NEED TO ANSWER ALL FOUR DISCUSSION QUESTIONS...also specify which answer goes to which discussion question

Question 1

Big Data in the Health Plan Industry

Big data means using large amounts of information, such as drug claim or demographic statistics, and analyzing it to find trends or patterns. Data can also give plan sponsors more insights into how their plan design decisions impact members' behaviors. Sponsors then use that data to tweak their plans.

"There's a shift from looking at historical data to seeing how to use data to improve plan design," says Shawn O'Brien, vice-president, national business analytics leader, health and benefits, with Aon Hewitt. He expects more advanced predictive models will be built to help plan sponsors see future risks.

Discuss how employee benefits can be improved by access to big data. What are the pros/cons to this process? Are there any potential drawbacks by applying big data in this way?

Question 2

When we use data, we must have tools to manipulate and process the inputs. Considering your technical expertise, what tools would be necessary and why would you use these tools to process big data? Be sure to include tools that you would use to present the data results to others.

Question 3

Describe the organization that you have worked in most recently. Did this organization practice any activities related to operations management? If so, what were these activities? If not, what role do you think operations management could play in your organization?

Question 4

Explain several ways in which operations management can lead to greater competitive advantage and profitability. Include at least two real-world examples.