,
FMT/Central Functions YTI/EDA, STMicroelectronics
Our solution is the result of a joint initiative between the IT department and the marketing team. Its success
is based on real cohesion between the two departments.
Jrme Tharaud,
Head of Research and Development,
Prisma Media
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Even without going as far as having this partnership, a data visualization project can, by its very nature, improve the relationship
between business divisions and IT departments.
"With this type of solution, the users feel a great deal of responsiveness from IT, said Olivier Brousseau, Business Intelligence
Program Manager at Schlumberger. The question of time-to-market is finally resolved. This contributes to good relationships
with the business divisions."
In the end, as Boulet and Nieuwbourg said, data visualization is an opportunity for the IT department and BI to rid themselves of
tasks that add little value in order to focus on a relationship with business divisions that create value.
This is how data visualization can become part of a win/win scenario. To enable data visualization to play its role to the fullest, a
proper data governance procedure needs to be implemented within the organization.
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When data visualization highlights the
importance of data governance
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3.3 Key factors for success
For a data visualization project to succeed, three factors need to be considered. First of all, good project management is required:
preparation and planning, choosing the right scope, implementing appropriate methodologies, etc.
The second factor is to ensure that the data is a prime consideration: who it is targeted at, its quality, respect for confidentiality
and access rights are essential.
Last, but certainly not least,, the user experience and graphical intelligence play a vital role in data visualization acceptance and
its eective use.
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Its critical to define objectives before launching a
data visualization project
We need to be thinking about the data to be actually able to visualize it. In other words, we need to ask
ourselves if there is interest in showing a figure, to visualize a trend or a break from the trend, etc.
Caroline Denil,
Data Warehouse Program Manager, SPF Economie
Regarding the methodology, preparation consists of implementing a viable, timely and flexible process for collecting, analyzing
and representing data.
"It is important to take time to construct the right procedures in order to start with a road map that is both lasting and able to
accomodate changes applied over time," said Yves Daelmans, ICT Project Manager at IMEC.
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Samuel White,
Head of User Experience, Voyages-sncf.com
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Identifying targeted users and their profiles.
Claude-Henri Mldo,
co-founder of Alcedis and member of the International Institute for Information
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Making data and information available to
dierent types of users
Our data is available to the general public via our website or via the
Belgian Open Data portal in the form of aggregated data, but its also available at the Belgian National
Institute for Statistics (this audience has a set of much more detailed data available). Researchers and
university students also have access to much more detailed information for their research studies.
Caroline DENIL,
Data Warehouse Program Manager, SPF Economie
But even in a strictly professional environment, target audiences can be dierent. The contexts and diering stakeholder
requirements need to be accounted for. In manufacturing, for example, a worker or a foreman will need data visualization to
solve a specific problem on the production line. A manager will often need a more global view.
Guillaume Deschamps,
FMT/Central Functions YTI/EDA, STMicroelectronics
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We started o with small projects involving infographics or Google Maps, and we developed those projects
step by step.
We decided to launch the approach in only two areas, gardening and IT, representing half a percent of
requests. We knew that we had labeling problems in these two areas and, at the same time, they were noncritical areas in terms of business. It was the ideal ground for testing the approach and producing a proof of
concept.
Martin Daniel,
Head of Data Visual project, fifty-five
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Caroline Denil,
Data Warehouse Program Manager, SPF Economie
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Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising,
Technology Directorate, Lagardre Active
Having a well-structured data warehouse has really helped our power users in creating their own reports.
Yves Daelmans,
ICT Project Manager, IMEC
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Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
RHead of Advertising,
Technology Directorate, Lagardre Active
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Collaboration is crucial
for success
The editorial sta contributes a lot to our dataviz approach. Besides, everything started with
initiatives of our journalists. Nowadays, the content of our data visualization is the result of collaboration
between two traditionally dierent teams that now operate very cleverly with us the technical team and the
editorial team.
Data visualization helps to break down barriers within an organization and leads to much greater interaction.
"The solution allowed us to cross the existing frontiers between dierent parts of the organization, said Franck Jouenne,
Director of IT and Strategic Sourcing Services at Alcatel Lucent, and it provides now anyone having to make a decision the
elements needed to do so."
