Analytics Magazine Analytics Magazine, November/December 2014 | Page 65

over the years make it impossible to perform any kind of reliable statistical analysis on the data set. More importantly, to attempt such would be bad science in a survey and article highlighting the need for good science. However, certain high-level observations can be made of this year’s respondent group compared to their predecessors. While the total number of software packages did decrease, there were several features that now make up a larger percentage of the respondent pool than before. They include multiple stakeholder collaboration (71 percent in 2014), risk preference (66 percent in 2014) and selecting a best option using multiple competing objectives (89 percent in 2014). These three attributes are worth flagging because, being associated largely with the “soft skills” of eliciting and prioritizing objectives and risk preferences, they can be overlooked in a world where data itself is often viewed as the end solution. Abstract Submission is Now Open! June 14 - June 17, 2015 Sheraton Montreal http://meetings2.informs.org/montreal2015 a na l y t i c s n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 014 | 65