Higher Nationals

Internal verification of assessment decisions – BTEC (RQF)

INTERNAL VERIFICATION – ASSESSMENT DECISIONS

Programme title BITEC Higher National Diploma in Computing

Assessor Internal
Verifier
Unit 17 - Business Process Support
Unit(s)

Business Process of a Company.

Assignment title

Student’s name

List which assessment Pass Merit Distinction

criteria the Assessor has
awarded.

INTERNAL VERIFIER CHECKLIST

Do the assessment criteria awarded

match those shown in the assignment
brief? Y/N

Is the Pass/Merit/Distinction grade

awarded justified by the assessor’s Y/N
comments on the student work?

Has the work been assessed

accurately? Y/N

Is the feedback to the student:

Give details:
• Constructive?
• Linked to relevant assessment Y/N
criteria? Y/N
• Identifying opportunities for Y/N
improved performance?
• Agreeing actions? Y/N
 Does the assessment decision need
amending? Y/N

Assessor signature Date

Internal Verifier signature Date

Programme Leader signature (if

required) Date

Confirmation completed

Remedial action taken

Give details:

Assessor signature Date

Internal
Verifier Date
signature

Programme Leader
signature (if Date
required)
Assignment Feedback Form

Student Name/ID

Unit Title Unit 17 - Business Process Support

Assignment Assessor
Number
26/01/2025 Date
Submission Date Received 1st
submission

Date Received 2nd

Re-submission Date submission
Assessor Feedback:
LO1 Discuss the use of data and information to support business processes and the value they
have for an identified organization
Pass, Merit & Distinction P1 P2 M1 D1
Descripts

LO2 Discuss the implications of the use of data and information to support business processes in
a real-world scenario
Pass, Merit & Distinction P3 P4 M2 D1
Descripts

LO3 Explore the tools and technologies associated with data science and how it supports business
processes
Pass, Merit & Distinction P5 M3 D2
Descripts

LO4 Demonstrate the use of data science techniques to make recommendations to support real-
world business problems.
Pass, Merit & Distinction P6 P7 M4 D2
Descripts
Grade: Assessor Signature: Date:

Resubmission Feedback:

Grade: Assessor Signature: Date:

Internal Verifier’s Comments:

Signature & Date:

* Please note that grade decisions are provisional. They are only confirmed once internal
and external moderation has taken place and grades decisions have been agreed at the
assessment board.

Assignment Feedback
Formative Feedback: Assessor to Student

Action Plan

Summative feedback

Feedback: Student to Assessor

Assessor Date
signature

Student Date
signature
Pearson Higher Nationals in
Computing

Unit 17 - Business Process Support

Assignment

General Guidelines
 1. A Cover page or title page – You should always attach a title page to your assignment. Use
previous page as your cover sheet and make sure all the details are accurately filled.
2. Attach this brief as the first section of your assignment.
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reduced to A REFERRAL or at worst you could be expelled from the course
Student Declaration

I hereby, declare that I know what plagiarism entails, namely to use another’s work and to
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Student’s Signature: Date:

Higher National Diploma in Business
Assignment Brief
Student Name /ID Number

Unit Number and Title Unit 17 - Business Process Support

Academic Year 2023/24

Unit Tutor

Assignment Title Business Process of a Company.

Issue Date 21/11/2024

Submission Date 26/01/2025

IV Name & Date

Submission format

The submission should be in the form of an individual report written in a concise, formal business
style using single spacing (refer to the assignment guidelines for more details). You are required to
make use of headings, paragraphs, and subsections as appropriate, and all work must be supported
with research and referenced using Harvard referencing system. Please provide in-text citation and a
list of references using Harvard referencing system.

The recommended word count is 4,500–5,000 words excluding annexures.

Minimum word count – 4,500
Maximum word count – 5,000
Unit Learning Outcomes:

LO1 Discuss the use of data and information to support business processes and the value they have
for an identified organization.
LO2 Discuss the implications of the use of data and information to support business processes in a
real-world scenario.
LO3 Explore the tools and technologies associated with data science and how it supports business
processes.
LO4 Demonstrate the use of data science techniques to make recommendations to support real-
world business problems.
Assignment Brief and Guidance:

Scenario

Select an organization of your choice and assume yourself as the newly recruited business
support executive to help the organization to enhance its business processes and decision-making
process using the latest data science tools and techniques.
Apply business support and data science tools and techniques into the context of the chosen
organization and complete the tasks given below.
The answers should be presented in a professionally compiled business report with appropriate
formatting and academic writing standards.

Task 1
Give a brief description to the organization chosen and its business processes.
Discuss how data and information support to run the business processes of the chosen
organization and the tools currently in use to manipulate meaningful data to support
organization’s business operations. Assess the value of data and information to the organization
and its individuals to run the business processes effectively and evaluate the implications of using
data and information to support the business processes. Your answer must include examples
where necessary from the chosen organization.

Task 2
Based on the nature of the chosen organization and its processes, analyse and discuss the
common threats, impacts, social, legal, ethical implications associated with data/information use
to support business processes. Describe how the threats and issues can be mitigated at a personal
and organizational level by proposing suitable solutions.

Task 3
Discuss how data science and the tools and technologies associated with it can be used support
business process and inform decisions of organizations by taking at least two examples from the
industry.
Identify a business problem or a requirement associate with decision making in the chosen
organization and evaluate how it could be addressed using data science tools and technologies.
Assess the benefits the organization and its users can receive through addressing the issue or
meeting the business requirement identified.

Task 4
Design and implement a data science solution to support decision making problem or the
requirement identified in task 3. Propose justified recommendations to improve the decision-
making process of the organization with the support of data science solution implemented.
Grading Rubric

Grading Criteria Achieved Feedback

LO1 Discuss the use of data and information to support business processes and the value they have for an identified organization

P1 Discuss how data and information support business

processes and the value they have for organizations.
P2 Discuss how data is generated and the tools used to
manipulate it to form meaningful data to support business
operations.
M1 Assess the value of data and information to individuals
and organizations in relation to real-world business
processes.
D1 Evaluate the wider implications of using data and
information to support business processes in an identified
organization.
LO2 Discuss the implications of the use of data and information to support business processes in a real-world scenario.

P3 Discuss the social legal and ethical implications of

using data and information to support business processes.
P4 Describe common threats to data and how they can be
mitigated at on a personal and organizational level.
M2 Analyze the impact of using data and information to
support business real-world business processes.
D1 Evaluate the wider implications of using data and
information to support business processes in an identified
organization.

LO3 Explore the tools and technologies associated with data science and how it supports business processes.
P5 Discuss how tools and technologies associated with
data science are used to support business processes and
inform decisions.

M3 Assess the benefits of using data science to solve

problems in real-world scenarios.

D2 Evaluate the use of data science techniques against user

and business requirements of an identified organization.

LO4 Demonstrate the use of data science techniques to make recommendations to support real-world business problems.
P6 Design a data science solution to support decision
making related to a real-world problem.

P7 Implement a data science solution to support decision

making related to a real-world problem.

M4 Make justified recommendations that support decision

making related to a real-world problem.

D2 Evaluate the use of data science techniques against user

and business requirements of an identified organization.
Acknowledgement

First, I thank God for all the opportunities, trials and strength that have been showered on me to finish writing the assignment. I experienced
so much during this process and this assignment also helped me in doing a lot of research and I came to know about so many new things.
Not only from the academic aspect but also from the aspect of professionally. First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank my
lecturer for the guidance, positive encouragement, and warm spirit to finish this assignment. It has been a great pleasure and honor to have
him as my lecturer. Secondly, my deepest gratitude goes to all my family members. It would not be possible to write this assignment
without support from them. I offer my special thanks to all my friends. May God shower the above-cited personalities with success and
honor in their life.

THANK YOU!
 Figure Tables

Figure 1 Dialog Axiata Logo.............................................................................................. 24

