Data analytics play a huge role in the successful operation of organizations of all sizes, 从小型独立企业到大型企业集团. The United States’ military system is obviously bigger than any of the aforementioned entities – but it’s an operation that relies on expert analysis of vast amounts of information all the same. And as an Operations Re搜索 Analyst for the Department of Defense, 满帆大学商业智能硕士 研究生 查克·麦金尼斯 在那台机器中起着至关重要的作用.

With 22 years of military service under his belt prior to working in operations re搜索, 当然，查克对美国政府的内部运作并不陌生.S. 军队. His past experience and familiarity with that organization provide him with additional insight in his job’s responsibilities, which typically find him studying existing challenges and providing feedback as to how things can be improved. Providing solutions to these problems can come in the form of a new system or product, or it can be a change in the way that an organization’s members are trained.

"随着你在军旅生涯中的进步, you’re often involved in training development or what we call capability development. These are stages where we look at certain requirements in the operational environment, and address how we can meet them as well as seeing if there are any gaps that may exist in our workflow,查克说。, who is currently focused on studying police intelligence operations. “如果它们真的存在的话, we then have to decide what additional capabilities we need in order to complete the mission. 我们哪里有问题? Is there a new piece of equipment or a new vehicle that could help us as threats evolve and come up with other ways to counter what our military is already doing?”

In the last three years, Chuck was focused on cost-benefit analysis. 与能力开发人员组成团队, his task entailed applying a study process to a capability and then determining what courses of action could be made to fully address the issue. In preparing documents that will essentially inform decision-makers in green-lighting a new solution, 进行了大量的研究.

“It could be anything from a literature review to spending time looking at documents and understanding the problem as we try to identify exactly what we’re trying to solve. 找出可能存在风险的地方, 然后决定我们如何减轻这些风险,查克说。. “I work with subject matter experts and rely on their knowledge. 这是与许多不同的人合作的结果, 有很多会议, 头脑风暴会议, 一路上写了很多东西.”

Data analytics was a career path that gradually made more and more sense for Chuck as his military career expanded. In 2014, 因为他想在这方面继续深造, he discovered 满帆大学’s 商业智能 Master’s Degree program and was intrigued by what he saw.

“I was looking for something that I could do online and potentially complete within a year’s time, 我也想要一些东西，我可以应用我的军事G.I. 比尔向. 满帆的项目符合很多标准. “I saw that I could apply a lot of the business world skill sets that the 商业智能 program covered to the military.”

程序的数据分析, 统计与数据挖掘, and literature review components all rank as influential parts of his studies that have helped him in his current career, 但这是 顶石项目 – which requires students to present a final thesis document encompassing their data warehouse and present key findings – that truly stands out today.

“The whole Capstone process is really what I do as a professional analyst. 这几乎是一模一样的事情，”查克说. “I just recently had a chance to do an intense military analysis course in Virginia and it was very similar to what I experienced at 满帆.”

Though any job that entails thorough data analysis can be taxing in some regard, Chuck is ultimately driven not just by his constant curiosity to find new ways to solve challenges – but the fact that his efforts help fuel a greater good for the United States of America.

“我一直有强烈的学习和成长的愿望. 我喜欢探索新事物. One of the interesting things about this job is that you’re always doing something new, 或者解决一个新问题,查克说。. “The people who benefit from all of this work are the service men and women who are at the forefront of serving and protecting our country. It’s satisfying to know that what we do is going to make their jobs safer and more effective – that’s who we do the work for.”