Analytics that assess the potential impact of decisions and can answer "what if" scenarios are known as what?

The term that describes analytics that assess the potential impact of decisions and provide insights into "what if" scenarios is Prescriptive/Projective Analytics. This type of analytics goes beyond merely analyzing historical data or predicting future outcomes; it actively recommends actions to achieve desired results in various hypothetical situations.

Prescriptive analytics utilizes complex algorithms and mathematical models to simulate different scenarios and evaluate the effects of various decisions. By doing so, it helps organizations identify the best course of action in order to optimize outcomes, taking into account the multiple variables that could affect a given decision.

Descriptive analytics focuses on summarizing historical data and providing insights about past performance, rather than exploring future possibilities. Predictive analytics, while it does model future outcomes based on past data, does not provide actionable recommendations on what to do. Post Hoc Analysis refers to reviewing events after they have occurred, which is not geared towards decision-making for the future. Therefore, Prescriptive/Projective Analytics is the correct identification for analytics that evaluate potential impacts of decisions and support "what if" analyses.