Figure 2 Data and information in business process..........................................................27
Figure 3 Data Generation................................................................................................. 30
Figure 4 Data Generation Tool..........................................................................................31
Figure 5 Data Manipulation..............................................................................................32
Figure 6 Data Manipulation Language..............................................................................33
Figure 7 Value Assessment...............................................................................................37
Figure 8 Data Ethics..........................................................................................................39
Figure 9 Social Impact.......................................................................................................42
Figure 10 Data Breaches...................................................................................................50
Figure 11 Malware and Ransomware...............................................................................52
Figure 12 Data Science..................................................................................................... 59
Figure 13 Design of Data Science Solution........................................................................75
Table of Contents
Acknowledgement............................................................................................................17
Figure Tables.................................................................................................................... 19
Task 01..............................................................................................................................23
1.1 introduction of Dialog Axiata PLC...........................................................................23
1.1.1 Vision of the Company.....................................................................................24
1.1.2 Mission of the Company..................................................................................24
1.2 Data Vs Information................................................................................................25
1.2.1 What is meant by Data?...................................................................................25
1.2.2 What is meant by Information?.......................................................................25
1.2.3 The Significant Differences Between Data vs information...............................26
1.2.4 Data vs Information Example...........................................................................26
1.3 Data and information in Business processes..........................................................27
1.4 Value of Data and Information...............................................................................28
1.5 Data Generation and Tools.....................................................................................29
1.5.1 What is meant by Data Generation?................................................................29
1.5.2 What is meant by Data Generation Tool?........................................................31
1.6 Data Manipulation..................................................................................................32
1.6.1 Examples of Data Manipulation.......................................................................32
1.6.2 Data Manipulation Language...........................................................................33
1.6.3 Purpose of Data Manipulation.........................................................................34
1.6.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Data Manipulation....................................35
1.7 Value Assessment...................................................................................................36
1.8 wider Implication....................................................................................................37
Task 02..............................................................................................................................39
2.1 Data Ethics..............................................................................................................39
2.1.1 Importance of Data Ethics for Business...........................................................39
2.1.2 Social implications...........................................................................................40
2.2 Customer Confidence and Privacy..........................................................................42
2.2.1 Personalization Vs Privacy Trade off................................................................43
2.3 Legal Implications................................................................................................... 44
2.3.1 Data Protection Laws and Compliance............................................................45
2.3.2 Regulatory Requirements in the telecom Sector.............................................46
 2.4 Ethical Implications.................................................................................................47
2.4.1 Transparency and informed Consent...............................................................48
2.4.2 Fair Data Usage Practices.................................................................................48
2.5 Common Threats to Data........................................................................................49
2.5.1 Data Breaches..................................................................................................50
2.5.2 Data Loss..........................................................................................................51
2.5.3 Phishing Attacks...............................................................................................51
2.5.4 Insider Threats.................................................................................................51
2.5.5 Malware and Ransomware..............................................................................52
2.6 common Threats to Data can be mitigated at on a personal and organizational
level.............................................................................................................................. 52
2.6.1 Mitigation Measures Common to Both personal and organizational Levels....53
2.7 Impact Analysis of Data and information Usage at Dialog Axiata PLC....................55
2.8 Evaluation of wider implication of Data and information Usage............................56
2.8.1 Economic Impact............................................................................................. 56
2.8.2 Digital Divide Impact........................................................................................57
2.8.3 Environmental Impact..................................................................................... 57
2.8.4 Regulatory Influence Impact............................................................................58
2.8.5 Reputation and Trust Impact...........................................................................58
Task 03..............................................................................................................................58
3.1 What is meant by Data Science?.............................................................................58
3.2 Why is Data Science important?.............................................................................59
3.3 History of Data Science...........................................................................................59
3.4 Future of Data Science............................................................................................60
3.5 What is Data Science used for?..............................................................................60
3.6 The Role of data science in Business.......................................................................61
3.7 Introduction to the Dialog Axiata PLC and Business Problem.................................62
3.7.1 Example 1: Predictive Analytics in retail..........................................................63
3.7.2 Example 2: Customer Churn prediction in Telecom.........................................65
3.8 The Value of Data Science in Business....................................................................67
3.9 Assessment of Benefits...........................................................................................69
3.9.1 Financial Gains.................................................................................................69
3.9.2 Operational Enhancements.............................................................................70
3.9.3 Customer Satisfaction......................................................................................71
3.9.4 Competitive Advantage...................................................................................71
 3.9.5 Alignment with User and Business Requirements...........................................72
Task 04..............................................................................................................................73
4.1 Recap of the Chosen Business Problem..................................................................73
4.2 Overview of data Science Solution.........................................................................73
4.3 Design of Data Science Solution.............................................................................74
4.3.1 Data Collection and preprocessing..................................................................75
4.3.2 Model Selection and Development..................................................................76
4.3.3 Evaluation Metrics and techniques..................................................................77
4.4 Implementation of Data Science Solution..............................................................78
4.4.1 Data Gathering and preparation......................................................................78
4.4.2 Model development and Testing.....................................................................79
4.4.3 Integration with Organizational Processes......................................................80
4.5 Recommendations for enhanced Decision-Making................................................80
4.5.1 Insights from the Data Science Solution..........................................................81
4.5.2 Proposed Actions and Strategies.....................................................................81
4.5.3 Justification for Recommendations.................................................................82
4.6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 83
4.6.1 Recap of Data Science Solution........................................................................83
4.6.2 The Impact on Decision-Making......................................................................83
4.6.3 Alignment with User and Business Requirements...........................................84
References........................................................................................................................85
 Task 01

1.1 introduction of Dialog Axiata PLC

Dialog Axiata Group owns Sri Lanka’s premier Quad-Play Connectivity Provider as a
subsidiary of Axiata Group Berhad, or Axiata. Dialog Axiata PLC is Dialog Group’s fully
integrated holding company of the conglomerate that is operating with the CSE list which
provides the Mobile, Digital Pay Television, Fixed Telecommunications International
services having significant exposure to Digital Services Financial Services and IT
Services. This communication service provider has the largest investment in Sri Lankan
by Foreign Direct Investments or FDI as it invested USD 3.2 billion in the country. Brand
Finance, UK has identified Dialog as the Most Valuable Brand in Sri Lanka for the year
2019-2023. The business offers unique and relatively new products – mobile telephone
and high-speed mobile internet access to more than 17 million Sri Lankan customers.
Serving millions of people in Sri Lanka, Dialog – the leading Pay Television and Home
Broadband service provider – offers international level entertainment and outstanding
fixed broadband connection. The company also has fixed and roaming contracts with
more than 650 operators in more than 200 countries, as well as equity stakes in multiple
subsea cables across Asia.

Figure 1 Dialog Axiata Logo

Dialog the six-time Global Mobile Awards winner has been recognised as the
‘Telecommunication Brand of the Year’ for the twelfth consecutive year by the
consumers of Sri Lanka at the SLIMKANTAR People’s Awards 2023. Dialog is ISO
9001 Quality Management System, ISO 27001:2013 information security management
system, and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management system. The Dialog has
received several local and international awards such as National Quality Award, Sri
Lanka Business Excellence Award as well as ACCA Sustainability Award. (dialog, n.d.)

1.1.1 Vision of the Company

To be the obvious number one company providing multi-sensory connectiveness

delivering always, in the uplifting and development of Sri Lankan people and businesses.
(dialog, n.d.)

1.1.2 Mission of the Company

To be ahead in the offering of technology enabled connectivity that helps touch as many
of the human senses and faculties as is possible, through and through, by the principle of
absolute customer focus, ethical, responsive and flexible business, and by providing
quality service and cutting edge technology which cannot be matched by any other
organization, all being driven by a motivated set of people for the ideal spirit of ‘working
as one.’ (dialog, n.d.)

1.2 Data Vs Information

1.2.1 What is meant by Data?

Data is defined as a collection of individual elements or figures. Even though technically

“datum” is the singular of “data,” it is not actually used in everyday parlance. That is,
data can be words, notes, numbers, pictures, statistics, graph, symbols, and so on. Special
examples of data include individual prices, weights, addresses, ages, names, temperatures,
dates, or lengths. Information on the other hand is an elementary type of information that
has no meaning or use, on its own. In other words, they mean that, to be meaningful, data
need to be read. Data could be unsophisticated—And often it might look so uninformed—
Until it is analysed, sorted and interpreted. (Vaughan, 2024)

1.2.2 What is meant by Information?

Information is defined as knowledge that is acquired through learning process, via both
spoken and written word or through self-studies. Knowledge is derived from information
which is gained by learning data. Data are considered as the specific figures, numbers, or
graphs, on the other hand, information is considered as the view of those pieces of
knowledge.
For instance, a piece of data is temperature records in each area for several years. All
those temps become irrelevant when no further details are provided. Still, one could query
that data and through analysis and organization even a layman would be able to discover
seasonal temperature variations or even more universal climate variations. Therefore,
only when information is synthesized and compiled into usable forms, it will form data
pertinent to others. (pressbooks, n.d.)

1.2.3 The Significant Differences Between Data vs information

Data Information
 Raw facts and figures without  Processed or organized data that is
context. meaningful.
 Unprocessed, unorganized, and raw.  Processed, structured, and organized.
 Serves as the foundation for  Provides context and understanding.
information.
 "2023, 100, 200, 50"  "The company made a profit of
$100,000 in 2023."
 Data is the raw input needed to  Information depends on data to gain
create information. meaning.
 Can be numbers, text, images, or  Presented in a readable and
 symbols. structured format.
 No inherent meaning on its own.  Has clear meaning and is useful for
decision-making.
 Not directly usable without context.  Directly usable for analysis and
decision-making.

1.2.4 Data vs Information Example

Example of Data
 The number of visitors to a website over the course of one month.
 On a certain date, inventory levels in a warehouse.
 Individual customer satisfaction ratings from a customer service survey.
 The cost of a competitor's product.

Example Of information
 Recognizing whether updates to a website have resulted in an increase or decrease
in monthly site visitors.
 Identifying supply chain challenges based on long-term trends in warehouse
inventory levels.
 Identifying areas for improvement in customer service based on survey replies
 Determining whether a competitor charges for a comparable product.

1.3 Data and information in Business processes

Why is the data to information contrast important in a business? In organizations where

the collection, interpretation, and application of data are heavily emphasized, great
rewards can be gained. Useful data, if properly managed, and the knowledge to be
derived from it will allow business entities to make far better and quicker decisions.

Examples include a company gathering information concerning the effectiveness of its

advertisements or content. They can organize and analyse the data to generate a wealth of
information, including what kind of images, phrases, and even products are most
attractive to their consumer base. They could also be able to better understand their target
demographic on a larger scale, which can help them make decisions regarding future
products, branding, and communication preferences. Right data could lead to infinite
information and insights—all of which are very important for making decisions.

Figure 2 Data and information in business process

The smooth running of business processes at Dialog depends on data and information.
The volume of data generated every day in the telecommunication business is huge, be it
from customer calls, the internet, and network performance statistics. This information is
important in many elements within the business, including:

1. Optimization of the network:

 It provides the organization with real-time network performance data that
helps them to quickly find problems and solve them. This adds to network
reliability and reduces downtime, which in turn enhances customer satisfaction.

2. Management of Customer Relationship

 Dialog utilizes consumer data to tailor services, optimize products, and enhance
overall customer experience. For example, by studying client call histories, they
 can offer customized packages that will meet individual demands, leading to
increased happiness in, and loyalty from, the consumer.

3. Market Analysis:
 Dialog analyzes data to gain knowledge about market trends and customer
preferences. Then, the organization may introduce new services or
adjust the existing portfolio of services according to evolving customer demand.

1.4 Value of Data and Information

Data and information are huge concerns for Dialog and its subsidiaries. Some of the key
elements of its value are discussed as under:

 Strategic Decision-making:
Data-driven insights could enable strategic decision-making. In other words, through
insight into consumer behaviour, network performance, and market trends, decisions
regarding investments, marketing strategies, and service innovations may be made.

 Operational Efficiency:
Data helps to make operations efficient. For instance, through the analysis of call data, it
could deploy its resources efficiently during busy hours, which would decrease
congestion and increase the quality of the service.

 Competitive Advantage:
By acquiring real-time data, Dialog gains a competitive advantage. Because of this ability
to adapt to new market developments and client needs, a business stays one step ahead of
competitors.

 Client satisfaction:
Data-driven personalized offerings improve the overall customer experience, leading to
enhanced customer loyalty.

1.5 Data Generation and Tools

1.5.1 What is meant by Data Generation?

The generation of data is the act of making or creating new data. Different means of data
generation include the collection of data from sources, survey, testing, and data
production through algorithms and simulations. The data collected can serve several
purposes, such as research, analysis, modeling, and decision making. In machine learning,
DG also means the generation of synthetic data (SD) that could be used for training and
testing machine learning models. It involves using several methods of algorithms to
create new data sets that are like current ones but differ in some way. The data can then
be used to evaluate the functionality of machine modeling, hypothesize tests, or tackle
privacy and ethical issues. It can be done via sampling, extrapolation, simulation, or
generative adversarial networks. Data generation and synthetic data are closely related
ideas in the AI and machine learning context. Synthetic data refers to data that has been
artificially annotated and gotten by computer algorithms or simulations. DG is focused on
creating or producing new data, mainly synthetic data. Synthetic data production is
generally used when real data is either unavailable or it must remain undisclosed due to
privacy or regulatory realities. These issues could be solved through synthetic data to
train AI algorithms without exposing sensitive information. DG and synthetic data go
hand in hand; they are indeed two synonyms-dictionary wise, because synthetic data is a
major component in DG and helps train and assess AI models.

