Grant: College and Community Innovation Program - Entry Level

One of the great challenges of the information age is finding ways to effectively utilize the immense wealth of data acquired and stored by modern information systems including data from the internet, social media, connected devices and sensor technology. Analytics platforms are an emerging tool to develop metrics for data algorithm modelling on which businesses can predict trends, improve innovation and make productivity-boosting, fact-based decisions. Initially, data collection and interpretation relied heavily on descriptive analytics reports and visuals, explaining what happened in the past, and relied little on using analytics to predict the future (predictive analytics) or to make recommendations on how to do a job better (prescriptive analytics). We have incorporated these three aspects of analytics with principles of good design, into a methodology we call 'design-driven analytics' (DDA). Humber College is strategically located in the Greater Toronto Area, which is home to SMEs in multiple sectors, including technology, finance, health and manufacturing. Through this NSERC award, Humber's Institute for Design-Driven Analytics (IDDA) will employ an interdisciplinary approach, combining design, business analytics and connected technology, to develop competitive advantages for companies by investigating the relationship between business intelligence and DDA in an environment of emerging new technologies to encourage business innovation across a range of industry sectors. IDDA faculty and students will collaborate with local SMEs on applied research to develop DDA practices and products, providing a strong competitive advantage to the region. We will harness expertise from faculties across the College that incorporate analytics with the transformational power of advanced technology. Students will gain proficiency in data analytics tools, methods and interpretation and transfer this knowledge directly to industry via applied research, and upon graduation, they will help to fill data analytics and digital skills gaps.