Business analytics (BA) is the combination of skills, technologies, and practices used to examine an organization's data and performance as a way to gain insights and make data-driven decisions in the future using statistical analysis. The goal of BA is to narrow down which datasets are useful and which can increase revenue, productivity, and efficiency.

Business analytics is a field that drives practical, data-driven changes in a business. It is a practical application of statistical analysis that focuses on providing actionable recommendations. Analysts in this field focus on how to apply the insights they derive from data. Their goal is to draw concrete conclusions about a business by answering specific questions about why things happened, what will happen and what should be done.