Figure 3 Data Generation

At Dialog Data is generate

1. Usage by Customers:
Customers generate data when they engage in phone calls, send text messages, or use
mobile data services. This information includes details like call duration, location, and
how services are utilized.

2. Infrastructure of the Network:

The telecommunications infrastructure produces data regarding network performance,
such as signal strength, latency, and any outages that occur.

3. Customer Reactions:
Dialog gathers client feedback through surveys, interactions with customer service, and
social media platforms. This unstructured data provides insights into customer
satisfaction and concerns.

4. Market Information:
Data on market trends, competitor activities, and regulatory changes can be sourced from
external entities.
 1.5.2 What is meant by Data Generation Tool?

The system automatically generates, stores, and provides realistic test data sets that can be
used by the testers in generating large volumes of hard-to-design data with customized
requirements. In this way, testers can perform the testing with a lot of data types,
conditions, and scenarios more efficiently and faster. (blazemeter, 2024)

Figure 4 Data Generation Tool

1.6 Data Manipulation

Data manipulation is the process of structuring or arranging data to make interpretation

easier. Most of the time, data manipulation requires a database language; this is called the
data manipulation language-DML. DML is a sort of coding language that you can use in
restructuring data by updating it on its database software. (Eads, 2024)

The Following are example of common data manipulation operation:

1. Classification
2. Aggregation
3. Formulas for mathematics
4. Row and Column sorting
5. Regression analysis
6. String concatenation

1.6.1 Examples of Data Manipulation

Data manipulation can be utilized to do the following:

1. To find specific record, sort data alphabetically or by date.

2. Manage web server logs so that website owner can track the most popular sites
and traffic sources.
3. Make prediction about stock market developments.
4. Examine the cost of product, pricing patterns, and prospective tax obligations.
5. Based on code in a set by user’s software application, display online information
in a more meaningful way to users.

1.6.2 Data Manipulation Language

Communicating with the database software to make these changes may require the use
Data Manipulation Language-for assuring that no data is lost in a database when it is
being arranged. DML provides procedures that allow for controlling the requests of the
users for gaining access to and modifying data in databases. The usual functions of this
language are inserting, updating, and fetching data from within a database. (satoricyber,
n.d.)
 Figure 6 Data Manipulation Language

Here are some popular DML instructions used in data manipulation:

SELECT: This command is used to request or to obtain information from one or more
tables. This command enables a user to determine which columns of the data to be
retrieved and how to sort the results making it the most basic DML command used in
querying data.

INSERT: The INSERT command is used in database to insert a new records or rows of
data into a table. The database, table, and fields to update are uniquely defined and you
Insert the desired values in the fields of the respective table.

UPDATE: The UPDATE statement is used to update records in a table; that is, change
the contents of some or all the record. It helps you set new values to state several columns
by a condition or criteria, which makes update separately some rows or columns possible.

DELETE: This command is used to delete one or more records of a table according to
the condition set for the command. It physically drops the rows that qualify for deletion
and in some other instances one can reverse the deletion through the transaction log
options or roll back features. (Luchmee, 2024)
 1.6.3 Purpose of Data Manipulation

Data manipulation is important because when data is manipulated one is in a better

position to get information that relevant for your individual company and targets
particularly important. This technique can be altered to find different data sets as the
business grows or evolves based on business requirements in the marketplace. Data it also
pays to manipulate to be able to find out and eliminate Data Redundancy in reporting.

Some organisations may manipulate data to arrive at useful information about

stakeholders, sales projects or financial decisions and trend or success indicators. (Naeem,
2024)

Dialog employs several data science tools and techniques to alter and extract meaning
from this data, including:

1. Data Analytics:

Dialog use analytics technologies in the context of Dialogue analytics to process and
analyse large volumes of data. For instance, they employ SAS, R, and Python to obtain
information on clients’ behaviour, network effectiveness, as well as the market
conditions.

2. Machine Learning:

Customer churn, packaging, and network configurations with Machine learning

algorithms are used to minimize customer churn, package optimization, and network
optimization, respectively.

3. Data Visualization:
For example, tools like Tableau and Power BI are tools that generate output in the form of
visuals that can enhance the understanding of high stakes decision makers with relation to
the information.

4. Natural Language Processing (NLP):

Dialog leverages NLP algorithms to analyse open text customer feedback and their
overall sentiment on for social media, meaning that there is potential for growth.

1.6.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Data Manipulation

Table 1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Data Manipulation (Author Developed)

Advantages Disadvantages
1. Improved Decision-Making: Data 1. Data Loss: Incorrect or poorly executed
manipulation allows organizations to extract data manipulation can result in data loss or
meaningful insights, leading to more corruption, which can be costly and
informed and effective decision making. disruptive.
2. Data Quality Enhancement: Manipulation 2. Complexity: Some data manipulation
techniques can clean and enhance data processes can be complex and require
quality by removing inconsistencies, errors, specialized skills and tools, which can be
and duplicates. resource intensive.
3. Customization: Data can be tailored to 3. Data Privacy Concerns: Data
specific needs, enabling organizations to manipulation can involve handling sensitive
generate reports, analytics, and information, raising concerns about data
visualizations that meet their unique privacy and security breaches if not properly
requirements. managed.
4. Efficiency: Data manipulation can 4. Inaccuracies: Mistakes in data
automate repetitive tasks, saving time and manipulation can introduce inaccuracies and
resources by streamlining data-related bias, leading to misleading results and poor
processes. decisions.
5. Data Integration: Different datasets can be 5. Scalability Challenges: As data volumes
integrated and combined, providing a grow, managing and manipulating large
holistic view of information, which can be datasets can become a scalability challenge,
valuable for comprehensive analysis. requiring more significant infrastructure.

1.7 Value Assessment

An evaluation of the extent to which the prospective missions were achieved based on the
efficiency gained due to the given software capabilities and a conclusion on whether the
outcomes realised were worth the investment made. The sponsor and user community
provide value information at least once per year to drive DA and PM selections.
(Enterprise Architecture, 2024)

In this case, data and information crucial to both the individual and Dialog as a business
organization. Customers get far more tailored services, increased network density and
quality and more integrated experience. Data contributes towards decisions to select
proper service packages and about service providence. This facilitates classification of
benefits attributable to the efforts of employees to actualize more right decisions within
organizations hence improving the efficiency of services offered.

Data ultimately enables Dialog as a company make two types of decisions which are
strategic and operational decisions hence improves the company’s competitiveness. It
helps in enhancing the number of customers hence enhancing their loyalty, boosts the
level of income achieved and assists in cutting expenses. Logically, Dialog’s ability to
respond to emerging market opportunities is consistent with the company’s enduring goal
of being a leading player in the cutthroat telecoms marketplace.

Figure 7 Value Assessment

1.8 wider Implication

A matter of concern of higher severity can be defined as the opportunity which influences
many consumers and entails major remedy or even business loss. The problem could be
identified say through casework analysis of the Financial Ombudsman Service or through
FCA supervision.

Such problems when recognised by the members can be taken through a working level,
director level, executive level or a chair level meeting depending on the expected
consequence.

Not all subjects will apply to all the members, and by this structure, members can be
engaged where applicable to the highest degree possible without compromising the
group’s ability to respond promptly and adequately. (fca, 2024)

The utilization of data and information in Dialog’s Process has various broader
implications:

1. Data Security:
Dialog must invest extensively in data security to protect consumer information and
network data. Data breaches can have serious legal and reputational ramifications.

2. Regulatory Compliance:
Various regulations govern the telecommunications business. Dialog must ensure that its
data practices comply with these standards, which can be complicated and subject to
change.

3. Investment in Data Infrastructure:

To address the ever-increasing data quantities, the organization must consistently invest
in data storage, processing, and analytics infrastructure.

4. Skills Development:
Employees must be trained in data science and analytics to make the most of the available
data.

Task 02

2.1 Data Ethics

Data ethics is the discipline of ethics that deals with the generation, gathering, sharing,
and use of data. It considers how data practices respect principles such as privacy,
fairness, and transparency, and the balance between individual rights and social
advantages.
Data ethics concerns moral obligations and issues of personally identifiable information
(PII) and its possible consequences on people and society. (opendatasoft, n.d.)
 Figure 8 Data Ethics

2.1.1 Importance of Data Ethics for Business

Data ethics is important because it ensures that information will be collected, analysed,
and used in ways fairly, responsibly, as well as respectfully. Every day, in our highly
digital world volumes of datasets are generated. The data potentially will make a massive
impact on people, communities, as well as society. Suppose a company designed a
smartphone application that helps a customer find out the nearest restaurant. The program
utilizes location details from users to make proper suggestions. If the company does not
handle such information in an ethical way, it may sell or pass on such personal
information to other companies. This leads to violations of privacy. Another example is
the use of algorithms in filtering job applicants. An algorithm which is not designed by
keeping ethics in mind might discriminate against groups by basing their decisions on
gender, ethnicity, or age characteristics.
This could lead to disparate hiring and failing to reveal some of the best people. In other
words, data ethics are a use case that can make sure fairness, privacy, and trust exist. With
ethical standards, companies and organizations can build and maintain good relations
with their clients, customers, and stakeholders in support of a creative and collaborative
environment. (Gohil, 2023)
 2.1.2 Social implications

Social impact can generally be described as the way an organization, company, or even a
person affects the community around them. This can result from any activity, project,
program, or policy but will have its positive and negative effects. It is possible that social
impact affects only those who are immediately surrounded by that business or person, or
it might influence a more significant group of people across various towns, states, and
countries.

Social impact, however, is frequently used to define actions that bring about a positive
impingement upon communities. A person can have a positive impingement on society in
several different ways. One can start a socially positive impacted company, or one can
learn of a company with a negative social impact and share that knowledge with your
friends and family. The way people spend their leisure is also revealing, for travel has
both positive and negative social impacts. Airlines emit enormous quantities of CO2, and
travel can be damaging to indigenous peoples, but travel also creates jobs and improves
cultural understanding and tolerance across the globe. For this cause, the way one travels
can be highly varying in social influence. Community tourism projects and local-owned
guesthouses encourage employment in the communities, whereas eco-tourism initiatives
may help maintain vital ecosystems for animals and human beings alike. Viewing native
cultures and ways of life through tourism activities can assist in creating a positive social
influence for their future.

