Analytics Magazine Analytics Magazine, September/October 2014 | Page 25

Check-in” and “Passenger Pick-up.” However, some airports like Brussels, Belgium, are still using Helvetica type which is one of the poorest fonts for readability. And, with car rental return signs, drivers are still being confused at such airports in Orlando, Fla., and Florence, Italy, according to the blogs and newspaper accounts. In the same manner, analytics need to convey and capture the right measures, such as key performance indicators in the organization’s executive dashboards. It needs to not only report on what has happ ened (descriptive analytics), but also what will happen (predictive analytics) and ultimately what are the optimal conditions (prescriptive analytics for optimization). We can learn what still needs to be done in analytics by looking at airport signage to increase customer satisfaction. First, don’t get fancy with the airport signage – people want to be able to recognize the signs quickly (whether driving or catching flights in the airport). The signs need to clearly communicate the intent, both visually and content-wise. In much the same way, analytics should use the KISS philosophy (keep it simple, stupid) and provide the appropriate messages and signals. Second, design signs with the lowest common denominator in mind. That is, as a na l y t i c s international and domestic visitors travel throughout airports, include universal symbols, colors and verbiage so that the typical traveler can understand. Analytics can also use this guidance in terms of their respective end users. Finally, continue to embed an analytics culture throughout the organization in the same way that airport signs should also be intuitive. Similar to using analytics for improving the business user’s experience, I am also trying to suggest ways to improve the airport signage for the average traveler. And, it’s not just in the airline industry; it applies across other transportation industries as well. For example, I noticed that there was an electronic sign at the front of each Amtrak car that stated, “Exit,” and whether the rest room was occupied. Why couldn’t the sign also include the train stop at each embarkation? Call me crazy, but I’m still “waiting for a sign.” ❙ Jay Liebowitz ([email protected]) is the DiSanto Visiting Chair in Applied Business and Finance at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Harrisburg, Pa. He will be a keynote speaker at the Analytics Conference 2014 in Las Vegas on Oct. 20-21. Help Promote Analytics Magazine It’s fast and it’s easy! Visit: http://analytics.informs.org/button.html s e p t e m b e r / o c t o b e r 2 014 | 25