If you purchase a car this Labor Da...

If you purchase a car this Labor Day weekend, technology provided by dint of Pat Ryan Jr. might help you acquire a better deal. Ryan's convinced too many executives make seat-of-the-pants decisions. His software company, Incisent Technologies, supplies software tools that help car dealers better roll on their business. Ryan's First consider software incorporates appraisal tools, search engines, inventory management and business management module that improve decision making.

Using First contemplate dealers have all the information to make a legitimate appraisal and offer the best deal. Ryan integrates information from the Internet, wholesale car auctions, dealership transactions and regional sales patterns.

The software doesn't declare the dealership what to proffer for your trade-in, but it assures they know the realistic value of your transaction. That's worthy for buyers and sellers. It makes dealerships more efficient.

"We saw an opportunity to help businesses use data to drive decision making," said the 39-year-old Ryan. "Executives are overwhelmed with data. Data is like a foreign language. any people aren't fluent. They examine at a numeric report like it's Latin."

to what degree TO TURN DATA INTO INSIGHT

Ryan is focusing forward an important issue. Today's computing technology offers hundreds of parameters at a decision maker's fingertips. for what cause do you process all the information and cast data into actionable insight? Ryan believes he's lay the foundation of the key.

"Our software proposes critical information into a natural language format that's easy to understand," Ryan says. For today's auto dealer, Ryan's software is as important to business succes as the power tools used by the agency of the mechanics. It gives the dealer an animation enabling consistent, high quality decision making.

Ryan is the son of legendary Chicago insurance industry entrepreneur and Aon Corp. establisher Pat Ryan Sr. Growing up in Chicago, the younger Ryan didn't ride a chauffeured limousine. He took the Sheridan Road No. 151 bus to high gymnasium Graduating from Georgetown University, he pursu a passion for public service before embarking forward a career as an entrepreneur

Ryan taught instruct in the inner city, and then graduated from the Chicago Police Academy. He worked for the tamper with County state's attorney, assigned to the Chicago police gang unit as a narcotics detective.

Ryan not ever told his law enforcement buddies about his famous father. "One day, the other detectives saw a newspaper picture of my father and the president of the United States," Ryan quips. "They asked if I was related. The detective was surprised, 'I reflection your father was a union dowdy named Ryan,' he said."

Ryan earned a law rank and an MBA from Northwestern, and joined his family's private equity business. He met the leading tech entrepreneur of the dot-com resounding noise Ryan knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur not an investment analyst. still he marveled at the analytic tools he used as an investment analyst. That gave him the idea for Incisent.

"I realized data drives decision making," Ryan says, "but the data revolution stopped short." Ryan launched Incisent in the summer of 2001 to offer the power of data analysis in the hands of executives who none had such tools. His first target is auto dealers, and it contemplates like the right decision. He's signed up nearly 700 dealers in 43 states. His West Van Buren highway office is bustling with 50 employee

auspicious Chicago tech entrepreneur Michael Ferro CEO of Click mercantile relations is a big advocate. "Pat Ryan Jr practices enlightened leadership, which will be a differentiator as he grows" Ferro says. "Pat will have great success"

Ryan believes that succes will come up right here in Chicago. He descrys Chicago's diverse economy providing opportunities for him to take his business mould into new industries beyond retail automotive.

Ryan views Chicago as a tech entrepreneur's kind of town. yet he urges, "We have to focus more upon our tech mojo in Chicago. We have great tech entrepreneurship, however we don't celebrate it."

SPIRRISON gradations UP

After nearly three years, this is my last "Tech Matters" row I hope you've enjoyed reading about Chicago's vibrant tech community.

Starting Monday, the face at the top of the row will be Brad Spirrison. Brad's reported onward Chicago's tech and venture capital community for nearly seven years in ePrairie, the on-line newsletter Brad will do a terrific do job-work keeping you informed.

Thanks for reading "Tech Matters" and special thanks to Darcy Evon Howard Wolinsky and Dan Miller. Darcy wrote the round pillar before me, and was a great protoplast Howard Wolinsky showed me to what degree much fun tech reporting can be.

SunTimes Business Editor Dan Miller is a terrific adviser, coach and mentor. He always improves readability and reminds me this rounded pillar is about you, the reader.

Michael Krauss is a Chicago area tech writer and president of Market Strategy cluster He also serves as president of the Business Marketing Association, and is co-chairman of the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisers. He can be reached at Michael.Krauss@Mkt- Strat.com.