This is also the case for volunteer abroad programs that aim to benefit local populations
in a range of professions. It gives volunteers an insight into how other people live and
helps them develop valuable life skills while working on projects that are important to
them. Local communities benefit from the project's social influence, and volunteers return
home informed as global citizens. They can then take those skills and a more open-
minded view of the world back to their communities to make positive changes in targeted
projects, a business startup idea, or through day-to-day interactions. The business owners
and staff can also bring social good into the operations to develop far-reaching
advantages for their consumers, the local community, and the environment. Consumers
nowadays are aware that the purchases they make may speak volumes, and many are
looking to support firms that include positive social impact ideas into their Company
model. This should serve as the heart of operations and influence any business decision
that the company makes. It must be defined clearly whether its activities make social
impact and if every individual in the staff believes in it to make it legitimate and possible.
It must be ingrained in all that company does as a business and is therefore part of
company culture, and if it doesn't occur here, it is not possible for it to seep out to reach
other elements of community. (Mitchell, 2021)

Dialog Axiata PLC's use of data and information has several social ramifications.
Customers, as the major stakeholders, expect responsible data management. Any misuse
or breach of consumer data can result in a loss of trust and damage to one's reputation.
Furthermore, while personalization of services based on data might be perceived as a
positive, it can also raise privacy concerns, as customers may believe that their every step
is being followed. It is critical for societal acceptance to strike the correct balance
between personalization and privacy.

Figure 9 Social Impact

2.2 Customer Confidence and Privacy

Dialog Axiata PLC's success in the telecommunications industry is built on customer

trust. The careful use of client data is critical to preserving this confidence. The following
are the societal ramifications of data usage on customer trust and privacy:
 1. Transparency:
Transparency in data usage and privacy policies is critical. Customers must understand
what information is gathered, how it is used, and what controls are in place to secure it.

2. Building Trust:
Dialog must reassure customers that their personal information is treated with the utmost
care and regard for their privacy. Any sense of data misuse or insecurity can swiftly
destroy trust.

3. Data Consent:
Dialog should seek informed and unequivocal consent from customers for data
collection and use. Customers should be able to opt in or out of specific data-driven
services.

4. Data Security:
Data breaches, which can occur because of inadequate security measures, can
substantially harm customer trust. Customers want information to be secure, and any
breach can lead to a loss of trust.

2.2.1 Personalization Vs Privacy Trade off

Balancing personalization with privacy is a significant challenge facing the industry
where data are used to make services and offers more precisely tailored to individual
clients. Social implications include the following:

1. Benefits for Customers

Personalization enhances the experience of customers by offering them personalized
services and offers. Customers are usually grateful for this as their interactions with the
company are made more relevant and easier.

2. Privacy Concerns:
But the thin line is always there between personalization and intrusion: customers may
feel their privacy is breached if they think that the company knows too much about what
they do and like.

3. Opt-In Mechanisms:
To create a balance, Dialog can implement opt-in mechanisms where customers can
choose how much personalization they want. For instance, customers can choose to share
location data for location-based services or not.

4. Data Minimization:
Dialogue should practice data minimization and collect and use only such data as may be
necessary to realize the objectives. This can reduce the chances of excessive intrusion into
the personal lives of customers.

5. Customer Education:
Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of personalization, educating customers on
data sharing may have them make informed decisions.

6. Data Ethics:
The ethical treatment of data needs to be at the core of how Dialog approaches
personalization. Customers should feel their data is in service of them and not used to
benefit the company.

Balancing personalization and privacy are two main areas Dialog needs to address to
maintain its positive social reputation while making sure that its usage of data is in line
with customer expectations and ethical standards.

2.3 Legal Implications

Legal consequences are the result or effects of being a part of something under the law.
Marriage is an excellent instance. Because of marriage, all property acquired after the
wedding is automatically deemed co-owned. A legal consequence can be either good or
bad. When one is found driving drunk, the legal consequences are dire. The implication is
deemed bad because it acts against a person. However, if the company discriminates
against someone because of race or sexual orientation, the legal implication is regarded
favourable. If can decide to sue a business, the case will be in its Favor if can substantiate
the allegations. It's sad that legal ramifications are often overlooked in ordinary life. The
unfortunate fact is that things continue to have an impact on people in both positive and
harmful ways. In the case of a business, startups and sometimes established businesses
overlook or are unaware of the legal ramifications of doing business. (Luenendonk, 2016)

Businesses in telecom need to understand and follow important legal standards because
these industries face strict regulation. Organizations under Sri Lankan and international
data rules (including GDPR) need to secure customer information while informing users
about data handling and protecting their data systems. Noncompliance leads to both legal
disputes and financial punishments along with damaging the company's reputation.
 2.3.1 Data Protection Laws and Compliance

Data protection laws protect the large amounts of customer information that telecom
services generate. Dialog Axiata PLC requires expertise in legal requirements to manage
data securely and maintain the protection of user information. The legal implications
related to data protection laws include:

1. Sri Lankan Data Protection Laws:

Dialog needs to keep all Sri Lanka's personal data laws including PDPA legislation and
each local regulation. The laws define all rules about protecting and storing customer
information.

2. International Laws (GDPR):

Under the GDPR regulations Dialog must protect personal data for anyone who does
business with the company outside Sri Lanka. The GDPR demands that Dialog protects
all customer information while following its strict data protection regulations.

3. Customer Consent:
A company needs customer approval with complete understanding for legal compliance
regarding how Dialog collects and uses their personal details. Dialog should offer
customers simple ways to agree or decline participating in data activities.

4. Data Subject Rights:

Data protection laws give customers three essential rights to access their information plus
the right to delete and move their data. Dialog requires systems for delivering customer
data rights whenever they ask for them.

2.3.2 Regulatory Requirements in the telecom Sector

Controls for the telecommunications sector remain strict since its services support the
basic needs of the public. Dialog Axiata PLC is subject to various regulatory
requirements, and data usage within this sector has specific legal implications, including:
 1. Licensing and Authorization:
Dialog Axiata PLC needs licenses to keep operating their business. The governmental
bodies linked these licenses to mandatory rules about protecting and storing data.

2. Data Retention:
Safety agencies demand companies to save certain information for an approved period in
case of future needs. Dialog needs to follow data retention rules while protecting
customer information security.

3. Emergency Services:
Emergency services need telecom operators to send user location data to respond faster
when someone makes a distress call. Operators must meet these requirements because the
law requires it, and they must act ethically.

4. Fair Competition:
Telecom regulators support honest market competition and defend the interests of users.
Dialog must stick to these requirements to support balanced competition across the
market.

5. Interception of Communications:
Several nations enable their government authorities to monitor communications when
legal conditions apply. Dialog should help track legal communications when government
authorities need access yet defend users' privacy.

6. Compliance Reporting:
Dialog needs direct reporting to authorities about how they handle data and use security
to follow regulatory rules.

Our compliance with legal data rules and telecom standards helps defend our company
reputation and prevents potential regulatory problems. Dialog needs to both know and
follow all current rules while taking action to stay compliant going forward.
2.4 Ethical Implications

Dialog must consider ethical problems such as transparency, consent, and fairness. It is
unethical to use consumer data without their informed consent or to share it without
sufficient disclosure. Furthermore, data manipulation for targeted marketing must be
carried out in a way that respects client preferences while avoiding manipulation or
discrimination.

2.4.1 Transparency and informed Consent

Customer information management by Dialog Axiata PLC requires complete visibility

and requires users to give clear permission. Among the ethical implications are:

1. Communication that is open:

To handle data ethically Dialog needs a clear plan about telling customers what
information they collect, what purposes it serves, and who views this data. Customers
need to know how their data helps them and Dialog Axiata PLC.

2. Consent with Knowledge:

Customers must understand all terms and conditions about data collection before giving
consent. Dialog needs to collect data through honest practices that let clients make
choices about their personal information.

3. Mechanisms of Opt-In and Opt-Out:

Dialog needs to create easy-to-use settings that let customers choose their data handling
preferences. Each user has the power to enable or disable targeted marketing
communication.

4. Data Access:
When Dialog lets clients view their data sets this represents ethical data practices.
Customers need to access and update their personal information at any time.
5. Data Changes:
Dialog must notify customers about data changes and obtain new approval before using
their data differently.

2.4.2 Fair Data Usage Practices

To handle data ethically we must follow good data usage rules. These practices include:

1. Data Minimization:
Only take and manage data used for your specific purpose. Too much irrelevant data
collection is unethical because it deviates from proper standards.

2. Data Security:
Our ethical duty requires us to safeguard customer personal data. A business violates
ethical standards when it does not secure their data properly and these security failures
lead to data breaks.

3. Data Accuracy:
Dialog must validate all data collected and used to be truthful and exact. When data
contains mistakes, it can produce poor selections and unequal treatment of customers.

4. Non-Discrimination:
Organizations with responsible data policies ensure they do not treat their users
differently through data processing. We should defend every customer group against any
unfair data-based treatment from the company.

5. Data Stewardship:
Dialog acts as a data protector and must handle customer information responsibly to help
both Dialog and its customers.

6. Data Ethics Education:

Dialog should teach its staff members about data ethics standards to make sure they know
what ethical behaviour means in their work.
When Dialog uses transparent practices and obtains proper customer consent it builds a
stronger bond with its users and community. Dialog must stay on top of these ethical
principles as it works with client information.

2.5 Common Threats to Data

A hazard to data security exists when any element has the potential to harm information
and systems. A company faces threats from unauthorized network intrusion into its
system through firewall ports or from employees acting against their security rules.
Businesses must identify all security risks first and then group them properly while
testing to see how the company handles data protection. (Team, n.d.)

2.5.1 Data Breaches

When unauthorized data removal occurs without system owner notice or permission it is
called a data breach. A data breach affects businesses of all sizes with equal risk. Theft of
data includes highly sensitive business details from credit cards to personal information
and protected company secrets alongside state security matters. When customers trust is
violated by a data breach it negatively affects company reputation. Connected records
hacks can cause financial damage to victims and their representatives. (Kosinski, 2024)

Figure 10 Data Breaches

Personal Level Mitigation: Each person must take extra steps to protect their personal
details from data breaches. Employees must protect their data by making tough passwords
different for every account plus using two-factor authentication and not sharing sensitive
content on unprotected websites.

