ABSTRACT
Supplier-side firms, by contrast, have a primary objective of selling services (such as big data analytics) to the aforementioned clients. Those services are either sold as fixed-cost projects, software as service licenses, or hourly rate-driven engagements. At commercially driven client organizations, one perceives the centrality of the products or product lines being sold. Outsiders may refer to the product team as a “brand team” but in reality, the resources and personnel put against the product take place even before the product is given a brand name. For an analytics team, the benefit of a matrix organization is development according to brand-driven objectives, and not in an ivory tower vacuum. The matrix environment that fosters thorough planning and a range of perspectives can also result in a political environment. Analytics managers under such circumstances must plan ahead on how to allocate their staff’s time between client projects vs. staff training or capabilities building.
