HEC Montréal, in partnership with SAP Canada, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS), is launching an innovative project to eventually help Canadian companies harness artificial intelligence to make data learning and interpretation more intuitive and optimize real-time decision-making. The results of this research will also help reduce the costs associated with common data visualization errors.
From left to right: Théophile Demazure, Patrick Charland, Olivier Caya, Pierre-Majorique Léger.
At the heart of this initiative is the Business Builders learning platform, developed by the ERPsim Lab team at HEC Montréal in collaboration with SAP Canada. This game-based tool, which is available free of charge to university and college students, will integrate new research developments to enable users to acquire advanced data visualization skills more quickly and independently.
Led by Pierre-Majorique Léger, Full Professor, Department of Information Technologies and Director of the ERPsim Lab at HEC Montréal, this three-year research project is part of the Alliance program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Making data analysis and visualization more intuitive
"In a world where companies rely massively on data to guide their decisions, the ability to interpret and visualize information effectively is essential," stresses Olivier Caya, Full Professor of Information Systems at the School of Management, Université de Sherbrooke.
Yet many still struggle to fully exploit advanced analytical tools. This project aims to bridge this gap initially with future managers using Business Builders, a data visualization learning platform. Researchers will use the data it generates from user exercises to better understand how users behave when analyzing and visualizing data on the SAP Analytics Cloud interface.
By studying users' behavioral patterns, the researchers will identify common errors and design predictive algorithms capable of detecting and correcting inappropriate use of data visualization.
"By improving the understanding and use of data, we will help companies avoid costly mistakes," explains Théophile Demazure, Assistant Professor, Department of Information Technologies at HEC Montréal.
"By analyzing user habits, we will develop tools capable of anticipating and correcting these errors in real time, while testing new pedagogical approaches to make learning about data more intuitive," adds Patrick Charland, Full Professor of Science and Technology Didactics at UQAM.
A strategic partnership with SAP Canada
SAP, the world leader in enterprise applications and business intelligence, is actively involved in this project, while providing financial and technological support, including access to SAP Analytics Cloud.
"SAP Canada is committed to cultivating the next generation of talent by integrating cutting-edge business solutions into the learning environment. Through our university partnerships, we bridge the gap between academia and business, equipping students with the skills they need to bring tangible benefits to businesses and organizations in Canada and around the world," says Cindy Fagen, General Manager, SAP Labs Canada.
The results of this research will be published in scientific journals and integrated into academic and professional training courses, thus promoting the adoption of best practices in data management.
