Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of reading Tom Wallace's new book, Sales & Operations Planning: Beyond the Basics. This is not an introductory "how to" book -- Tom and Bob Stahl have already written those -- but instead covers nine major companies that have implemented (and extended!) S&OP
A major news item this week is the New York Department of Health's labeling of childen's games like Kickball, Wiffleball, Freeze Tag, Red Rover, and Steal the Bacon as dangerous. (Apparently Spin the Bottle, Truth or Dare, and Doctor are still ok?) Is this the continuing wussification of American youth?
In our last installment, we learned that some information is not really necessary. When facilities management dyed the toilet water purple to remind us it is non-potable, it didn't affect my earlier decision not to drink out of the toilet. Sometimes the information we receive as forecasters is not really
No matter how much we want it, and no matter how hard we try, we can’t always achieve the forecast accuracy desired. Forecasting Heads or Tails in the toss of a fair coin gives the perfect illustration (being right 50% of the time is all we can achieve over a
The F2010 Business Forecasting Conference wrapped up on June 8. Chaired by Tim Rey of Dow Chemical and Jerry Oglesby of SAS, this was another strong event, bringing together 248 forecasters from business, government, and academics, representing 27 states and 11 countries. It was also an opportunity for all to
Insurers are racing to adopt GenAI, despite concerns. See where the industry is headed.
As businesses in the UK and Ireland rapidly adopt generative AI, strategic insights from the latest SAS study reveal the roadmap to successful integration and the hurdles to overcome. GenAI is rapidly transforming how businesses operate, innovate, and interact with customers and employees alike. However, as the technology proliferates, so
As we peer into 2025 looking for signs of what’s to come, one thing is certain – the global banking industry will continue its evolution. Historically, banks have responded to change more slowly; the industry’s risk-averse culture drives a calculated and measured approach. However, the volatility, uncertainty, and challenges of
Well, there's another plot twist in the Google third-party cookie deprecation saga. After years of banter and shifting deadlines, Google has decided to abandon its plans to phase out third-party cookies from Chrome. What does this mean for marketers? Even though third-party cookies aren't being removed, Google is planning to
It’s no secret, everyone is talking about generative AI (GenAI). In 2023, funding shot up five times year over year. According to a McKinsey report, “Generative AI could add the equivalent of $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion annually… by comparison, the United Kingdom’s entire GDP in 2021 was $3.1 trillion.”
As the old saying goes, “You wait ages for a bus and then two [or possibly three]come along at once.” This saying can be updated to reflect life in our increasingly digital world: "You wait ages for a genuine disruptive technology and then two [or possibly three]arrive simultaneously." This phrase
SAS' Varun Valsaraj demonstrates how to build a digital assistant for a warehouse space optimization use case.
Best-selling author and banking industry futurist Brett King once said, “The easiest customer experience isn’t one where you drive to the branch, find a parking spot, wait in line, ask advice, and sign a piece of paper. It’s one where you activate the service you need in real time when
2023 delivered a raft of notable bank failures, the largest since the 2008 financial crisis. Silicon Valley Bank and others succumbed to collapse, triggering widespread reverberations and heightened market uncertainty. We also saw a tsunami of AI innovation, expanding fraud and financial crimes, workforce transformation and climate risk. And let’s
Government regulations, technological advancements and improvements in energy forecasting are complex issues that require deep discussion. Several pivotal thoughts were shared through a recent webinar dedicated to unraveling these complexities, shedding light on the nuances of the issues and their interconnectedness. Here are a few key takeaways from that discussion.
Large language models (LLMs) are at the forefront of today’s AI, not merely as technological marvels but as transformative agents reshaping how businesses innovate, operate and deliver value. Think of them as the wizards of words, capable of understanding language and transforming it in ways that benefit organizations. However, as
If you’re looking to make movement a regular habit, then consider the F.I.T.T. principles of exercise. F.I.T.T. = Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type Frequency of exercise refers to the number of times per day or days per week you will add movement to your routine. Strategy: Many recommendations will suggest starting
Many executives may be feeling supply chain anxiety. The pace of disruptions – weather events, aggressive marketing techniques, transportation bottlenecks, and more – remains high, and there are already signs of consumer uncertainty in 2024. To manage the unknown and keep supply chains strong, some organizations are employing intelligent, real-time
AES Corporation is one of the world’s largest independent producers of renewable energy, green hydrogen, and battery storage. This Fortune 500 company is the only US-based power company that operates on four continents. Additionally, AES owns utilities in the US and Latin America and has a technology innovation company that
What makes mainframes relevant today? Why are they still in use more than 50 years after their inception? Watch the video below and then come back to read about some specific use cases of SAS® technology in use on IBM mainframe computers. Mainframes have had many uses Throughout this half-century
Today’s consumers don’t want to be talked to; they want to have a conversation. They want to be marketed to as individuals, not as faceless members of the masses. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) organizations, in particular, recognize the value of these conversations. This dialogue – via loyalty programs, promotions, social
In an increasingly interconnected world, geopolitical events in one region can cause a ripple effect across global supply chains. Due to technical complexity and the concentration of large manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region, the semiconductor supply chain is especially vulnerable to disruptions. In fact, more than 65% of the
Between technological advancements in machine learning, the rise of AI and a growing interest in data-driven decisions, the demand for analytical talent has grown significantly in recent years. In today’s workforce, however, there is a lack of representation of people of color in the tech industry. According to Harnham’s Data
A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the pressing need for prompt and resolute action across industries to tackle climate change. The report emphasizes the importance of prioritizing equity, social justice, inclusion and just transition processes to enable ambitious climate mitigation actions and climate-resilient development.
SAS' Brandon Reese the EURO Meets NeurIPS 2022 Vehicle Routing Competition, which combined efforts of operations research and machine learning experts.
The SAS Resiliency Rules report explores the global resiliency landscape. This report highlights country-specific findings about the ongoing market challenges, the difference between an importance in attaining resiliency versus perceived resiliency, and the principles companies need to follow to drive business resiliency. Our research defines resiliency as the ability of
Consumer goods manufacturers have faced significant challenges over the past few years due to rapidly changing demand and supply disruptions in their end-to-end supply chain. As a result, manufacturers have realized the need to strengthen their resilience and have prioritized assessing their manufacturing capacity to maximize output and automation. To
Cloud technologies enable greater access to analytics. The shift to providing less complicated usability empowers decision-makers and offers a competitive advantage previously unattainable. Companies of all sizes and sectors embrace cloud technologies to address data and information challenges. IT departments are short-staffed and expected to support a large and varied
Determining the “right” talent strategy for an organization isn’t easy. Diverse projects and priorities demand various levels of knowledge, skills and experiences to achieve the end goal. Talent planning requires assessing current employees and unearthing the gaps to identify what’s needed to meet business demands. Specific and extensive knowledge and
SAS Explore was created by technologists for technologists, and has more than 100 free SAS training sessions. Here are a few top picks!