Organizational Level Mitigation: Dialog needs to spend resources on reliable security

technology that updates frequently while using detection and prevention tools to secure
their network from unauthorized access. We need to teach our employees about data
breach social engineering tactics through awareness and training programs.

2.5.2 Data Loss

Personal Level Mitigation: Personal protection against data loss means storing backups
in safe remote locations. You should protect your personal memories and official
documents through backup storage.
Organizational Level Mitigation: Dialog must add protection systems to stop data loss.
The framework calls for automated backup tools, backup systems in different locations,
and written recovery protocols. The organization should teach staff about data backup
essentials and show them effective ways to secure important company details.

2.5.3 Phishing Attacks

Personal Level Mitigation: Personal level protection means taking care with daily email
and online activities. Employees need to learn how to spot phishing emails then stop
opening suspicious links or downloading files from places they don't know while helping
IT identify these threats at work.
Organizational Level Mitigation: Dialog should build their security system by including
email screening and anti-phishing defence methods. Employees learn to identify phishing
dangers better through request training programs and hands-on phishing attack
simulations. IT departments should develop standards to respond quickly to any phishing
attacks.
 2.5.4 Insider Threats

Individual Mitigation: At the personal level, mitigating insider threats requires that
employees are fully aware of their ethical and contractual responsibilities, which may
include agreements concerning confidentiality. Building a culture of ethical conduct
coupled with reporting of any concerns serves as a deterrent to insider threats.

Organizational Level Mitigation: Decrypt to sustain security measures such as access

control, monitoring systems, and background checks for employees to avert and detect
insider threats. Training sessions need to educate a critical mass of employees about data
security and provide a clear understanding of the consequences tied to insider threats.

2.5.5 Malware and Ransomware

Figure 11 Malware and Ransomware

Personal Level Mitigation: Personal mitigation measures include ensuring that personal
devices and software are kept up to date, utilizing reputable antivirus software, and
exercising caution when downloading files or clicking on links from sources of unknown
credibility.
Organizational Level Mitigation: Dialog should establish a robust cybersecurity
infrastructure comprising elements like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and
malware scanning. Regular updates and patches must be applied across all systems. Data
backup and recovery plans play a pivotal role in mitigating the impact of ransomware
attacks. Employee training is indispensable in terms of recognizing and reporting
malware and ransomware threats.

2.6 common Threats to Data can be mitigated at on a personal and organizational

level

Research from Ponemon Institute shows 55% of small organizations had at least one data
privacy breach in 2012 and 53% experienced multiple incidents. The National Small
Business Cybersecurity Study shows only 10% of small companies have someone
specifically assigned for cyber and online security duties.
Most small companies now let employees take their own devices to work plus those
devices have increased beyond normal business machines. Exploited company email
access lets skilled hackers take sensitive data away or ruin it no matter where the business
saves its data. (Andreson, 2012)

Changes in regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in

Europe, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States, and so on,
give great weight to data privacy. Such laws pose great financial risks for those firms that
do not manage customer information properly. Companies could potentially face fines of
up to 20 million EUR or 4% of their global revenue for failing to contemplate where the
data is located, who has access to it, and how it is properly used.
There have also been several cases of critical decisions, based upon a spreadsheet marred
by just one error, leading to million-dollar losses by the business. Excellent data
governance and high data quality are becoming ever more crucial challenges for
enterprises.
There have been growing security breaches, and the fear of data loss has never been
greater. For instance, a breach at Equifax testified on how data loss puts companies at
reputational and legal risk. These three reasons are causing companies to reconsider the
most effective way of handling data, as evidenced by the rise of the data chief post. This
central post deals with data governance - the handling and mitigation of risk associated
with data within a business. Centralization is, therefore, the only opportunity to
understand and manage the quality and security of information. This is why, if firms have
preferred to do centralized enterprise analytics solutions, it adds some perks. Companies
would rather consolidate and secure their information than distribute it to desktop
computers. There is no reason why it shouldn't, thanks to web technology. (Rabie, n.d.)

2.6.1 Mitigation Measures Common to Both personal and organizational Levels

1. Employee Training and Awareness:

To protect organizational data all staff must get routine security training and knowledge
sessions. Training needs to teach workers how to detect threats and security incidents then
report correct information while knowing all security rules.

2. Security Policies and Guidelines:

Organizations must create and share detailed security standards to all their staff members.
These security rules must display right ways to protect information as well as maintain
safe online practices.

3. Access Controls and Encryption:

Giving only authorized people access to data while also encrypting data both when in
motion and stored on devices are basic security methods.

4. Regular Audits and Penetration Testing:

The results from security audits and penetration tests reveal where an organization's
security network needs improvement.

5. Incident Response Planning:

Every organization must create and update an incident response plan because this tool
helps them handle security incidents promptly and well.

6. Data Privacy Compliance Measures:

Security and privacy protocols need to exist alongside data protection laws to keep them
effective. A business trust can be proven by consistently passing regulatory inspections.
2.7 Impact Analysis of Data and information Usage at Dialog Axiata PLC

Business impact analysis (BIA) reveals essential business processes and predicts their
performance downturns during emergencies caused by people or environmental factors.
(Amos, 2022)

1. Operational Efficiency Impact

Efficient Resource Allocation and Cost Reduction: Better use of data strengthens
operations by finding the best way to use resources which leads to lower operating
expenses.
Maintenance of Service Quality: Monitoring network performance with data helps us
deliver uninterrupted quality services that our customers expect.

2. Competitive Advantage Impact

Customized Services and Enhanced Customer Loyalty: Using data helps companies
design custom experiences that keep customers more loyal and stop them from leaving.
Reduction in Customer Churn: Data-driven methods help find customer behaviour
patterns to set up personalized rewards that lower the number of customers leaving the
company.

3. Competitive Advantage Impact

Swift Adaptation to Market Changes: Fast responses to market trends become possible
through data-based choices which makes Dialog operate better than competitors.
Attainment of Market Leadership: Dialog takes charge of the telecom industry by
using data to make smart business decisions and establish sector leadership.

4. Strategic Decision-Making Impact

Informed Decision Support: Solid data analysis forms the core of important strategic
choices because this knowledge replaces guesswork and limited information.
Customer-Centric Approaches: Companies create customer-focused actions based on
how customers behave to improve what customers want and get.

5. Data Security and Compliance Impact

Potential Legal and Reputational Ramifications: A company must act aggressively to
protect its data from illegal use and safeguard its reputation because of the possible legal
consequences.
Implementation of Security and Compliance Measures: Dialog needs to enhance their
security processes to follow regulations while regularly checking their data usage records
to prevent legal and reputation problems.

2.8 Evaluation of wider implication of Data and information Usage

Every company strives to enhance how their customers are treated. Organizations aim to
develop targeted marketing plans and save costs while making their current processing
work better. Big data systems help businesses store vast amounts of data while creating
major money savings. Cloud analytics and Hadoop represent current big data solutions.
Big data tools help organizations read information and take smarter actions. Data security
needs grow after breaches and technological solutions help organizations protect their
systems.
Organizations gain both profit-making opportunities and social advantages through big
data systems. The government now works through different bodies to support the growth
of big data. Over time big data analytics evolved to embrace agile technology while
expanding its focus into advanced analytics. Big data analytics does not depend on just a
single technology to function properly. Multiple technologies work together to make sure
businesses extract all value from their data. Different types of big data technology include
machine learning, AI systems and Hadoop alongside other systems like predictive and in-
memory analytics. Technical breakthroughs during the forecast term will boost demand
for big data analytics services. (Picciotto, 2019)
 2.8.1 Economic Impact

Contribution to Sri Lanka's Economic Growth: Sri Lanka's economic development

will benefit greatly from smart use of its data and information resources. By using data to
guide business decisions Dialog Axiata PLC will improve performance and inspire fresh
solutions while making the entire market work more efficiently to boost national
economic growth. Dialog will create specialized jobs while bringing technology and
telecommunications investments to Sri Lanka when they use data properly. Dialog Axiata
PLC, through data-driven decision-making, can enhance productivity, stimulate
innovation, and bolster the country's market competitiveness, thereby bolstering the
nation's economy.

Stimulating Job Creation and Attracting Investments: By harnessing data, Dialog can
foster the creation of employment opportunities, particularly in high-skilled fields, and
draw investments into the technology and telecommunications sectors. Data usage helps
build Sri Lanka's economy and makes the country more prominent in global business.

2.8.2 Digital Divide Impact

Mitigating Access Disparities and Encouraging Inclusivity: Data and information

usage work either for or against helping people in Sri Lanka get equal digital access.
Dialog makes responsible data practices that connect marginalized communities to digital
resources to help close dividing lines between those who have and those who do not.

Promoting Bridging of the Digital Divide: The company can build the digital bridge by
creating special programs that teach digital basics and improve online access to help Sri
Lankans join the digital scene.

2.8.3 Environmental Impact

Energy Consumption and Sustainable Practices: The way telecom companies use data
creates environmental effects on energy use. Dialog needs to implement green strategies
by choosing efficient energy systems and adding renewable power to cut its impact on the
environment.
Effective E-Waste Management: Handling electronic waste becomes a major problem
when people use digital information. Dialog needs to focus its dialog on safe e-waste
handling which includes proper ways to recycle and dispose of technology that protect
our environment.

2.8.4 Regulatory Influence Impact

Adapting to Evolving Regulations: Data regulation standards keep developing over

time. Monitoring technology needs to adjust to new regulations without delay while
keeping all updates.
Sustaining Ongoing Compliance Efforts: A continuous adherence to data regulatory
laws and telecom standards forms the core part of our response to regulatory changes.
Dialog needs to maintain its ongoing compliance program by shifting its practices to
match all changing rules so it can shield itself from legal and public risks.

2.8.5 Reputation and Trust Impact

Fostering and Sustaining Trust: The proper use of data and information strongly affects
how people view Dialog Axiata PLC. Good data practices must be followed to build trust
with our users and partners who form the backbone of our telecom service operation.
Reputation Management in the Telecom Sector: Companies in the telecom sector need
to manage their reputation to succeed in their market. Dialog builds stronger public trust
and delivers marketplace advantages through its reliable data protection policies.

Task 03

3.1 What is meant by Data Science?

Data science refers to an analysis of data for formulating insightful business information.
Data science is one such interdisciplinary academic field wherein; while scrutinizing very
large data, it takes up concepts and methodologies from mathematics, statistics, AI, and
computer engineering. The analysis allows the data scientist to question and answer what
happened, why did it happen, what will happen, and what can be done with the
information. (amazon, n.d.)

Figure 12 Data Science

3.2 Why is Data Science

important?

