Glossary · IIoT, data and AI
Data analytics
Also known as: Data analysis
German: Data Analytics
In information technology, data analytics is the process of collecting, cleaning, transforming and analyzing data to find patterns, answer questions and support decisions. It is commonly divided into descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics.
- IIoT
In one sentence
Data analytics is the process of cleaning, transforming and analyzing data to find patterns and support decisions.
Example
A quality engineer correlates filling weights with line speed and ambient temperature and finds that underweight bottles cluster at the start of each shift.
How it applies
- Engineering: Most of the effort goes into preparing data: aligning time stamps, handling gaps, converting units and adding context such as order, product and machine state.
- Operation: Results should be traceable to the underlying data and method, especially when they lead to process changes.
- Documentation: Record data sources, filters, assumptions and versions of scripts or queries. A short method note makes an analysis reproducible and reviewable.
Data analytics vs. data analysis
The terms are often used interchangeably. Where a distinction is made, data analysis refers to examining a particular data set, and data analytics to the broader discipline including tools, automation and repeated use of results. For recurring analyses, automate the steps as a Data pipeline so that results stay consistent from month to month.