I refer to the SAS documentation every day. Usually, I want information about SAS syntax and the statistical formulas and algorithms for various options and statements. Although I have bookmarked common documentation books and chapters, sometimes it is easier to perform an internet search to find information. I've discovered a
I am gratified to see the continuing adoption of Forecast Value Added by organizations worldwide. FVA is an easy to understand and easy to apply approach for identifying bad practices in your forecasting process. And I'm particularly gratified to see coverage of FVA in two new books, which the authors
The pandemic has hit insurers hard. Despite lower claims volumes due to reduced crime and fewer cars on the road, the sheer financial and reputational cost of COVID-19 has been enormous for the industry as a whole. Since March 2020, Lloyd's of London has made a loss due to GBP
One of the questions we hear a lot about artificial intelligence is, “Which algorithm or AI technique should I use?” For complex problems, the answer isn’t always one technique or another. Instead, the best answer to any problem is often a combination of multiple techniques and technologies. We’re seeing with
In a discussion on a Reddit map group, someone claimed "Maine is the US state closest to Africa." Is that true? Can I use my SAS mapping tools to confirm, or bust, this myth? Follow along, as I dive in! ... The Map in my Head (Wrong!) My gut instincts
The demand for people with analytics and data science skills continues to outpace supply – and SAS skills are among the most prized. Through programs such as the new SAS Academic Specialization, the company is building a sustainable pool of data science and analytics talent. At the virtual SAS Global Forum 2021, the company recognized
In my previous post, Group-based access to Azure Files in the new SAS Viya, I walked through an example of making one or more Azure File Shares available to SAS Viya end user sessions with a group-based access pattern. This post extends the scenario and covers the case where we
In my 25 years in the data and analytics arena, I’ve had the good fortune to work across many sectors. Historically within the private sector, but more recently with the public sector. With digital transformation firmly on the agenda, public sector bodies are leading the way in many ways in
Digitally mature manufacturers outperform their non-digital peers — they generate more revenue and profit, and will out-compete non-digital companies. This is a bold statement, but it was a clear outcome of recent IDC Worldwide Manufacturing Insights research, which compared the profitability and revenue of digitally mature manufacturers to their non-digital
A dummies dashboard: every line is a group of models, the pie-chart in the center tells you how many models you manage.
SAS users help drive innovation, providing feedback on SAS products through various mediums, including customer advisory boards, communities, SASware Ballot® ideas, and SAS Global Forum. The SAS User Feedback Award is presented annually to a user whose recommendations and insights lead to significant improvements to SAS software. This year SAS
Sleep...we all require it. While some say they don't need lots or they don't have time for it, I challenge them to reconsider. Sleep, quality sleep that is, is critical for optimal health. It allows the body to recover and repair, helps boost immunity as well as memory filing and
Last week Len Tashman, Udo Sglavo and I announced release of our new collection: Business Forecasting: The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Today, we share an excerpt from the book, one of the sixteen opinion/editorial "Afterwords" contributed by influential leaders in academics and industry, this one by
A SAS programmer noticed that there is not a built-in function in the SAS DATA step that computes the product for each row across a specified set of variables. There are built-in functions for various statistics such as the SUM, MAX, MIN, MEAN, and MEDIAN functions. But no DATA step
“Over the last 15 months, we’ve seen the world change in countless ways,” SAS CEO Jim Goodnight said to virtual attendees at SAS Global Forum’s Opening Session. “We’re relying on math and science to make important decisions. We look at data to determine when it’s safe to travel or return
I think it is fair to say it’s been a hell of a year, and although we are seeing hope in this part of the world, so many others are still in the throes of this pandemic. The reckonings, changes, losses and cumulative impact of the coronavirus have taken,
Decision trees are one of the top machine learning algorithms used by data scientists. Decision trees use supervised learning to classify problems. Even if you are not a data scientist, chances are you can interpret the visual output from a decision tree.
I previously wrote about how to understand standardized regression coefficients in PROC REG in SAS. You can obtain the standardized estimates by using the STDB option on the MODEL statement in PROC REG. Several readers have written to ask whether I could write a similar article about the STDCOEFF option
I caught up with Mark Schneider, Advisory Product Manager here at SAS, about the future of SAS Grid and SAS Viya.
Here in the US, the pipeline which supplies gasoline to North Caroline (and much of the southeast) was hacked, and had to be shut down for several days. This caused gasoline shortages, and long lines at the gas pumps (as shown in the picture below, by my friend Daniel). But
It’s not too late to register for Tuesday’s (May 18) SAS Global Forum kickoff. And there are so many online sessions it’s going to be hard to choose which to attend. Business and analytics experts are leading dozens of virtual session for industries, from agtech, banking and financial services, goverment,
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake (by surface area) in the world. And its largest island is Isle Royale. And its largest lake is Lake Siskiwit. And its largest island is Ryan Island. Ryan Island's largest (seasonal) pond is called Moose Flats. And it contains an 'island' (or a
It’s almost time for another SAS Global Forum, and this year even I’m surprised by the range of topics and experiences available for attendees. With the conference theme of “New day, new answers, inspired by curiosity,” you probably guessed we’ll be talking about analytics and pandemic recovery. And, of course,
The COVID-19 pandemic forced government agencies to accelerate digital transformation efforts, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was no exception. The IRS was already in a significant transition period, spurred by the Taxpayer First Act, which was signed into law in July 2019. The Act was designed to improve the
The basic sheet pan never ceases to amaze me. It’s a kitchen essential I couldn’t live without and continues to revolutionize the way I prepare meals for my family. Yes, it’s great for one pan meals (hands-off cooking and simple clean up, sign me up!) but it can also do some
You can standardize a numerical variable by subtracting a location parameter from each observation and then dividing by a scale parameter. Often, the parameters depend on the data that you are standardizing. For example, the most common way to standardize a variable is to subtract the sample mean and divide
With my collaborators Len Tashman (Editor of Foresight) and Udo Sglavo (VP of Analytics R&D at SAS), we are happy to announce the release of our new collection, Business Forecasting: The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (Wiley, 2021). Building upon our previous collection Business Forecasting: Practical Problems and
The 10th edition of this series puts the spotlight on two organizations at which I had the pleasure of helping to teach students the humble beginnings of data, analytics and data visualization: Avans and HAN (Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen). My sources for this post are Gerben Muller, who initially
It’s safe to say that SAS Global Forum is a conference designed for users, by users. As your conference chair, I am excited by this year’s top-notch user sessions. More than 150 sessions are available, many by SAS users just like you. Wherever you work or whatever you do, you’ll
Early in her career, a mentor gave Dawnté Early some career advice that would ultimately change her life. “If you can learn how to analyze and dig into your own data, instead of paying others to do it for you, you’ll be able to do your own research and write