Data science is extremely important because it combines tools, techniques, and

technologies which assist in making sense of data. Today, the contemporary business
processes are engulfed by data. Moreover, there are countless devices capable of
automatically gathering and storing data. In e-commerce, medical, finance, and all other
domains concerning human life, online applications and online payment systems record
data. A lot of text, audio, video, and image data exists. (amazon, n.d.)

3.3 History of Data Science

Although the term "data science" is not new, what it denotes has shifted over time. The
term was coined in the 1960s to describe a synonym for statistics. In the late 1990s, the
computer science community codified the term. One early definition of data science
identified it as a new discipline consisting of three dimensions: data design, data
acquisition, and data analysis. It would take another decade for the term to make its way
out of academia. (amazon, n.d.)

3.4 Future of Data Science

The latest developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning make data
processing happen faster while using less resources. High marketplace needs created
educational and professional programs for data science. Data science will rapidly expand
over future decades thanks to its need for people who understand multiple parts of
different fields. (amazon, n.d.)

3.5 What is Data Science used for?

Data science is used for investigating data in four ways:

1. Descriptive analysis
Analysis of descriptive data reveals key insights about conditions within the data
environment. This type of analysis features representations which include pie charts
alongside bar charts as well as line graphs together with tables or made-up narratives. A
flight booking service maintains daily data about the quantity of tickets purchased. This
analysis method will reveal both booking volume increases and decreases together with
the best performing months regarding service bookings. (amazon, n.d.)
2. Diagnostic evaluation
Offering a diagnostic analysis requires an intensive assessment of data to identify the
cause behind events. The data analysis methods include drill-down analysis together with
data discovery approaches and data mining and correlation techniques. Various data
operations combined with data transformations run on a specific data set allow for pattern
discovery within these different technical approaches. The flying service chooses to focus
their analysis on studying their strongest reporting month. The booking surge needs better
investigation through analysis of a specific month with higher-than-average revenue
performance. Multiple analyses suggest that numerous clients choose to visit a particular
town during its monthly athletic event. (amazon, n.d.)
 3. Predictive Analysis
Analysis using predictive methods takes historical records to generate correct
expectations about how future patterns will form. The techniques of artificial intelligence
along with forecasting and pattern matching and predictive modelling are what define this
approach. The implementation of these strategies through computer-based education
allows systems to decode causality from data structures. As the new year begins the
airline service team utilizes data science techniques to forecast future flight booking
patterns. Granular barometer data from previous years allows the program to predict
which cities will experience increased bookings in May. By accurately identifying future
customer travel requirements the corporation started targeted advertising campaigns
aimed at specific cities.

4. Prescriptive analysis
Analysis powered by prescriptive analytics advances prediction methods for data
applications. The analytical technique moves beyond forecasts by generating optimized
recommendations for future events. This type of analysis reviews multiple options then
delivers specific recommendations to optimize your decisions. The system employs
multiple analytical elements including graph analysis with simulation and complicated
event processing and neural networks together with machine learning recommendation
engines.

In the flight booking example prescriptive analysis uses historical marketing data to turn
future booking growth into maximum benefit. A data scientist forecasts different booking
results which appear when marketing efforts reach different investment thresholds on
diverse marketing channels. The forecasting results create heightened confidence in
marketing decisions at the flight booking company. (amazon, n.d.)

3.6 The Role of data science in Business

The analysis of customer data provides insights about their demographics as well as their
interests and aspirations and beyond. Data science skills help clients understand the
various opportunities data offers. (Staff, 2025)
Data science comprises multiple disciplines including statistics and mathematics with
programming and domain expertise which evolved from a modern technology to become
an essential element of commercial strategies. Data science delivers the vital service of
transforming raw data into meaningful conclusions firms may use for strategic decision-
making and operational enhancement. Through data science methodologies businesses
can gain a superior understanding of market trends operational dynamics and customer
behaviour.

The Key contributions of data science to business encompass:

1. Making informed choices
Organizations achieve improved decision outcomes through evidence-backed data science
rather than basing choices on either intuition or past data. Using data science
organizations can improve their outcomes while minimizing potential risks.

2. Efficiency in Operations:
Data science tools combined with appropriate approaches help businesses minimize
expenses through operational improvements while simultaneously optimizing resource
distribution patterns and raising output levels.

3. Customer-Centric Strategies:
Through data science organizations can personalize their products by using customer data
to create adjusted offerings which leads to improved customer satisfaction and increased
customer loyalty.

4. Competitive Advantage:
Ultimately organizations can use data science to adjust rapidly to industry shifts and
better understand market data while maintaining leadership in industry developments.

5. Mitigation of Risk:
The application of predictive analytics together with data science models helps businesses
identify potential risks so they can effectively protect their operational interests.
3.7 Introduction to the Dialog Axiata PLC and Business Problem

As one of Sri Lanka's leading telecommunications organizations Dialog Axiata PLC

maintains an established history of offering modern service options to all its numerous
customers. Data science methods can solve multiple business problems which Dialog
Axiata PLC persists alongside other organizations in the industry.

The core business problem at Dialog Axiata PLC centres on enhancing retail inventory
optimization strategies. The organization faces both inventory overstock and understock
challenges which create financial losses and deteriorate client experiences. Through data
science tools Dialog will precisely predict market demands to support their data-based
inventory decisions.

The assignment focuses on Dialog Axiata PLC's practical data science implementation
which presents solutions while assessing the positive outcomes from utilizing data
science approaches to solve a specific business challenge. The case demonstrates how
data science brought revolutionary capabilities which solve actual world challenges and
enhance company productivity.

3.7.1 Example 1: Predictive Analytics in retail

3.7.1.1 Business problem in retail

Dialog Axiata PLC operates a variety of retail locations throughout Sri Lanka where
customers can access diversified products in a competitive market environment. The main
challenge Dialog's retail segment faces are optimizing inventory management activities.
Both problems of overstock and understock create unfavourable outcomes for retail
businesses throughout the industry.

Overstocking:
Excessive stock levels consume company funds while creating expenses for holding
inventory. A complete stockpile produces unsellable merchandise alongside old stock that
reduces financial value.

Understocking:
Product undersupply leads to unfavourable client experiences. When products stay out of
customers' reach, they will switch to other suppliers which brings about sales losses as
well as damaged customer satisfaction.

3.7.1.2 Data Science solution

Dialog Axiata PLC implements predictive analytics from data science to resolve
inventory management problems. The combination of historic sales information alongside
seasonal patterns and market behaviours and consumer preferences enables the creation
of dependable demand predictions in predictive analytics. Advanced algorithms power
this strategic methodology which uses data to predict future market demands for specific
products.

3.7.1.3 Benefits of implementing predictive analytics

Predictive analytics deployment in retail has several appealing advantages:

1. Cost-cutting:
Predictive analytics through Dialog helps reduce inventory surplus so that companies
maintain lower storage expenses. The implementation of predictive analytics leads to
decreases in both storage expenditures and holding fees while simultaneously reducing
product obsolescence risks.

2. Increased Customer Satisfaction:

Companies that perform accurate demand forecasting ensure their products meet
customer needs when they need them. Customer satisfaction elevates because of these
predictions leading to stronger customer loyalty over time. Customers can easily find all
available products regarding their search instantly.
3. Better Decision-Making:
Data-driven decision-making replaces guesswork and intuition. The precise forecasting
capabilities of Dialog enable it to take smart inventory decisions thus reducing both
financial losses and customer dissatisfaction.

4. Resource Allocation Efficiency:

Predictive analytics tools help Dialog make better resource allocation choices. Businesses
that understand which products will sell best can better allocate their resources to these
items which produces less waste along with expanded profits.

5. Advantage in the Market:

Through predictive analytics Dialog gains market lead time by following industry trends
as well as monitoring client activity and selecting preferences. The firm stands out as an
industry leader because of its competitive advantage.

Retail inventory management experiences significant improvements through predictive

analytics by delivering useful advantages which drive down costs while satisfying
customers and maintaining competitive market positions. The application of data science
solutions helps organizations solve pressing business difficulties which delivers
competitive benefits within uncertain markets including retail.

3.7.2 Example 2: Customer Churn prediction in Telecom

3.7.2.1 Business Problem in Telecom

Dialog Axiata PLC maintains industry leadership status in Sri Lanka's telecom sector
serving thousands of customers across the nation. The organization faces high customer
turnover rates as its principal management issue. The telecom industry faces critical
problems when clients move between competitors which directly affects both profitability
and industry sustainability.

The Business concern: High customer attrition represents a crucial issue for Dialog
through these three channels:
1. Revenue loss:
The company faces revenue decrease from each customer that leaves because the costs of
attracting new customers typically surpass the costs of keeping current clients.

2. Profitability is down:
The constant focus on new customer acquisition expenses reduces profitability since
companies need to allocate resources for retention and upselling which they currently do
not achieve.

3. Customer Disappointment:
Agencies who lose customers repeatedly express displeasure with their provided services
leading to damaged reputation.

3.7.2.2 Data Science Solution for Churn Prediction

Dialog Axiata PLC uses data science techniques, specifically churn prediction models, to
combat customer churn. These models make use of a multitude of client data, such as
usage trends, call drop rates, billing disputes, customer comments, and more. Predictive
algorithms can detect which consumers are likely to churn by evaluating this data.

3.7.2.3 Benefits of Customer Churn Prediction

Dialog Axiata PLC gains various advantages from implementing customer attrition
prediction using data science:

1. Churn Reduction:

Prediction models help identify the clients who will leave the system. The early detection
of these consumers allows Dialog to begin immediate proactive measures which include
delivering specific incentive rewards and narrowed-down marketing offerings.

2. Revenue Retention:
Predictions about customer attrition enable organizations to preserve long-term revenue
through reduced customer abandonment. Cleared revenue streams from customer
retention let Dialog save significant customer acquisition and maintenance costs caused
by retaining current clients.

3. Customer-Centric Approach:
By employing churn prediction Dialog achieves better customer-oriented strategy
development. The organization achieves better customer happiness results when it meets
the needs and addresses the worries of consumers at risk.

4. Cost Savings:
The cost to gain fresh customers surpasses the expense involved in keeping current
clients. The prediction of customer churn functions to guide organizational resource
allocation which promotes both increased client retention and financial cost gains.

5. Data-Informed Decision-Making:
Churn prediction substitutes reactive decision-making with a data-driven strategy. By
making use of dialog's institution can select target consumers for retention efforts which
raises the effectiveness of these plans.

