I am enjoying the new BBC series "
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" and have been using it so often as a catch phrase in my work conversations that I couldn't resist sharing my experience at the
F2009 conference earlier this month in the same context! If you haven't caught the show - where Andrew Lloyd Webber is searching for his next Maria for The Sound of Music - you are missing a treat.
AND if you missed the latest gathering for forecasting experts at
F2009 earlier this month, I wanted to share a few tasty experiences. I'll keep you posted on the F2010 schedule so you can plan ahead. (Or so that you can forecast your 2010 conference attendance, pun totally intended.)
One of the interesting F2009 sessions featured
Susie Fortier from Statistics Canada.
Statistics Canada publishes all official statistics like labor, wages, retail wholesale, Gross Domestic Product, etc. for Canada.
Statistics Canada has several underlying objectives that have to be factored into the reporting of these important statistics - which include exposing the underlying math to the public so it is
exactly reproducible, presenting several estimates or alternatives and stating all findings as conditional.
There are certain situations where the technique or philosophy you adopt to solve the problem could impact those objectives to provide the public with accurate, reproducible data. Statistics Canada is not formally in the business of forecasting but they have adopted an approach to addressing these situations for a consistent methodology to non-overlapping time series data.
As Business Intelligence Product Marketing Manager for SAS, I’m responsible for the Global message direction, strategy and marketing of SAS business intelligence. More on me. About the pot pie, I'm a southern girl, and that's comfort food. But food for thought -- I can explain.