What Data Analytics (DA) function within a company do

  What does a Data Analytics (DA) function within a company do? If they make predictions about things - should you believe them? Does the use of data analytics tend to produce meaningful results for the company? [Maybe you found evidence that DA contributes positively to a company and maybe you found evidence it does not.] Describe your recommendations on the use of the cloud services (or the non-use) as a support vehicle for some of or all of the proposed new data analytics (DA ) function.