The use of algorithms is widespread throughout our every day world. In the business arena, companies that are computer or internet-based use algorithms for a broad range of activities and applications. Where there are large volumes of unstructured data, identifying patterns and similarities can create order and process via the use of algorithms. Simply put, an algorithm is a well-defined set of instructions for completing a task. Algorithms are frequently used as a means of automating a broad range of business processes.
Algorithm development is an important tool for product, program and technical managers who:
- Are leading a very technical and data intensive project;
- Are developing a new or upgraded product or service;
- Need to test or simulate product performance or results.
Business activities such as these have a broad range of requirements. The use of algorithms requires defining each process very specifically, taking into account all the possible situations or variations that may occur during the task. The algorithm itself is constructed to handle each step, or conditional step required by the business process. The real challenge is that a majority of companies do not have the in-house mathematical or scientific resources to identify or address the mathematics underlying many product related issues.
STAR Analytical Services is the right resource if you need automated procedures to:
- Identify important parts of an image or a signal;
- Analyze more general data;
- Or to extract specific information from a large volume of data.
We develop appropriate algorithms within an entire process technology program to deliver a custom solution that works in your specific environment.
Why Algorithm Development?
The greater the complexities of the problem or challenge, the more powerful algorithms become. The need for algorithms generally falls into one of the following categories:
- Improving various business processes
- Analyzing large volumes of data
Both categories require algorithms when the choices or combinations or outcomes are so numerous that they are impossible to process manually. The more the business process is subject to change – conditions, inputs, factors – the more powerful the algorithm required to manage it. Think about when you use a search engine like Google, Yahoo, or others. Why do you choose one or the other? Typically it is because underneath it all, there is an algorithm that consistently delivers to you a better set of answers to your query results.
Typical Algorithm Applications You Encounter Every Day
- Online order processing
- Online shipping transactions
- Call routing to the right telephone call center
- Analyzing credit card transactions
- Restocking or reordering inventory
- Calculating payroll checks
- Spooling of print jobs to networked printers
- Calculating driving directions for a trip