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Team training
Data visualization does not really require any end-user training, and it is most successful if it is adopted quickly. To
accomplish this, simplicity and intuitiveness are essential. But creating a proper report can be complicated, so training those
who produce visualizations is a must. This is why the team at IFR-GfK has a user-experience expert working with them.
Fabrice Benaut,
CIO global IFR, head of IS and Operations, IFR Monitoring
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A gap in university training
Visual grammar exists. The problem is that it is not taught in universities. In the 70s, Jacques Bertin
published a reference work, Semiology of Graphics, a real grammar book for graphics. Today, the experts in
the subject are people like Claude-Henri Mldo or Stephen Few, and they continue to define and develop
these visual grammars, which still need to be learned and applied. However, graphic visualization is not
taught in any syllabus in management, statistics and business schools.
Students are taught to represent things correctly, but not necessarily in a way that is easy to communicate.
We find that managers who completely master standard Excel charts are unable to export them to another
tool to improve the look and feel that visualizations oer.
Philippe Nieuwbourg,
independent analyst-journalist in decision-making IT
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Do not forget the aesthetic side of data
visualization
The graphical aspect and the artistic nature of dataviz, often regarded as
toys, are far from being useless: They make the business divisions want to explore their data. They help to
bring value to the business divisions.
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois,
Head of Advertising,
Technology Directorate Lagardre Active
Aesthetics enable data visualization. If this is important for the user of the data visualization tool, then it plays an even more
essential role when data visualization is used for the purposes of data mining. Mining requires availability and concentration,
and the design of data visualization solutions is crucial in that area.
Fabrice Benaut,
CIO global IFR, head of IS and Operations, IFR Monitoring
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ColiPoste's performance
indicators
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And, we need to be ready to spread the word and give teams the tools for reading the new graphs. Consider
data visualization in both its forms as a means of dynamic analysis and exploration, and as an exceptional
means of conveying information.
3
The world is not painted
red and green
Perhaps a passenger had a bad experience, while other passengers had a good experience. Data
visualization helps our passengers to understand that they do not share same needs. And our satisfaction
ratings must account for this dimension.
This is why in terms of colors used in our representations, we did not opt for the classic red (negative) and
green (positive). We are in fact comparing global expectations to individual experience.
Philippe Saon,
Head of Media, Aroports de Paris
Degree of service satisfaction on the
mobile site for Aroports de Paris
But Claude-Henri Mldo warns us against creating original features for originalitys sake. Dont
innovate in terms of cool graphics and sexy design if these dont add real business value.
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Data visualization design fallacies
Claude-Henri Mldo,
co-founder of Aldecis and member of the International Institute for Information Design
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Caroline Denil,
Data Warehouse Program Manager, SPF Economie
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With our project, we took particular care to ensure that it is easy to use. For example, we implemented an
automatic save for the last variables used allowing the application to be manipulated more quickly.
Introductory texts and a glossary highlight the meaning of dierent graphics and the way they were put
together in order to allow users to understand them well and more easily interpret them.
The results have been positive because we see complete self-reliance by teams that have never been trained.
Charles du Rau,
Consumer & Market Knowledge Director, Ubisoft
Pay attention to legal and confidentiality issues, especially for public uses.
This piece of advice is important: Data visualization does not ignore the requirement to respect data confidentiality, the right
to privacy and the conditions for using the data. As Caroline Demil from SPF conomie rightly pointed out: "We need to take
care not to publish the data too quickly in order to avoid problems of confidentiality and to be aware of the legality regarding
methods of publication."
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Dorina Ghiliotto-Young,
Head of Innovation,
Ingenico
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3.4 Pitfalls to avoid
If certain good practices maximize the chances of a projects success, you should likewise anticipate diculties, as with any
project. Based on their experiences, panel members share some fundamental pitfalls and provide pointers for overcoming them.
Philippe Nieuwbourg,
independent analyst-journalist in decision-making IT
A graphic condenses the information. It allows important things to be seen quickly such as patterns and
exceptions to those patterns.
Claude-Henri Mldo,
co-founder of Alcedis and member of the International Institute for Information Design
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Andrew Musselman,
Data Scientist, Engineer and Architect in Accenture's Big Data Department
Fortunately, certain concepts of data visualization can help avoid this "graphical information overload." Its normal, for example,
to go from the general to the specific by allowing the user to zoom or filter if they want more detail.
