Data science is the idea of analyzing and understanding large amounts of data to make informed and educated decisions. In recent years, data science has become widely used and is sought after by many companies. 

Why are companies starting to invest in data science? Well, when you consider that at least 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are produced every day, it’s crucial to have the ability to organize, analyze, and understand all of this data. 

If you’re collecting data and can’t learn from it, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Not only from the standpoint of understanding your customers, but also by missed opportunities on how to improve your daily operations. 

This is why companies are investing in hiring a data scientist or partnering with agencies that can help manage and analyze all of this data. 

Working with a data scientist will allow you to make the most out of your data and develop actionable plans to continue to grow and move forward. With their strong background in math, statistics, computer and information science, and domain knowledge, they can easily analyze and identify new opportunities for your business. 

In this article, we’ll provide you with a 101 course on what a data scientist does and provide you with five Pittsburgh companies that can help you manage your data. 

Here’s a look ahead to the Pittsburgh data scientist companies we’ll discuss: 

1. UXAX
2. Management Science Associates (MSA)
3. Visvero, Inc. 
4. Data Ideology
5. SDLC Partners

What Does a Data Scientist Do? 

Data scientists have a wide range of skill sets. These skill sets include things such as data engineering, statistics, advanced computing, and more. Together, all of these different areas of knowledge come together to create a data scientist’s role. 

Of course, each person you work with will have varying levels of experience across the board. One person may have domain expertise, while another may have a more robust background in the statistics side of data science. 

‍

Data scientists are the people who take all of the data you collect on a daily basis and turn it into something that is both consumable and actionable. This can provide you with valuable insights that can impact the way your company operates, communicates, and engages with customers. 

It’s essential that professionals working in the data science field need to understand the full spectrum of the data science life cycle. This life cycle includes five stages: 

1. Capture: data acquisition, data entry, signal reception, data extraction
2. Maintain: data warehousing, data cleansing, data staging, data processing, data architecture
3. Process: data mining, clustering/classification, data modeling, data summarization
4. Analyze: exploratory/confirmatory, predictive analysis, regression, text mining, qualitative analysis
5. Communicate: data reporting, data visualization, business intelligence, decision making

By understanding each step of the data science life cycle, you have the opportunity to identify potential problems and opportunities from the moment data is gathered to the decision making for future efforts. 

Why Hire a Data Scientist? 

Hiring a data scientist will allow you to analyze better and understand all of your data. With their knowledge and expertise, they can quickly sort through the mass amounts of data you collect every day and pull out the most important pieces. 

Someone who has a data science background can take all of your data and turn it into something you can easily understand and put to use. They spend the time needed to analyze, organize, and report out only the most relevant data points. Image courtesy of Pexels. 

Once they’ve worked their magic on your data, they will provide you with clean insights that can help drive future initiatives. 

If you’re looking to hire a data scientist, there are two routes you can take. Those are hiring your own in-house data scientist, or partner with a company with a team of data scientists. While there are benefits to both, the choice will depend on your specific needs. 

These are a few things you’ll want to consider when looking for a data scientist to help take full advantage of your data: 

• Understand their background. You’ll want to work with a company with experience in business intelligence, analytics, and/or data-driven decision making. 
• Know their specific experience. Most data scientists have experience with things like Python, SQL, Spark, and machine learning. 
• Look for someone who can communicate with you. When it comes to technical roles, communication can often be challenging. Make sure you know what the communication between you and your partner will look like. 

Hiring an In-House Data Scientists vs a Data Science Company

When it comes to hiring a data scientist, there are really two options you can take. Those are hiring an in-house data scientist who lives within your team, or hiring an outside agency to manage your data needs. 

There are pros and cons to each. You need to think about what benefits you're looking to achieve and understand the level of support you need from your data science expert.  

If you choose to partner with a company for your data science needs, you’ll get all of this and more, such as: 

• Access to all of their expertise and knowledge, which will span more than just one central person
• A designated account manager who can provide you with the communication you need when you need it
• Insights into how your company is performing, how customers engage with your brand, and how you can improve your future efforts
• A company to manage all of your data needs while you focus on other areas of your business 

Whereas if you choose to hire an in-house data scientist, you’ll be limited to their personal expertise and communication skills. But there are benefits to having someone who is fully dedicated to your business and understands your company and industry on a deeper level. 

No matter if you are leaning towards hiring an in-house data scientist or planning to partner with an outside firm, these are things you’ll want to keep top of mind. You’d hate to hire someone and then find out six months down the road that they don’t have experience in the specific data area you need the most. 

