{"id":648,"date":"2024-12-16T14:23:59","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hccfl.edu\/introtofintech\/chapter\/__unknown__-3\/"},"modified":"2025-03-23T19:36:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T19:36:52","slug":"6","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.hccfl.edu\/introtofintech\/chapter\/6\/","title":{"raw":"Chapter 6 Big Data, Business Intelligence and Analytics","rendered":"Chapter 6 Big Data, Business Intelligence and Analytics"},"content":{"raw":"

Opening Vignette<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, also known as the Russian Campaign or the Patriotic War of 1812, was driven by a combination of geopolitical, economic, strategic, and personal motives. France\u2019s reasons behind the campaign included Napoleon\u2019s desire to enforce the Continental System which, by modern standards, is a form of sanctions aimed at weakening Britain by prohibiting trade between the British Empire and continental Europe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"1432\"]\"Minard's Figure 6-1 1812 Napolean\u2019s March to Moscow by Charles Minard<\/a> \u2013 Public Domain[\/caption]\r\n

Tsar Alexander I of Russia had initially agreed to the Continental System in the Treaty of Tilsit (1807). However, Russia\u2019s economy suffered from the trade restrictions, leading Alexander to withdraw from the system in 1810. Napoleon sought to force Russia back into compliance with the Continental System to maintain the economic blockade against Britain, which he considered France's greatest rival. Napoleon decides to invade Russia.<\/p>\r\n

Napolean invaded Russia. He amassed \u201cThe Grand Arm\u00e9e\u201d of more than 400,000 men that started the march on June 24,1812 and moved on foot for more than 1000 miles from their starting point near the Niemen River (in present-day Poland\/Lithuania) towards Moscow. Napolean\u2019s Grand Army fought many battles along the way, mainly the battles of Smolensk (August 16\u201318, 1812) and the battle of Borodino (September 7, 1812) to finally arrive at a burned-out and deserted Moscow. With no one to fight with, to surrender, or to negotiate peace. Facing starvation he decided to retreat.<\/p>\r\n

During the retreat, the Napoleon\u2019s army traveled the same distance back, but under far worse conditions, often taking longer and more indirect routes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

What does the chart depict<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

The illustration depicts Napoleon's army departing the Polish-Russian border. A thick band illustrates the size of his army at specific geographic points during their advance and retreat. It displays six types of data in two dimensions<\/em><\/strong>: the number of Napoleon's troops; the distance traveled; temperature; latitude and longitude; direction of travel; and location relative to specific dates (Time Scale).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Key Principle<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n

The chart in figure 7-1 is considered by many as the earliest depiction of what we call today as Big Data (400,000 troops to account for; A supply chain flow that extended across thousands of physical locations; and a linear progress constrained by weather and topography). Truly a picture is worth more than a thousand words.<\/p>\r\n

Most businesses operate on very thin margins and attempts at reducing cost is, in many instances, cutting into the proverbial bones. Competitiveness must be reimagined. New and modern methods that support the reimagination process goes far beyond doing \u201cthings\u201d better, faster and cheaper. Could the promise of a crystal ball of Predictive Analytics prevented such a massive and catastrophic defeat of Napoleon? Perhaps.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

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Upon completion of this chapter, the student should be able to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n