Frdrique Ville,
Innovation Director, Voyages-sncf.com
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Set the scene first and the
details follow
In order not to overwhelm the user, we have adopted an approach of overview first,
details on demand. In other words, business users are able to refine their searches by means of gradual filters
to track badly categorized queries. It should be noted that applying one filter automatically modifies the data
available in the other filters. In this sense, we are adopting the good practice of progressive disclosure
recommended for dataviz.
Martin Daniel,
Head of Data Visual Project, fifty-five
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Sandrine Noail,
Head of Control and Analysis, Coliposte
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt
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Fabrice Benaut,
CIO global IFR, head of IS and Operations, IFR Monitoring
As you can see, data visualization already oers numerous advantages. Yet in some ways, it is only just
beginning. The fourth and final section considers the outlook for data visualization and its users.
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4
4
Outlook
This section imagines how data visualization may develop in the future. First, youll read about
projects in development (or in planning) by our panel members. Then the panel will consider how
they think the future of data visualization will pan out.
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4.1 Future projects
The majority of our panel saw data visualization extending its scope in the future.
Management asked us to work on a new dataviz application for evaluating suppliers: systems for calculating
bonus/malus to account for the quality of suppliers; but because these vary, we now want to standardize our
evaluation and ensure traceability. The tools we learned to use with our first dataviz project lend themselves
well to this.
Richard Core, Senior Business Analyst,
PagesJaunes
We plan to use data visualization as opportunities arise. And we also intend to transfer what we used for the
sales team to the finance department in 2013.
Jrme Tharaud,
Head of Research and Development,
Prisma Media
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Rethinking traditional
dashboards
In the future, access to simple, traditional dashboards would be via a data visualization tool.
It would be a tragedy not to rethink them in the light of this new paradigm, instead of saying they are fixed,
that they will never evolve, while they continue to represent 80 percent of data usage .
Fabrice Benaut,
CIO global IFR, head of IS and Operations, IFR Monitoring
To get to this stage, new skills must be acquired. In tomorrows world, IT departments and BI teams will employ more people
having nontraditional career paths and a variety of skills.
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What IT job profiles are required to lead the
data visualization projects of tomorrow?
We will need to convert enthusiasm into good practice and new uses. It also
allows us to see that IT profiles will change. There will be ideal candidates equipped with knowledge of
modeling and also an appetite for graphics and usability.
The next stage will also certainly include scripting and storytelling. In other words, the process of
transforming a series of photos into a video that tells a story.
Franois NGUYEN,
Director for Analytics and Relationship Marketing, SFR
My career path is in mathematics, and the mathematics and statistics skills of many of my colleagues are
turning out to be very relevant for data visualization. Those who have studied IT, physics, biology and
chemistry also know how to visually represent their work.
Andrew Musselman,
Data Scientist, Engineer and Architect in Accentures Big Data Department
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4.2 Looking forward
According to some of our stakeholders, in the future, data visualization needs to fill the gaps in expectations that are still not
being fully met (for example, the portability of solutions between dierent environments). Jrme Tharaud of Prism Media said:
"What is currently blocking us is the fact that neither of our solutions is multi-platform, nor really multi-browser. For us, this
would really bring added value."
Our contributors are, on the whole, happy with the current state of data visualization. Some go as far as imagining how the data
visualization of tomorrow could be. The IT Director at ID Logistics, Emmanuel Vexlard, focuses on accessibility: "If we try to
imagine the future of data visualization, the ideal thing for us would be the ability to obtain graphical representations from
simple queries in everyday language, just as easy as getting results from Google."
Others point to the booming quantified self movement1 individuals providing personal data linked to their lifestyle, hobbies
and how they eat, exercise, sleep, etc. All these facets can now be measured by sensors or devices, from the smartphone to an
electronic fork. These create a huge amount of data that cannot be easily mined without data visualization.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantified_Self
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Conclusion
D
ata visualization, while growing in popularity, remains a largely uncharted (but fertile) land. Data visualization has
passed the concept stage, and the more than 30 organizations represented here are able to bear witness to its real-world
application with completed, successful projects and new projects they are developing and pursuing.
