Analytics is much more than just simply analyzing data. In order to be an analytical competitor, a company must first go through five majors stages of development. Stage one refers to gathering information and changing strategies of the company in order to open the doors for analytics to become a main driver. A company should not only have quality data for decision making but also have key executives who are committed to the change. This stage is also known as measuring your analytical capability. Key elements for analytical capability are having organization, which is "insight into performance drivers" and choosing a distinct capability and strategy, human, once again, refers to having the executive commitment, and lastly, having the technology, which allows for quality of the data. The most important component of stage one is to have a clear strategy and way for implementation. Once this is set, the CEO must set a good example, articulate a clear and urgent need for change, and commit the necessary resources in order for the company to succeed in terms of analytics. Stage two occurs when executives do not fully believe in analytics and is often chosen as a detour. In this stage, processes are kept simple in order to demonstrate to the executives how much analytics could potentially help the company. This is by starting the analytics approach in only one department as a trial run and then adding on as the executives become more comfortable with the idea. This could cause a pause on the whole change over for three to five years or indefinitely. The contrast to this option would be the full steam ahead approach which would allow for stage two to be skipped. Analytical aspirations is stage three and is triggered whenever the executives put their trust in analytics. This could occur right from the beginning or after stage two. Having the right executive or sponsor on board can allow for anything to happen in terms of an analytical project. This is because it allows for the right backing and passion that the company needs to see (as mentioned in stage one). In stage three it is important for the company to take a broader perspective. This allows them to envision what they want when they become an analytical competitor and spurs from the successes in business problems and their capabilities. Ultim