Home / Tasks / Analyze data to inform operational decisions or activities
In 4 of the 19 jobs that do this, AI or robots already show up on it, most often as work people hand to AI. In the other 15, there's no evidence yet. Jobs spend a median of 27m of an 8-hour shift on it, and about 7.4 million U.S. workers hold these jobs.
Every job that does this
Each job words the task its own way. Minutes are that job's estimate for a typical shift; the label is the evidence for that job's version.
| Job and its version of the task | Per shift | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Data ScientistsAnalyze, manipulate, or process large sets of data using statistical software. | 1h 10m | No evidence yet |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersDirect daily operations of department, analyzing workflow, establishing priorities, developing standards and setting deadlines. | 1h 8m | No evidence yet |
| Natural Sciences ManagersReview project activities and prepare and review research, testing, or operational reports. | 59m | Often handed to AI |
| General and Operations ManagersReview financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement. | 58m | Often handed to AI |
| Marketing ManagersEvaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, or return-on-investment and profit-loss projections. | 43m | No evidence yet |
| Industrial Production ManagersReview processing schedules or production orders to make decisions concerning inventory requirements, staffing requirements, work procedures, or duty assignments, considering budgetary limitations and time constraints. | 43m | No evidence yet |
| Quality Control Systems ManagersAnalyze quality control test results and provide feedback and interpretation to production management or staff. | 37m | No evidence yet |
| Administrative Services ManagersAnalyze internal processes and recommend and implement procedural or policy changes to improve operations, such as supply changes or the disposal of records. | 29m | No evidence yet |
| Human Resources ManagersAnalyze and modify compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and ensure compliance with legal requirements. | 28m | No evidence yet |
| Supply Chain ManagersAnalyze inventories to determine how to increase inventory turns, reduce waste, or optimize customer service. | 27m | No evidence yet |
| Purchasing ManagersAnalyze market and delivery systems to assess present and future material availability. | 23m | No evidence yet |
| Chief ExecutivesReview reports submitted by staff members to recommend approval or to suggest changes. | 22m | No evidence yet |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersAnalyze all aspects of corporate logistics to determine the most cost-effective or efficient means of transporting products or supplies. | 21m | Often handed to AI |
| Kindergarten through Secondary Education AdministratorsCreate school improvement plans, using student performance data. | 18m | No evidence yet |
| Funeral Home ManagersReview financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to identify opportunities for cost reductions or service improvements. | 15m | Often handed to AI |
| Food Service ManagersReview work procedures and operational problems to determine ways to improve service, performance, or safety. | 15m | No evidence yet |
| LegislatorsMake decisions that balance the perspectives of private citizens, public officials, and party leaders. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Postsecondary Education AdministratorsReview registration statistics, and consult with faculty officials to develop registration policies. | 5m | No evidence yet |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersAnalyze market conditions to determine acreage allocations. | 5m | No evidence yet |
How to read this
This task type comes from O*NET's detailed work activities, which link similar tasks across jobs. A label applies to one job's version of the task: AI use comes from real AI conversations (Anthropic Economic Index) and robot evidence from deployments in real workplaces. "No evidence yet" may just mean the task is rare in the data. How we keep time.
See all 250 shared tasks, or find any job on the big clock.