Data visualization is a radically dierent approach to BI and, at the same time, it is extremely loyal to good BI principles. It has
advantage of being able to use graphical representation technologies that allow it to quickly exploit huge volumes of data. It
oers a new way of analyzing, communicating and exploring data of all sizes. It empowers your data and is a catalyst for its
transformation.
By focusing on data, data visualization reveals its true nature as a reservoir of knowledge for the organization, a real, tangible
asset a source of value.
Use the information in this book as a guide to help you take full advantage of the value that is in easy reach.
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Contributors
Contributors
contributors
SAS presentation
EBG presentation
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Contributors
Accenture
Andrew Musselman Data Scientist, Engineer and Architect in the big data practice
Trained mathematician and IT engineer (Central Washington University) Andrew Musselman first
worked as a Web developer (at Real Networks), then as a software development engineer (Real
Networks and Rhapsody International). As he gained experience, he gravitated towards big data
analytics. He became a developer/analyst at WhitePages before joining Accenture as a Hadoop/big data architect,
his current position.
Aroports de Paris
Philippe Saffon Head of Media
With a degree in Telecom Management (INT), Philippe Saon has more than 15 years experience in
the field of communication, marketing, commerce and new media. Before joining Aroports de Paris
in 2010, he worked at Bouygues Tlcom as head of marketing/commercialization of services and at
Kodak as head of digital marketing. As part of his role, he developed the e-commerce activity at both groups.
Affini-Tech
Frdric Gonnet Associate Director
As an engineer from the ESIEA, Frdric Gonnet started his career at service and IT companies. Since
2003, he has been the founding director of FAIRSYS Consulting. He has lead numerous projects in
the IT and organizational fields, in particular within PagesJaunes (in production IT change).
In 2012, he also became associate director within Ani-Tech, a company focusing on big data and data
processing. He is in charge of the business divisions (including requirements, support, steering and project
management) and the data visualization product.
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Contributors
Alcatel-Lucent
Franck Jouenne Director, IT and Services Strategic Sourcing
Franck Jouenne has spent all of his career at Alcatel-Lucent in the IT sector. In 1993, he joined the
group's Research and Development Directorate (now Bell Labs) to oversee the development of
various innovations for network applications. Then in 2002, he joined the group product lines as
Director of Computing Systems and Industrialization and then in 2008, as Director, IT & Services Strategic
Sourcing, his current role.
Aldecis
Claude-Henri Mldo Partner
Claude-Henri Mldo is the head of the consultancy company Aldecis and the Visual Decision
Association of French experts in data visualization. He has received several awards such as the silver
medal in the data visualization competition for the 2012 presidential election organized by Google
and the title of 2011 Chief Expert for Financial Graphics within the IIID World Organization for Information
Design. He has been producing dashboards for 20 years and custom visualizations for the largest groups in
France. He has conducted several studies comparing the graphics used in the annual reports of CAC-40 and Dow
Jones companies.
125
Contributors
BFM Business
Emmanuel Lechypre Editor, Head of the Analysis Center and Forecasting
An economist by training, Emmanuel Lechypre was the editor-in-chief of the General Economy
Department at l'Expansion, where he was also in charge of the group's forecasting center. He is
currently editor and head of the analysis and forecasting section at BFM Business. Together with
Franck Dedieu and Franois de Witt, he co-wrote 150 ides reues sur l'conomie (150 ideas on the economy),
published by L'Express in 2010. His latest book, with Batrice Mathieu and published by the same publisher, is
called La prsidentielle en 25 dbats (The Presidential Election in 25 debates).
Bleu-Cobalt
Bernard Lebelle Founding Partner
Bernard Lebelle, graduate from EDHEC, is the founder of Bleu-Cobalt, a consultancy, training and
facilitation firm. Trained with some of the largest consultants (PWC and Deloitte) and having honed
his experience with Air France, he has developed unique skill-set, the result of a synchronistic
approach aimed at obtaining the best from consulting and visual thinking.
Coliposte
Sandrine Noail Head of Analysis and Control
Sandrine Noail has more than 13 years experience in supporting sales. Having worked as head of
studies, project leader and project director, she is currently leading and developing Coliposte's
commercial eorts. By means of analysis, she supports strategic objectives set by the company.
