At Target, more than 1,600 team members who work in Business Intelligence & Analytics (BI&A) or other analytical functions meet and collaborate regularly as members of the Target Analytics Network (TAN). It’s just one of more than 100 professional networks at Target headquarters that help team members at all levels connect as they focus on a common goal or interest.
“While every BI&A professional has different challenges on the job, each is responsible for turning data into insights and insights into action, given a wide variety of data sources, tools and techniques,” says Mark von Oven, Merchandising BI&A director and executive sponsor of TAN. “So our network is dedicated to providing a broad range of experiences and resources for our members to be successful.”
One of TAN’s major goals is to provide important insights that influence Target’s business. To do it, network members work together to gather the necessary information, analyze the data and present their findings to Target teams and business partners who need it.
“My favorite project so far was working with the Strategic Pricing team to analyze how much of what our guests buy is driven by the offers they find in our Weekly Ad,” says Lori Gao, lead analyst, Merchandising BI&A, pictured above. “It was a challenge because we needed to compare item-level data from Weekly Ad deals with other products guests frequently buy to determine which offers they’re most likely to use. We ended up using our new Teradata platform along with Tableau software to manage the large amount of data and quickly visualize and interpret the results. The team used our results to plan Weekly Ad offers during the holiday season.”
In addition to the important work they do for our business, TAN creates opportunities for its members to connect and develop their skills on the job. The group offers mentorship programs organized by peers, giving members the opportunity to meet colleagues across all pyramids and at a range of levels. It also hosts free monthly events, such as presentations and panels featuring industry experts encouraging team members to learn and innovate using cutting-edge tools and techniques. Members regularly participate in highly competitive team-based data visualization challenges to polish their skills and practice using real-life, hands-on case studies.
“At our TAN events, you can network with like-minded professionals and learn about the latest approaches to gathering, summarizing and sharing results,” Mark says. “It’s a great way to supercharge your BI&A career.”
Interested in opportunities to use advanced technology on the job, grow within a talented team and make the shopping experience even better for guests? Explore Business Intelligence & Analytics careers at Target and visit the Pulse blog to meet more team members telling their on-the-job stories.
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