5 Data Scientists Companies in Pittsburgh

If you’ve chosen to work with an outside agency to manage your data science needs, then this section is for you. We’ll discuss five companies that can help you understand and manage your data to ensure you’re making the most out of your efforts. 

‍

All of the companies in this section are local to the Pittsburgh area and can provide you with the data science support you need. Whether that’s help with cleansing data, implementing advanced technology, or simply reporting out on the most relevant data -- these partners can help you reach your goals. 

1. UXAX

UXAX provides customers with advanced analytical strategies to improve customer experience and directly impact revenue growth. By better understanding your data and receiving usable reporting, you can develop actionable plans to improve all aspects of your business. 

“We were up 50% after just one month” - UXAX Customer Testimonial 

Here’s how UXAX can help improve your data science capabilities: 

• Cleanse data and turn it into usable, high-quality insights
• Provide you with data reporting that identifies areas of growth
• Identify areas of improvement to drive more conversions and increase revenue
• Access to advanced data technology such as artificial intelligence 

Office location: 5424 Walnut St. Pittsburgh, PA 15232

2. Management Science Associates (MSA)

Management Science Associates (MSA) offers analytical services, including data analysis, system development, and IT infrastructure creation. These services allow companies to make informed decisions, predict outcomes, and identify opportunities for automation. 

Here’s how MSA can help improve your data science capabilities: 

• Information management solutions (IMS) to help you gather the most accurate and detailed data
• Business analysis (BA) to identify new growth opportunities, build brand awareness, and industry trends
• Local data centers to provide you with secure data storage and connection
• Big data analysis to ensure you are making the best decisions to continue growing your business 

MSA has specializations in a variety of different industries. Whether your business focuses on manufacturing, healthcare, or media -- they can service your data needs. 

Office location: 6565 Penn Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206 

3. Visvero Inc. 

Visvero Inc. is a local agency that provides you with a team full of data experts that are ready to help you reach your goals. Whether you’re looking for help managing your data or need an entire digital transformation -- this team can meet your needs. 

“Visvero helped us develop an industry transforming solution to have a direct profit impact on the midsize landscaping industry. We have been able to help our clients manage the business lifecycle with their clients from the lead generation to contracts execution phase…” - Visvero Inc. Customer Testimonial

Here’s how Visvero Inc. can help improve your data science capabilities: 

• Assistance developing, maintaining, and enhancing analytical dashboards to help visualize data
• Data engineering capabilities to ensure your data is consistent, reliable, and secure
• Digital transformation that can help build efficient processes or improve already existing processes
• IT support to help you see the results you’re looking for on your next big initiative

Office location: 2121 Noblestown Road Pittsburgh, PA 15205

4. Data Ideology

Data Ideology is a data and analytics consultant in the Pittsburgh area that can help identify valuable data insights. The team at Data Ideology is full of analytical experts who are ready and eager to help you reach your goals.

Here’s how Data Ideology can help improve your data science capabilities: 

• Strategy assistance to quickly identify, solve, and execute solutions
• Data management capabilities to ensure you’re making the most out of all the data you’re collecting 
• Analytics strategy and roadmap creation to make your next project a successful one
• Smart dashboards that create visually appealing reporting that can benefit everyone in your organization

Office location: 606 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

5. SDLC Partners

SDLC Partners provides customized digital solutions that are designed to help transform businesses and ensure continued growth. This team can easily take your current data and turn it into usable insights. That could be simply by providing you with the visual tools you need to understand data or identifying opportunities for predictive analytics. 

Here’s how SDLC Partners can help improve your data science capabilities: 

• Identify incomplete or inaccurate data to ensure you’re only working from the most relevant content
• Gain access to the right data, at the right time to grow your business and better understand your customers
• Develop reports that allow you to know exactly what questions you should be asking about how to improve your current data science capabilities
• Data dashboards that make it simple to read and understand the data you’re reviewing 

Office location: One PPG Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Turn Your Data Into a Powerful Tool

It’s time to start putting your data to work for you. There are tons of things you could be learning about your operations and how customers engage with your business on a regular basis -- you just need to know how to gather the information. 

While understanding your data insights can be both a challenging and time consuming task, the right partner can make the process much more enjoyable.

Whether you choose to hire your own, in-house data scientist or leverage the wide range of skill sets that come with a data science consulting company -- you can’t go wrong. The insights you’ll gain will allow you to directly impact your business goals and bottom line.