126
Contributors
Decideo
Philippe Nieuwbourg Teaching journalist specializing in analytics, business intelligence and big
data
Since 1994, Philippe Nieuwbourg has been informing the French-speaking community about tools
to help analytics at www.decideo.fr, the go-to site for subjects such as big data, data warehouse,
reporting, analysis, data mining, graphic visualization and data quality. The author of several books on analytics,
he participates each year in numerous conferences in France and abroad. He also teaches a university course at
Quebec University in Montreal.
Fifty-five
Martin Daniel Data Visualization
Graduate of the ESCP Europe, Martin Daniel joined Fifty-five at its start after a notable spell at Google.
At Fifty-five, Martin is creating a team of data scientists for products based on data from Web
analyses to provide companies with more intelligence.
France Tlvisions
Antoine Allard Communications Manager and Social Media Marketing
Antoine Allard started his career at Ogilvy PR in digital- and editorial-influenced strategy. He joined
France Tlvisions in 2012 as online communication manager within the marketing directorate for
digital editions of the public audio-visual group. In particular, he is involved with community
management and social media strategy and community TV for France 5 and the group's Nouvelles critures et
Transmedia projects.
127
Contributors
Havas Media
Emmanuel Barbet Global Accounts Director
Emmanuel Barbet graduated from the IDRAC Lyon in Marketing and Management. Having worked
for 10 years in online marketing and three years as Digital Account Manager, he joined Omnicom
Media Group in order to coordinate and implement Renault EMEA's digital strategy. Having arrived at
Havas Media in 2012, he assists clients in developing their digital media strategy.
Havas Media
Irne Labus Director of Digital Analytics
After more than 15 years in business and marketing roles with Pure Players Internet, Irne Labus
joined Havas Digital in 2008 to develop the analytics section. In this role, she supports advertisers in
exploiting and analyzing their campaign data and helps them translate their business objectives into
strategies for harvesting and visualizing data. Irne is a graduate from Paris Dauphine (master's in
management science) and the IAE Paris (master's in marketing and commercial practice).
ID Logistics
Emmanuel Vexlard Director of IT Systems
Graduating with a master's in logistics from LSLI Bordeaux, Emmanuel Vexlard started his career
with Habitat as transport manager in 1996 before taking the role of transport and distribution
manager at Geodis Logistics in Taiwan in 1999. He then joined the logistics procurement directorate
at Rhodia. He joined ID Logistics in 2005 as operations director for La Flche Cavaillonnaise and group supply
chain director for the service provider. In 2011, he took charge of the new IT department for the logistics service
provider with the task of foreseeing developments in IT systems and steering IT projects in France and abroad.
128
Contributors
IFR Group
Fabrice Benaut Director of IT Systems
Holder of a master's degree in information technology (IAE University Sorbonne) and marketing
(HEC), Fabrice Benaut joined the GfK group in 1983. He has been in charge of IT services for 15 years
and is involved in a large number of projects to transform the group. Prior to taking the reins for
global IT systems at IFR in January 2011, Benaut was IT Director for GfK Retail and Technology France. Outside of
the company, he has earned several certifications: Microsoft (1997), Business Objects (SAP in 2003), Informatica
(2009) and QlikView (2012), and he coordinates the Informatica users club (5 years at CAB).
IMEC
Yves Daelmans ICT Project Manager
After a dozen years of experience in publishing, Yves Daelmans gradually drifted towards reporting,
data management and business intelligence. From 2006 to 2008 he was in charge of business
intelligence at Wolters Kluwer, the French subsidiary of the Dutch professional information
publisher. In 2008, he joined lInstitut des Mmoires de ldition Contemporaine (IMEC) as ICT Project Manager in
charge of the SAP program and all BI projects. He also coordinates IMEC's Virtual BI Skills Center (BICC).
Infopro Digital
Clment Delpirou Partner
Clment Delpirou is one of the partners of the Infopro Digital Group. He is in charge of the group's
online activity. Working exclusively in B2B, the 200 digital experts who work at Infopro control 60
sites around three business models: generation of leads, media and expert databases. The 3.5 million
monthly hits and the hundreds of thousands of activity leads each year make Infopro a key online player in B2B in
France. A graduated from HEC, Clment was Director General of Nurun France prior to joining Infopro.
