I published 118 blog posts in 2014. This article presents my most popular posts from 2014 and late 2013. 2014 will always be a special year for me because it was the year that the SAS University Edition was launched. The University Edition means that SAS/IML is available to all
Since now is the time when we reflect on the past year and make resolutions for next year, in this post I reflect on my Data Roundtable posts from the past year and use them to offer a few New Year’s data resolutions for you and your organization to consider in
I have participated in many discussions about master data management (MDM) being “just” about improving the quality of master data. Although master data management includes the discipline of data quality, it has a much broader scope. MDM introduces a new approach for managing data that isn't in scope of traditional data quality
The last three parts of our conversion blog (see all of the posts here) go hand-in-hand and require the most time on the project plan. Development - During development of the conversion routines, you may want to consider using error handling standards based on corporate standards. This is where data
Last week a user expressed the need to create a graph like the one shown on the right using SAS. This seems eminently doable using GTL and I thought I would undertake making this graph using SAS 9.3. The source data required to create this graph is only the
In Part 1 of this blog series, I touched on the problems created by the underground economy, and framed the size and scope. But important questions remain about the types of businesses that are part of the underground economy, how they do it, and what the driving forces behind this
.@philsimon on the relationship between metadata and unstructured data.
As this is the week of Christmas, many, myself included, have Christmas songs stuck in their head. One of these jolly jingles is Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, which includes the line: “He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!” The lyric is a
In researching material for an upcoming project, I investigated the SAS Deployment Backup and Recovery Tool available in SAS 9.4. Here are some of my findings on identifying what directories are included in a Backup and Recovery session and how to add custom directories to a backup configuration. The SAS
The physical and social costs of untreated mental illness are significant and have been discussed in detail in previous posts. Now let’s talk about the immense financial costs, then I’ll wrap up the series with a conclusion. The financial costs cover a broad cross-section of society, including government services and
There are some things every company should know about the nature of its business. Yet many organizations don't know these fundamentals -- either because they are short on resources, or their resources don't have the analytical skills to do the work. The summer research projects offered by the Lancaster Centre for Forecasting,
The BACtrack mobile breathalyzer company recently published a report purporting that "most alcohol consumed during winter months." I wondered if the data would tell the same story, after a slightly different interrogation ... Here's a portion of BACtrack's calendar chart of BAC levels (click it to see the full-size version). They
With our recent client engagements in which the organization is implementing one or more master data management (MDM) projects, I have been advocating that a task to design a demonstration application be added to the early part of the project plan. Many early MDM implementers seem to have taken the
When we talk about digital customer services, it’s all about creating online self-service capabilities for our customers. This is great for everyone! We’ve made it easy for the customer to get what they need; it’s cheaper and faster for organizations to deliver the service to the customer. Need a copy
The underground economy is driving a hole in the collection of income taxes, social security, unemployment and Medicare to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars annually within the United States. Yet significant questions remain about how big the problem is, as well as what should be done about it.
The Lancaster Centre for Forecasting is seeking Master Student Projects in Forecasting, Data Mining, or Analytics for summer of 2015. Projects normally run from mid-May to mid-August, with reports issued a few weeks after. These projects are a cost efficient way for a company to carry out analytical work by
In an era long gone by (actually not so long ago) we all interacted with computers via terminals to a mainframe or minicomputer systems. Sometimes, you had to book a slot for when you could access and exploit computer resources. The user was subject to interrupted connections or very poor
Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more. - Anthony Robbins Every year at SAS Global Forum, SAS professionals from all over the globe gather, reconnect and learn from each other. And wherever they gather, SAS Global Forum
It’s that time of year again, and I have retail on my mind. Not only because we’re reaching the peak of the holiday buying season, but because we at SAS are getting ready for one the biggest events on our calendar, the National Retail Federation tradeshow in January. As I’m
How does Santa keep track of everything on his big night? I can't confirm or deny that he uses SAS software -- but if he does, it would look a lot like this! ... A couple of years ago, I blogged about a prototype dashboard that I wrote for Santa. This
I have a rule – any conversion or upgrade will require the creation of a decommission plan. A decommission plan should include the following: A list and definition of each database, table and column (source and target). A list and definition of each of the current programs in use (you
The physical data model should represent exactly the way the tables and columns are designed in the in the database management system. I recommend keeping storage, partitioning, indexing and other physical characteristics in the data model if at all possible. This will make upkeep and comparison with the development, test
Last week, I had lunch with a friend who I hadn’t seen in quite some time. As I approached the table, I noticed my friend busily writing away in her journal. With a fantastic smile, my friend shared that she was writing down her personal and professional goals for the
SAS will again be participating in the Allied Social Science Association annual meetings in January. This year the event will be held in Boston, and conference organizers expect more than 12,000 participants from a variety of backgrounds, including economics, finance and many other social sciences. One of the primary functions
If you haven’t tried them for your web applications and other graphics needs, you’ll want to read further! Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) output is vector graphics output you can display with most (if not all) modern web browsers. Because SVG graphic output is scalable, you can zoom in on the
We've explored data provenance and the importance of data lineage before on the Data Roundtable (see here). If you are working in a regulated sector such as banking, insurance or healthcare, it is especially important right now and one of the essential elements of data quality that they look for
.@philsimon on an important question.
Often we need graphs that display two or more responses by the same category values. In many cases it is useful to plot both responses on the same response (Y) axis. This can be helpful to understand the data and compare the magnitudes side by side. This works when the scales
For a long time, master data management (MDM) practitioners boasted about their ability to build a 360° view of customers by aggregating and proactively managing information coming from various business applications such as CRM systems, ERP applications, and other operational systems. But was it really a 360° view? What about
The RFC is closed during winter break, but don’t miss out on a chance to burn a few of those extra holiday calories with the RFC’s 12 Days of Fitness Workout by Pam Cole! Please check with your health care provider prior to starting a new exercise routine. Photos by Edie
