Understand the decision
Analysis begins with what the organization needs to decide, explain, test, or improve.
About Analytics and Forecasting
Economics, data, and systems brought together.
Analytics and Forecasting is a founder-led consultancy serving clients since 1995. The firm supports complex business, regulatory, infrastructure, and legal questions.
Joe Barber · Founder and Principal Consultant
Analysis people can understand, challenge, and use.
Joe Barber’s work combines economics, mathematics, forecasting, econometrics, statistical analysis, data architecture, and software development.
He has designed regulatory-data systems and interval-data tools for PG&E, built a long-term load-forecasting platform for Southern California Edison, developed customer and portfolio reporting for FirstUSA/Chase, created residual-value forecasting models for LeasePlan USA, and contributed economic and statistical analysis to infrastructure and litigation matters.
His core technical experience includes SQL, SAS, ETL, relational data design, forecasting, econometrics, statistical modeling, and analytical automation. His current work also includes Python and AI-assisted development used to accelerate coding, debugging, documentation, and analytical workflows.
Education
Economics and mathematics as a foundation.
University of Pennsylvania
M.A. in Economics; completed Ph.D. coursework and dissertation research, ABD.
His dissertation research examined household saving behavior using Consumer Expenditure Survey data and included a custom cohort-based forecasting simulation.
Washington University in St. Louis
B.A. with majors in Economics and Mathematics.
The firm’s working philosophy
Sound judgment is part of the method.
Technical tools matter. So do context, communication, intellectual honesty, and the ability to leave useful work behind.
Make the work inspectable
Data, assumptions, calculations, and limitations should be visible enough for others to review.
Communicate plainly
Technical work is most useful when specialists and non-specialists can understand what it shows and what it does not.
Leave useful work behind
When appropriate, the engagement should produce a model, dataset, process, or explanation that remains useful after the immediate question is answered.
Additional entrepreneurial experience
Practical experience beyond the analytical work.
Outside his core consulting work, Joe has founded and operated businesses, produced and directed independent films, managed complex vendor and production relationships, developed business systems, and completed a major residential design and construction project.
These experiences are not the center of the firm’s analytical services. They contribute practical understanding of budgets, contracts, vendors, execution, and the work required to move an unfamiliar, multi-party project from an idea to completion.
Location: Analytics and Forecasting is based in San Rafael, California. The firm serves clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and works remotely with organizations elsewhere.
Connect with Joe Barber on LinkedInA focused first conversation