129
Contributors
Ingenico
Dorina Ghiliotto-Young Head of Innovation
Dorina Ghiliotto-Young joined the Global Solutions, Sales and Marketing Directorate at Ingenico as
Head of Innovation. Previously she was in charge of business development at Mappy SA (France
Telecom), where she successfully launched GPS navigation with European mobile manufacturers
and operators. She also developed the e-commerce activity for the Amadeus group and QCNS (leading online
tour operator). Dorina gained a master's at the prestigious Italian university Bocconi-IULM and added to it in 2003
with a full-time MBA in marketing, innovation and high-tech at the EDHEC.
Keyrus
Vincent Lagorce Practice Practice Manager Data Recovery
Vincent Lagorce has more than 10 years experience in business intelligence. After having worked as
a Pre-Sales Consultant, Project Leader and Project Director, he is currently piloting and developing
the business unit data recovery activity. Based on strong expertise and knowledge of the market, his
team supports clients when selecting solutions and implementing data discovery projects.
LOral
Laurence Kerjean Global Digital Manager DPP
Laurence Kerjean started her career in 2002 at Louis Vuitton as head of CRM before leaving for
London as a Direct Marketing Manager at Selfridges, a leader in the luxury retail sector in Great
Britain. Since 2005, Laurence's career has been exclusively at LOral (in particular as Events and
Trade Marketing Project Leader for the Redken brand, Head of Group for LOral Professional and Operational
Marketing Director for the Krastase, Kraskin et Shu Uemura brands in Europe). In 2011 she joined the Business
Development group of the DPP and worked towards developing business education content for the group's eight
professional brands before being appointed DPP Global Digital Manager in September 2012.
130
Contributors
Lagardre Active
Pierre-Olivier Sicamois Head of Advertising
A trained financial engineer, Pierre-Olivier Sicamois started his career path at Lagardre Active
Publicit in 2004 as Project Leader. After having worked for some years on project management at
Lagardre Active, he was appointed head of IT for advertising in 2007. In this role, he leads Lagardre
Publicit's technology projects. Since 2011, he was also in charge of several cross-cutting projects for the
technology directorate.
Orange
Catherine Ramus Team Design Project Leader
Catherine Ramus is currently working at Orange in the integrated design section within the
Advanced Design team at the Technocentre, a team that created Orange's One Concept, awarded a
star last year by l'Observeur for design. Trained as an optoelectronics engineer, since 1996 she has
lead numerous projects in dierent innovation groups at France Tlcom. She has also spent two years in R&D in
San Francisco. Since 2005, she has been working with designers and recently undertook the Innovation by
Design training at ENSCI (cole Nationale Suprieure de Cration Industrielle).
Orange
Lamia Delenda Project Management Oce
A graduated from the cole Nationale Suprieure des Tlcommunications, Lamia Delenda has been
the Project Management Oce Director at the Orange Group's Management Network. She runs all of
the group's network architecture and design projects, allowing her to foresee trends and possible
developments for the group's business models when encountering new markets. Lamia previously worked in
network strategy roles and in the field of regulatory forecasting.
131
Contributors
Pagesjaunes.fr
ric Lajarige Head of Search Projects
A graduate from lcole centrale de Lille and HEC, Lajarige started his career in 2004 at Prosodie as
Product Manager. He then joined VSC Technologies (technology subsidiary of Voyages-sncf.com) as
Operational Consultant and participated in numerous online projects in the field of rail distribution
and travel. From 2008 to 2010, Eric oversaw the ticketless transport project at Voyages-sncf.com as well as the
launch of the first mobile applications. Since 2010, he has been the Head of Search Projects within the search and
data operations directorate at PagesJaunes.fr.
Pagesjaunes.fr
Richard Coffre Senior Business Analyst
Senior Business Analyst at the Directorate for Advertisers Production at PagesJaunes, Richard Core
was a pioneer in implementing data visualization tools at PagesJaunes. He supports the
implementation and control by reworking activity reports and implementing dashboards. A
proponent of flexible methods (in particular Scrum), he teaches project management at the European
Communication School of Paris. Convinced of the need to bring information closer to the user, he has opted for a
data visualization approach to KPIs. His guiding principle is Keep It Simple and Smart (KISS).
