Ingenuity, Adaptability and Speed Set 2021 Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 Winners Apart
Since its inception, the Drexel LeBow Analytics 50, presented by LeBow’s Center for Business Analytics, has recognized national excellence in organizations pursuing data-driven solutions. What sets many of this year’s honorees apart is, of course, the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the speed and urgency with which the awardees acted to address its impact.
Some organizations seized the opportunity to adopt data literacy and data fluency on a company-wide basis; others found new ways to gather and respond to feedback from customers and citizens alike. As Center for Business Analytics Director Diana Jones noted, all of the honorees had to rethink the way they operate on some level.
“Many companies and organizations harnessed their data to pivot, adapt and respond quickly,” Jones said.
Significant projects seeking to improve processes and better serve others are the hallmark of the 2021 Analytics 50 winners, which also represent diverse sectors, including aviation, manufacturing, agriculture, government, real estate and financial technology.
Reflecting the importance of the scientific and health communities over the past year, a notable portion of the awardees come from the medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, including Main Line Health, SSM Health, GlaxoSmithKline and IOMICS Healthcare. Pfizer, the international pharmaceutical firm whose COVID-19 vaccine was the first to receive emergency use authorization from the FDA, is being recognized for two separate projects, a first-time feat among Analytics 50 winners.
State and local governments have also played a significant role in safeguarding the health and well-being of their citizens and minimizing the economic impact of the pandemic. This year’s honorees recognize state-wide and municipal projects from coast to coast, including those from the Office of the Governor of the State of Delaware, the City of San Diego and Wake County, North Carolina.
Recognizing the impact of data-driven solutions across this range of organizations reflects LeBow’s commitment to both best practices and major innovations in the field of analytics, says Murugan Anandarajan, PhD, professor of decision sciences and MIS, which in turn benefits the College’s undergraduate and graduate students.
“We’re showing our students the power of data in influencing business, and in doing so, we’re better preparing them for their future roles and to become analytics leaders themselves,” he said.
The honorees were selected by a panel of researchers and practitioners who judged nominations based on the complexity of the business challenges they faced, the analytics solutions implemented and the solutions’ business impact on the organization. All honorees will be recognized at a ceremony to be held this fall.
Learn more about this year’s Analytics 50 honorees and their projects.