Data science–driven customer churn prediction helps reduce telecom market customer
attrition rates and build client loyalty within the highly competitive sector. The
application demonstrates that data science evaluates practical industry issues by
simultaneously achieving better revenue retention together with improved customer
experiences.

3.8 The Value of Data Science in Business

Enterprises leverage data science for performance criterion evaluation and monitoring
which drives corporate advancement and expansion. Current data enables data science
models to create various processes through automated reconstruction methods. Businesses
can plan by using these methods to achieve their optimal outcomes. The following are
some of the upsides of data science in business: (Staff, 2025)
1. Business decision-making using data science:
The precise reporting of current operational data enables organizations to measure their
operational efficiency effectively. Business intelligence delivers essential information
about company productivity from recent operations and historical performance together
with future-demand projections and purchasing patterns which enables organizational
leadership to develop strategic plans. The business analytics team delivers updated real-
time reports directly to the organization for enhanced utilization of its available data.
(Staff, 2025)

2. Producing high-quality goods:

Organizations need data to create their products better aligning with customer
preferences. Data analysis enables companies to develop the most exceptional products
available on the market. (Staff, 2025)

3. Effective business management:

Both large companies and small enterprises benefit from data science solutions that allow
them to control their ongoing operations while pursuing expansion. Data science enables
companies to predict how their strategic plans will perform. (Staff, 2025)

4. Predictive analytical forecasting:

The application of forecasting stands as a primary business sector for data science
techniques. Data mining competencies benefit from companies that employ analytical
platforms and technological systems. The implementation of predictive analysis enables
enterprises to detect operational-relevant insights which direct strategic action. (Staff,
2025)

5. Data-driven business decisions:

Projects require future predictions so businesses would spend money badly and make
poor decisions without conducting surveys. (Staff, 2025)

6. Evaluating business resolutions:

Organizations achieve accelerated business decision quality through identifying
forthcoming market trends and patterns. Understanding all implications of implemented
decisions on business expansion remains essential knowledge for the organization. (Staff,
2025)

7. Fraud and risk management:

Their data expertise allows scientists to detect significant outliers in their analysis.
Corporations should use such data to design automated fraud prediction systems based on
connective networks and analytical pathways. (Staff, 2025)

8. Recruiting automation:
Strong competition for top performers has made the traditional hiring methods less
effective so these firms have implemented new strategies. These modern enterprises
devote energy toward generating superior outcomes while utilizing minimal time along
with minimal company resources. (Staff, 2025)

3.9 Assessment of Benefits

Application of data science through Dialog Axiata PLC's activities shows how predictive
analytics in retail operations and telecom churn prediction result in multiple significant
business outcomes. Data science implementation at Dialog Axiata PLC embraces
multiple benefits which stretch across financial outcomes and operational improvements
to satisfied customers and competitive market advantage.
 3.9.1 Financial Gains

Financial returns remain the most important benefit achieved through data science
implementation. In the context of Dialog Axiata PLC:

1. Cost Reduction:
Buildings predictive analytics within retail operations leads to major cost savings. Dialog
minimizes its inventory quantities thus decreasing costs linked to storage waste and
product obsolescence and inventory maintenance expenditures. Organizational financial
stability increases alongside profitability when data science implementation takes effect.

2. Revenue Retention:
Telecom providers retain substantial revenue by actively identifying their customers who
may leave before they do. The price of acquiring new customers makes protecting current
relationships into a financially sound business move. The preservation of existing revenue
streams allows Dialog to sustain its financial stability which enables continuing enterprise
profitability.

3.9.2 Operational Enhancements

The integration of data science manifests in notable operational efficiencies, particularly

within inventory management and customer retention:

1. Optimized Resource Allocation:

The precision allocation of resources becomes possible through predictive analytics
solutions. Dialog achieves a higher efficiency rate in resource distribution because it
directs funds toward products that have demonstrated elevated sales potential forecasts.
Product optimization contributes through a positive path to operational efficiency which
optimizes supply chain management and inventory distribution operations.

2. Cost Savings:
Cost reduction occurs substantially throughout predictive analytics applications in the
retail space and churn forecasting operations in telecommunications. The retail sector
achieves its efficiencies from improved inventory management techniques, but telecom
businesses generate cost benefits through customer maintenance programs instead of new
customer acquisition. The cost reductions lead to both greater operational efficiency and
better financial management.

3.9.3 Customer Satisfaction

The advantages of data science extend beyond mere financial considerations to

encompass the realm of customer satisfaction and loyalty:

1. Elevated Customer Satisfaction:

Predictive analytics enables retail industry products to reach customers during their exact
moments of need. The exacting approach to inventory management leads to better
customer satisfaction because of its accuracy. The convenience of product searches
creates elevated satisfaction and turns customers into loyal customers.

2. Customer-Centric Approach:
The telecom sector's use of churn prediction produces tools which make it possible for
Dialog and other companies to embrace customer-oriented strategies. Organizations
achieve better service and incentive offerings because they acquire data-driven
understanding of what each customer values specifically. Through delivering
personalized interactions companies create value-based experiences that increase both
customer satisfaction and loyalty achievement.

3.9.4 Competitive Advantage

Data science serves as an unequivocal source of competitive advantage in both sectors:

1. Prompt Responsiveness to Market Shifts:

Through predictive analytics Dialog can quickly adapt their strategies to market
fluctuations in the retail business. The unified integration of stock levels with present-day
market expectations helps maintain Dialog's agility as well as its leading market position
and its capacity to handle market disturbances effectively. Telecom industry
organizations use churn prediction methods to tackle customer losses actively which
results in competition sustainability amid market changes.

2. Attainment of Market Leadership:

Through their responsible data science practices Dialog maintains their position as market
leader. The organization advances to trend-setting status through data-driven decision
implementation which strengthens its market position beyond industry standards.
The assessment of data science implementation outcomes spans several complex
dimensions. These merits encompass cost reduction, revenue retention, and operational
efficiency enhancements, in addition to the facilitation of customer satisfaction and
loyalty. Through data science organizations build a definitive competitive advantage that
allows them to lead their markets. Data science delivers various critical advantages which
demonstrate both its power to alter today's business success outcomes and its status as an
essential foundation of current business approaches. (R, 2023)

3.9.5 Alignment with User and Business Requirements

Data science serves need while fulfilling objectives both for business organizations and
their user communities. Dialog Axiata PLC customers seek customized services as well
as dedicated customer loyalty while pursuing satisfaction through their interactions with
the company. The user requirements find perfect execution through data science as the
platform delivers improved solutions to both business needs and user needs.

For business transformation priorities cost management stands at the forefront with
revenue sustainability and competitive advantage being key factors. The implementation
of data-driven strategies achieves all these objectives successfully. Data science functions
as a fundamental organizational tool which addresses real business problems while
satisfying organizational and user needs. Success in modern business depends on data-
centric operations through expense management and revenue protection together with
customer satisfaction improvement which prepares organizations for success in the
dynamic data-driven business landscape. Through Dialog Axiata PLC's case study, we
see how data science operates as an accelerant that enhances operational performance and
strategic decision quality enabling businesses to achieve success within data-driven
environments.

Task 04

4.1 Recap of the Chosen Business Problem

The selected business problem, for which the data science solution is built, focused on the
optimization of inventory management in the retail sector of Dialog Axiata PLC.
Inventory management is very important since overstocking and understocking have
adverse effects. Overstocking consumes financial resources, incurs storage costs, and
exposes This overstocks product in the danger of becoming obsolete before they are sold.
On the other side, understocking is likely to cause customer unhappiness since the
customer may look elsewhere for what is desired, thus lost sales opportunities, harming
customer experience.

4.2 Overview of data Science Solution

The proposed Data Science solution should therefore be effective to resolve the inventory
management problem. This includes but is not limited to the following:

1. Data Collection and Preprocessing:

Let us start the solution by gathering and cleaning relevant data. This data comprises past
Sales statistics, inventory levels, market trends, and consumer behaviour. Data
preprocessing cleans the extracted data by standardizing and structuring it into an easily
analysable form. Outlier detection and handling of missing data are some of the
techniques in enhancing the quality and integrity of data.

2. Model Selection and Development:

The researchers will select the most appropriate models of data science to deal with the
problem at hand concerning inventory management. These models can therefore also
include time-series forecasting techniques to predict demand such as ARIMA or
Exponential Smoothing. In the case of more complex predictive analytics, these may
involve the use of machine learning techniques like decision trees or neural networks. The
model to be chosen needs to offer realism in the estimates it provides for demand that
considers seasonality, promotions, and customer preference.

3. Techniques and Metrics for Evaluation:

To confirm that the model is effective, the performances of the model are compared with
relevant evaluation measures such as MAE, MSE, and RMSE. Besides, one can use
cross-validation techniques such as k-fold cross-validation to test the model's capacity to
generalize to new data.

It believes that with the delivery of this data science solution, it can provide Dialog
Axiata PLC with This enables it with the tools and insight needed to optimally manage
inventories, reducing holding costs while enhancing customer happiness and ensuring
data-driven decision-making in the evolving retail environment. It responds to both user
and business requirements from a vision of Dialog for data-driven efficiency and
customer-centricity.
4.3 Design of Data Science Solution

Design Thinking helps to organize ideas for ideal solutions. At the beginning of a project,
ourselves, the data scientists, ask questions about the problem statement and the data. The
usual responses from stakeholders are concrete or ambiguous answers about what is going
on. This is typical for a couple of meetings. (Frenzel, 2023)

Figure 13 Design of Data Science Solution

 4.3.1 Data Collection and preprocessing

Therefore, the core activities in the design of our proposed data science solution involved
data collection and preprocessing. In other words, at this stage of the process, attention
was geared towards making the data accurate, homogenized, and adequate for analysis.
Details are provided herein.

1. Source of Data
To begin with is the identification of existing access to relevant sources of data with
Dialog Axiata PLC, regarding its own historical sales trends, inventory holdings, market
analyses, and observed habits of customers or subscribers.

2. Data Acquisition
This will involve the establishment of data collection procedures from diverse sources,
such as retail outlets, online sales, and customer databases. Data currency is guaranteed
through the implementation of real-time data streaming and batch processing methods.

3. Data Cleansing:
In most cases, raw data would contain lots of inconsistencies, errors, and gaps. The
procedures for cleansing the data must, therefore, be done for detection and correction
that maintains data quality. This might involve some techniques for handling these
missing or erroneous data points, including outlier detection and imputation.

4. Data Transformation:
The data shall be transformed and put into a standard format, which would be best
suitable for the analysis at hand. It could also include normalization of data, encoding of
categorical variables, and management of data represented in different units.