Philips
Menno Haijma Senior Global Search Manager
A graduate from the Dutch Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Menno Hailima started an international
career in online marketing in 2005. After having studied the market in Denmark at Ventus
Publishing, followed by a post at NDC|VBK Publications in the Netherlands, he joined Google in
Ireland as a Senior Account Manager for the Benelux market. In 2008, he joined the management
team of Google Wroclaw in Poland as team strategist. Since 2011, he has been the Senior Global Search Manager at
Philips Consumer Lifestyle in the Netherlands.
132
Contributors
Prisma Media
Jrme Tharaud Head of Research and Development
After studying artificial intelligence, Jrme Tharaud started his career in 1992 as an engineer at an
IT consultancy. In 1994, he joined an IT consultancy specializing in BI, where he became Project
Manager/Consultant. He took the lead in implementing data warehousing and supported the
development of BI for various customers. In 2000, he joined the Prisma Media group as HR Project Manager,
where he led a reworking of HR IT until it was outsourced. Since 2006, he has been in charge of the group's
research and development.
Roambi
Thibaut de Lataillade Vice President for Southern Europe
Thibaut de Lataillade joined Roambi in 2011 as Vice President for Southern Europe. His prior
experience in management, sales, marketing and consulting on strategy puts him in an ideal
position to assist clients to understand the challenges of mobility when applied to business realities.
Thibaut has a diploma from the European Business School (EBS) in Paris, finance option.
Schlumberger
Olivier Brousseau Business Intelligence Program Manager
A graduate of the cole Suprieure d'lectricit de Paris, Olivier Brousseau worked for three years at
the Sema group, a consultancy specializing in providing IT integration and three years as a software
architect for Atos Origin before joining Schlumberger in 2005. Since 2012, after several years of
experience in the field of IT architecture, he has led the group's BI program.
133
Contributors
SFR
Franois Nguyen Director for Decision-Making IT and Relationship Marketing
A trained accountant, Franois Nguyen started his career in the auditing department at Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu (1993-1997) and then joined SAP France as a consultant. Since 2001, he has held
various roles within the SFR group: Head of MOA DAF (2001-2003), Director MOA FinancesProcurement (2003-2006), Director of Finance-Procurement Logistics Solutions (2007-2008) and Director of
Internal IT (2008 -2011). He was appointed Director for Decision-Making IT and Relationship Marketing in 2011
and holds roles associated with client knowledge, the recommendation of products and reporting tools for
channels.
SNCF
Maguelonne Chandesris Head of the Statistics, Econometrics and Data Mining Team, Innovation
and Research Directorate
Graduate of the cole Nationale de la Statistique et de lAnalyse de lInformation (ENSAI) and Doctor
of Mathematics at the University of Paris VI (2005), Maguelonne Chandesris is in charge of a team
specializing in statistics, econometrics and data mining at the Innovation and Research Directorate at SNCF.
134
Contributors
SPF Economie
Caroline Denil Data Warehouse Program Manager
Prior to joining the public economy service in 2008, Caroline Denil worked for more than 10 years
for an insurance company. She gained many years of experience in the field of data warehousing
and business intelligence. Based on this expertise, she was awarded the SAS Best Business Analytics
prize in 2012 for excellence for the Ecozoom project.
STMicroelectronics
Guillaume Deschamps FMT / Central Functions YTI / EDA Manager
Guillaume Deschamps has spent all of his career at STMicroelectronics, first as a product engineer
before becoming involved in the group's optimization process. In 2007, he became the data
management project leader in charge of rolling out the company's new data analysis tool in
Singapore and then the creation of tools to support the transfer of five technologies from the United States to
Singapore. In 2009, he was appointed Head of Security and Client Interfaces at Wafer Foundries Outsourcing
before taking the lead for data analysis activities for the whole internal foundry part of STM (20,000 people).
Ubisoft
Charles du Rau Director of the Consumer and Market Knowledge Department
Charles du Rau joined the Ubisoft group in 2003 to form the consumer studies department. He
succeeded in introducing staggered study programs in key stages of the life cycle of new products.
Based on experience gained in London at Procter & Gamble, he introduced innovative
methodologies adapted to the world of games. In 2008, together with the Canadian oce, he formed a new team
dedicated to tracking in games, his introduction to the field of analytics. More recently, he reworked market
studies to assist production, finance and the general management steer towards digital sales.
