#6 Zahir Balaporia: The Politics of Data Science

In this episode of the Decision Intelligence Lab podcast, host Vijay Mehrotra and co-host Michael Watson engage with Zahir Balaporia, an expert in analytics and decision-making. They explore the concepts of the 'last mile' and 'extra mile', and the politics of analytics. Zahir also shares real-world examples of how organizational dynamics can impact the success of analytics initiatives. The conversation highlights the significance of beliefs in decision-making, the necessity of building trust, and the challenges of change management in the face of evolving technologies like AI. Chapters0:00 - Preview1:00 - Meet Zahir Balaporia2:00 - The Last Mile & Extra Mile Problems in Supply Chain 7:24 - Real-World Examples of Analytics Failures11:54 - Building Trust and Relationships in Analytics21:25 - Cultural Dynamics in Technology Adoption29:15 - The Future of Work with AI and Change ManagementFollow the showApple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-decision-intelligence-lab/id1811085064⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0lFoAVKqJHTYSZNpeN61ou?si=0ae973aab0174b3b⁠Connect with guestZahir Balaporia: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahirbalaporia/Connect with hostsProf. Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco): ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-mehrotra-ba9498/⁠Prof. Michael Watson (Northwestern University): ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-watson-07600a1⁠About the podcastThe Decision Intelligence Lab podcast delivers real-world insights for data professionals, business leaders, and anyone seeking to leverage data & AI for smarter decision-making & successful business outcomes.For business inquiries, email at ⁠[email protected]⁠