5. Data Integration:
Data coming from various sources shall be integrated to result in a meaningful dataset to
be analysed. Integration here ascertains comprehensiveness, considering all the variables
that could possibly be relevant for analysis.
 4.3.2 Model Selection and Development

Selection of an appropriate model is very important for the effective solving of the
inventory management dilemma. During this stage, judicious choices regarding the type
of the model and its subsequent development will be made:

1. Model Selection:
Since the problem involves time series data, the potential models will involve the use of
ARIMA or Exponential Smoothing. These models will be good to go for time series
forecasting and hence can estimate the demands in the forthcoming years based on past
records. Besides this, some other machine learning algorithms involving decision trees
and neural networks will be explored in complex predictive analytics.

2. Model Development:
Once the category of model is determined, the actual development of it starts, which
includes training the model on historical data to learn the trending of sales, levels of
inventories, seasonality, and customers' buying habits. The model will be fine-tuned to
improve its predictive accuracy.

3. Testing and Validation:

Development is heavily tested and validated to confirm the model's reliability and
robustness. In this instance, it might also involve partitioning a fraction of historical data
to be used as a validation set to gauge performance.

4.3.3 Evaluation Metrics and techniques

It will be necessary to identify the relevant evaluation metrics and methods in terms of
solution performance measurement. One can notice that the relevant evaluation metrics
and methods involve:

1. Evaluation Metrics:
The three main metrics will be measured concerning the accuracy of the demand
forecasting model. Such metrics detail predictive efficiency regarding how well the model
cuts down the forecast error.

2. Cross-Validation:
The actualization of techniques such as cross-validation will serve to verify how well the
model can generalize on unseen data. It ensures the accuracy of predictions for which the
model has been set to forecast the upcoming demand scenarios.

3. Baseline Model Comparison

The proposed performance of the data science solution against baseline models or
existing methods is quantifying how much better it would be when approached with a
data-driven methodology.

The design of the data science solution incorporates robust data collection and
preprocessing, model selection and development that best fits, and establishing metrics
and techniques for evaluation. These put together offer quite a solid foundation for an
effective solution to optimize inventory management in the retail industry at Dialog
Axiata PLC. The solution is structured to fit the requirements of both This enhances
decision-making by users and the business, while improving operational efficiency.

4.4 Implementation of Data Science Solution

Data scientists are generally trained in algorithms and modelling skills. In the current
setting, the expectations of data scientists by the industry have grown much beyond the
boundaries of just This would involve modelling for prediction, optimization, and
suggestion. A data scientist is expected to be able to deploy such models or work with
other teams within the organization to deploy the DSAI models in real-world production.

Beyond technical skills, the data scientists also need to report and communicate with
management and scores of business stakeholders, usually unfamiliar with the theory or
technical jargon associated with the field of Data Science. The most critical skill for any
data scientist now is good communication skills, whereby effective key stakeholder
involvement and buy-in on data science solutions is accomplished and truly valued and
installed. (NUS-ISS, 2022)

4.4.1 Data Gathering and preparation

The implementation phase of the data science solution will cover the practical execution
of data gathering and preparation for smooth and efficient functioning of the system:

1. Implementation of Data Source:

The development of mechanisms for data collection is very important in implementing
the data science solution. This would include the creation of data pipelines from sources
such as retail outlets, online sales platforms, and customer databases.

2. Real-Time Data Streaming:

Real-time data streaming processes should be started to keep the data current. This will
ensure all the data collected is current, reflecting prevailing market conditions and
customer behaviour.

3. Application of Data Cleaning

Data cleaning practices should find practical implementation in the methodical
identification and correction of inconsistencies, errors, and missing values. Techniques
used in enhancing data quality include outlier detection and imputation.

4. Data Transformation Implementation:

Data transformation activities, such as normalization and encoding of categorical
variables, are performed to ensure the data is well-structured and ready for analysis.
 4.4.2 Model development and Testing

This phase encompasses the very realization of a chosen data science model and includes
its empirical verification, namely,

1. Model Implementation:
Translating the chosen model from the design phase into practical implementation
involves setting up and configuration of the model in such a way that it can make
predictions based on the historical data provided.

2. Real Data Testing:

Here, the model will be exposed to real-life data from operations at Dialog Axiata PLC to
get a better feel of the actual trend and how customers purchase goods in the field.

3. Model Validation:
A wide range of validation procedures have been performed to measure reliability and
effectiveness on the model; it could be performed by segmenting part of the existing data
to act as a validation dataset that checks on the agreement between predicted values
against the actual value.

4.4.3 Integration with Organizational Processes

The final important step for the implementation of the data science solution will be its
smooth integration into organizational processes at Dialog Axiata PLC:

1. Integration with Inventory Management:

The data science solution becomes a part of the inventory management at Dialog,
whereby such decisions get taken as to the restocking of the inventories and their timing,
with the right product in adequate quantities.

2. Automation of Processes:
It's automating decision-making related to re-inventory of stocks. That is, this automated
process would eliminate a lot of workloads from them so that the entire organization
could get back in rapid action in tune with changing conditions of the marketplace.
3. Knowledge Transfer and Training:
It covers the employees operating inventory. Proper use of the solution through data
science training. It's one essential step towards seamlessly onboarding solutions for
everyday working.

The actual implementation of the data science solution is, therefore, a very important
stage where the transformation of the solution into something functional and workable
occurs to improve inventory management. This stage not only uplifts decision-making but
aligns the organization to meet the demands of the users and businesses, which further
develops efficacy and strengthens customer satisfaction.

4.5 Recommendations for enhanced Decision-Making

Recommendations for enhanced decision-making refer to a set of actionable suggestions

and strategies that could help an organization enhance its capability for better, more
effective, and data-driven decision-making. Recommendations are evidence-based on
insights analyses and data-driven solutions targeted to optimize aspects of decision-
making within the organization. Enhanced decision-making recommendations have a
basis in the Utilization of data, advanced analytics, and relevant insights in driving the
organization toward more effective, strategic, and purposeful decisions. These kinds of
recommendations are often developed to meet specific business needs, problems
challenges or opportunities and hence yield better deliverables, improved performance,
and the accomplishment of organizational objectives.

4.5.1 Insights from the Data Science Solution

Insights developed by implementing a data science solution give valuable guidance to

enhance decision-making processes in the retail sector at Dialog Axiata PLC:

1. Demand Forecasting:
Of these, probably the most important would be the use of the demand forecasting
capability of the data science solution. To this end, by effectively determining the future
demands from historic data and customer behavioural patterns, Dialog will be able to
balance inventory levels with the prevailing market requirements. Such strategic
alignment reduces the risks of inventory surplus and deficiency, reducing the financial
burdens associated with stockholding and averting lost sales opportunities.

2. Product Performance Analysis:

The data science solution gave insight into the performance of the individual products.
From the analysis of such insights, Dialog can identify the consistently popular products
and those which are at risk of becoming obsolete. This knowledge has acted like a
compass in prioritizing inventory and making informed decisions on product promotions.

4.5.2 Proposed Actions and Strategies

A set of strategies and measures should be affected in place to translate the

recommendations derived from the data science solution into actionable initiatives. That
would involve:

1. Automated Reordering:
An automated reordering system can be implemented based on the demand forecasts.
generated by the data science model, holds the key to execution. This is where products
get stocked in optimum amounts and at an opportune moment, which, in turn reduces the
possibility of stockouts and eases the stress of excess inventory.

2. Promotion Optimisation:
It is the insights from product performance analysis that should underpin optimization of
promotional strategies. Dialog can focus promotional efforts on those products that show
potential for sales uplift or those that need a sales uplift. This focused utilization of
promotions enhances revenue retention.

3. Inventory Level Alerts:

Real-time alerts about the inventory level deployment become urgent. These alerts
provide timely notice to the inventory managers of deviations from forecasted demand
and hence undertake immediate adjustments to restore the optimum level.
 4.5.3 Justification for Recommendations

These recommendations will be based on the insights and competencies afforded by the
data science solution. Most especially, cost reduction and revenue retention:

1. Cost Reduction:
Automation of reordering and synchronizing the levels of inventory with the demand
forecast result in huge cost reduction. Mitigation of excess inventory expenses frees
resources for deployment into strategic investments.

2. Revenue Retention:
In this way, Dialog is perfectly positioned to capture sales on time that would not have
been lost due to a shortage of the products. Moreover, the optimization of promotional
activities should be made regarding the performance of the products for further
stimulation of sales growth and revenue increase.

3. Increased Customer Satisfaction:

A steady stream of product availability makes for smooth customer access and
experience, culminating in heightened levels of customer satisfaction. This reduction of
stockouts and improvement of inventory management processes directly contributes to an
enhanced customer experience.

These recommendations can revolutionize decision-making in the retail industry at Dialog

Axiata PLC, informed by insights gleaned from this data science solution. These positions
Dialog better to strive toward both ends-cost reduction and revenue retention-pairing with
enhancing the customer experience.

4.6 Conclusion
 4.6.1 Recap of Data Science Solution

In a nutshell, innovative inventory management is the data science solution designed and
implemented for the retail business of Dialog Axiata PLC. This solution leverages
advanced analytics-demand forecasting and product performance analysis-to provide
valuable insight to drive decisions and operational efficiency.

4.6.2 The Impact on Decision-Making

This data science solution has a great bearing on decision-making. Embracing

With Dialog, insights derived from data allow one to make informed decisions on
inventory replenishment, product prioritization, and promotional strategies. Demand
forecasting using such a system prevents excess stock and stock shortages, minimizing
cost overruns. At the same time, it assures product availability at any instance when
customers need them, consequently protecting revenue and improving customer
satisfaction.

4.6.3 Alignment with User and Business Requirements

The solution for data science is well-aligned with the needs of both users and businesses.
Better decisions that the solution provides will benefit customers interested in having a
continuous supply of products and having a satisfying feeling in shopping. Stock
shortages and inefficient promotional activities being minimized directly benefit the
users. Satisfaction on both sides. From the business perspective, it addresses two basic
needs: cost-cutting and preservation of revenue. By mitigating holding costs and
capturing sales opportunities, Dialog can achieve financial efficiency and strategic
resilience.

In summary, this data science solution will be an integral part in helping Dialog Axiata
PLC strive toward better inventory management and decision making while improving
top-line growth and efficiency. It represents a balance of the user's needs and the
business, manifesting in effective operations, revenue protection, and happy customers.
From a data-driven decision-making perspective, it puts Dialog at the heart of the thriving
retail space.

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