# Analysis Made Simple By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-09-01 Analytics is all the rage. As analytics gains in popularity, it is simultaneously becoming more complex. This complexity can mask some of the important fundamentals of analysis. Understanding a simplified view of analysis is valuable before attempting some of its more complicated extensions. Starting with data, an analyst focuses on what currently exists and what data are reasonably available. If the data don’t currently exist or are not reasonably available, analysts will need to discuss with management the time and difficulty associated with collecting other data for analysis. Once the data are collected, the analyst does one of two things. The analyst will either describe what is currently going on, as revealed through the data or make some inference based on the data. Both are potentially useful to organizations. Of course, analysts will use various techniques to do these analyses. Still, at their core, they are either describing aspects of the data or assessing something outside it based on an understanding. Having a clear understanding of what one is attempting to do facilitates success. The analysis made simple does not exclude the available complexity. Instead, it positions it properly at the periphery rather than the core of analysis. #### Related Items [[Analytics]] [[Data]] [[Process]] [[Complexity]] [[Simplicity]]