Statistics doesn’t have to be boring
Mention statistics and for many people the eyes glaze over, a hand moves to stifle a yawn and the body language says “boring” – or even worse “it’s maths and I have an hang-up from maths going back to school.” But statistics doesn’t have to be like that. Of course, you’d expect me to say that – after all I’ve spent most of my working life training thousands of scientist and engineers all over the world in how to use statistical techniques to solve complex industrial problems.
It wasn’t always like that. Previously I had worked as a researcher with ICI but it wasn’t until I became a senior lecturer in statistics, at what is now known as Huddersfield University, that I realised what a huge gap there is between the theoretical statistics taught in higher education and the practical application of statistics needed to give companies a competitive edge.
That was when I decided to form ‘Statistics for Industry’ – a training company that specialises in providing practical training courses in statistics to help companies solve real life business problems.
And that’s the difference. Now, for me, statistics is for real. It can find where the sticking points are in a production process. It can help to make sure you keep within industry regulation. It can even be used to identify the best combination of ingredients for a new product. But best of all it can help companies save money. BIG money – in fact for one of our clients it led to a saving of €3.5 Million per year!
Being a statistician is a bit like being a detective. You use a whole range of statistical techniques to hunt for the culprit and find a solution to the problem. True, there are no high-speed car chases (although driving through the streets of Mumbai, Bangkok and Shanghai to see clients are experiences I’ll never forget), but when you do solve a case the satisfaction is immense.
So, if school and college statistics courses have left you cold, it doesn’t have to be like that. Get in touch and we’ll show you the fun side of statistics and the practical application that can make a real difference to your working day.