135
Contributors
Voyages-sncf.com
Frdrique Ville Innovation Director
Frdrique Ville's objective is to develop innovation and new products within Voyages-sncf.com. A
graduate of the cole Polytechnique and of the cole Suprieure des Tlcommunications,
Frdrique started her career in 1994 within the TRT-Philips Communications group. She then joined
the National Networks Division at France Telecom before going on to Branche Enterprises Major Projects and
International Directorate as head of the technical department until 2001. Ville then joined the Orange group and
then Orange Experience at the Technocentre and finally became performance and process management director
within the Orange Business Services division.
X Prime Group
Pierre Pongi Project Director
Pierre Pongi obtained his master's degree in marketing and information and communication
technology at the IAE in Monpellier which led him to the post of project leader at BuzzParadise in
2007, an online advertising agency of the Vanksen group. After having developed his digital expertise
in numerous fields, he arrived at the X-Prime group in 2010. As a project director at this independent
online agency, he advises and supports his clients on a daily basis in various matters related to their business:
digital presence of brands, information structure and user experience, speaking on social media, e-commerce
optimization and recommendation.
136
SAS
1
sas France
Domaine de Grgy
Grgy-sur-Yerres
77257 Brie-Comte-Robert
www.sas.com/france
Contact:
Patricia Machet,
Head of Strategic Marketing
Patricia.Machet@sas.com
+33 1 60 62 12 38
137
SAS
1
Serge Boulet
Director of Marketing and Communication - SAS France
A trained engineer, Serge Boulet started his career as a manager in the finance sector. He joined SAS France in 1985
and participated in initiating activities for the French subsidiary. There he performed several commercial, business
development and marketing roles. Over the years he has actively contributed to the growth of the subsidiary in the
French market and has supported clients in developing innovative projects and rolling out SAS solutions in fields such as risk
control, multichannel marketing and all fields related to business analytics. His knowledge of business and IT requirements for
BI applications has enabled him to develop a particularly relevant approach and outlook to help organizations get the best value
from their data. Contact: Serge.Boulet@sas.com
Jrme Cornillet
Head of SAS Business Analytics - SAS France
A university-trained statistician and forecaster with an early career dedicated to analyzing therapeutic experiments
in the major pharmaceutical laboratories, Jrme Cornillet joined SAS France in 1990. With an in-depth knowledge
of the professional problems encountered by clients through consultancy and training assignments, and a passion
for new technology, he is now the head of SAS Business Analytics products bringing together the components of SAS' softwares
analytical infrastructure. Contact: Jerome.Cornillet@sas.com
Mouloud Dey
Director of Solutions and Emerging Markets - SAS France
A graduate in IT and mathematical economics from the University of Paris-Ouest, and in marketing from the
University Paris Dauphine, Mouloud Dey has devoted his career to the information and communications
technologies sector with consultancy and management assignments covering the main areas of decision-making
IT. His understanding of the strategic requirements of organizations allows him to become a trusted partner in the largest
organizations in various analytical fields. He regularly brings his expertise and personal outlook to innovative subjects
associated with the digital era: big data, social networks and media, digital marketing, client experience, etc. Contact:
Mouloud.Dey@sas.com
Behind these experts, there is a whole team at SAS that produced this book by way of
contributions, advice, vision and experience. We would like to thank Ariane LigerBelair Sioufi, Patricia Machet, Elisabeth Ziegler, Luca Garlanda, and all those whose
contributions enabled this book to be published.
138
ebg
EBG is France's largest professional community that brings together company decision
makers active in industry, services, the media, etc., and whose common goal is
innovation.
EBG's board:
EBGs activities
Stphane Richard
CEO of France Tlcom Orange
Didier Quillot
Chairman of Coyote System
Jean-Bernard Levy
Chairman of Vivendi until June 2012
Franois-Henri Pinault
Chairman of PPR
Wu Janmin
Chairman of the Beijing Diplomatic Institute, Chairman of
the International Bureau for Exhibitions
Steve Ballmer
CEO of Microsoft
Benjamin Glaesener
Managing Director
+33 1 45 23 05 12
benjamin.glaesener@ebg.net
Arthur Haimovici
Head of Studies
+33 1 48 01 65 61
arthur@ebg.net
139
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