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Blogs

Analytics

Find out how analytics, from data mining to cognitive computing, is changing the way we do business

Advanced Analytics | Analytics

Mike GillilandNovember 14, 2014 0

Gaming the forecast

Business forecasting is a highly politicized process, subject to the biases and personal agendas of all forecasting process participants. This is why many -- perhaps most -- human adjustments to the forecast fail to make it better. And this is why relative metrics, such as FVA, are so helpful in

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Advanced Analytics | Analytics

Steve PolilliNovember 14, 2014 0

Forecasting: Crystal ball or competitive edge?

Perhaps forecasting is a little of both, crystal ball and competitive edge. It’s a crystal ball of sorts because it helps leaders get answers to questions like, “How many? Or, “How much?” to decide what actions best help the business. And it’s definitely a competitive edge when it results in

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Analytics | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonNovember 14, 2014 0

Are patent trolls finally on the decline?

Are you a legitimate hard-working company that has been threatened with a lawsuit, by a patent troll? If so, the graphs in this blog should make you happy! Speaking of 'happy' and 'troll' - here's a picture of a happy Troll Doll from my friend Hannah. Don't you just hate

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Greg HendersonNovember 13, 2014 0

It’s beginning to look a lot like International Fraud Awareness Week

For most people, this time of year means celebrating cherished, personal traditions… helping those less fortunate…flocking to stores in droves…the company holiday party… For the SAS Security Intelligence team, it means identity theft…benefits fraud…unemployment insurance fraud...insider threats. Why? Because next week is International Fraud Awareness Week! And we’re celebrating by

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Government | Health Care

Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgNovember 12, 2014 0

The Medicaid Fraud Epidemic - Can We Still Save the Patient?

There are times when I harken back to the classic television show M.A.S.H. For those of you too young to remember, the story centered around a mobile Army surgical hospital in the midst of the conflict in the Korean peninsula. While they weren't the first people to see the patient, the unit

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Advanced Analytics | Analytics

Mike GillilandNovember 11, 2014 0

Getting real about uncertainty

In his Spring 2014 article in Foresight, Paul Goodwin addressed the important issue of point vs. probabilistic forecasts. A point forecast is a single number (e.g., the forecast for item XYZ in December is 635 units). We are all familiar with point forecasts, as these are what's commonly produced (either

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Analytics

Philip MaleNovember 11, 2014 0

Dr. Mohammad Abbas, SAS UK & Ireland's top data scientist, forecasts the UK's energy consumption in 2020 using SAS

SAS UK & Ireland recently ran a competition to find the region's 'top data scientist'; the competition challenge was to produce a forecast of energy demand for the UK in the year 2020 based on the data provided. Competition for this coveted award was fierce; with the winner claiming a trip to SAS

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Advanced Analytics | Analytics

Mike GillilandNovember 11, 2014 0

SAS Summer Fellowships in Forecasting and Econometrics

The Advanced Analytics division of SAS Research & Development has announced three Summer Fellowships in the areas of Forecasting and Econometrics. The SAS forecasting fellowships are open to doctoral candidates in mathematics, statistics, computer science, and related graduate departments in the United States. They offer the opportunity to work closely

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Analytics | Fraud & Security Intelligence

Carl HammersburgNovember 7, 2014 0

Fraud is in the Air, Everywhere I Look Around

It's time for a fall fraud roundup. Bad deeds swirl around like so many dry leaves, and I'd like to highlight a few of them this week. It can happen anywhere, even in sports, and no, I'm not picking on those shoplifting Dallas Cowboys here. An MLS referee was suspended for workers' compensation

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Government | Health Care

Analytics | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonNovember 6, 2014 0

Graphs that make you go hmm... (early voting data)

Back in the 90s, there was a song by the C&C Music Factory about things that just didn't quite make sense - the song was called Things That Make You Go Hmm.... And in that same spirit, this blog post is about Graphs That Make You Go Hmm... I'm not

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Analytics | Data Management | Internet of Things

Suzanne ClaytonNovember 6, 2014 0

Big data without analytics is just data

Data has value IF you can analyze it, said participants at a big data analytics roundtable at the Premier Business Leadership Series in Las Vegas. In attendance were executives from some of the largest Communications companies in the world including from the US, Canada, Turkey, Japan, Australia and the Philippines as well

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Analytics | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonOctober 28, 2014 0

Are you at risk? Which blood types do vampires prefer?

SAS software has long been used to help analyze 'risk' - what about using it to help determine your risk of being attacked by a vampire?!? On a previous Halloween, I was the victim of a Vampire attack. Here's the photographic proof... Being the most common O+ blood type, I

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Health Care | Life Sciences

Analytics | Data for Good | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonOctober 23, 2014 0

Tracking Ebola: Using SAS bubble maps

In a previous blog post, I showed how to layer colored areas on a SAS map to show both countries, and the areas within countries that had cases of Ebola. But as the Ebola epidemic has spread, more data has become available, and in this blog I show how to

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Analytics

Waynette TubbsOctober 23, 2014 0

What can universities do to fill the analytics skills gap?

Who do you want to be when you grow up? And can I offer you a suggestion? Considering the huge shortfall in analytical talent we’re facing, we should be asking those two questions more often. Many of the people who are considering a change in careers or searching for their

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Advanced Analytics | Analytics

Mike GillilandOctober 22, 2014 0

Guest blogger: Len Tashman previews Fall 2014 issue of Foresight

In 2015 Foresight: The International Journal of Applied Forecasting will celebrate 10 years of publication. From high in his aerie in the Colorado Rockies, here is Editor-in-Chief Len Tashman's preview of the current issue: In this 35th issue of Foresight, we revisit a topic that always generates lively and entertaining

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Analytics

Waynette TubbsOctober 21, 2014 0

Chasing analytic talent

Companies like Amazon, Netflix, Zappos and Pandora have changed what consumers expect from a brand – they want brands to “know” what they want before they ask for it. To provide those kinds of personalized products and services, brands have to collect and analyze huge quantities of customer and industry

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Analytics | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonOctober 21, 2014 0

How cheap will gasoline prices go?

Have you noticed lower gasoline prices lately? How low will they go, and how long will they stay down? Let's use SAS to analyze some of the data!... First, let's look at just the price of gasoline over time. Here's a plot of the US average gasoline price, each week

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Energy & Utilities | Travel

Analytics

Lisa ArneyOctober 21, 2014 0

Can a football game predict a presidential election?

In a city built on hedging your bets, it is fitting that the Analytics 2014 conference kicked off Monday in Las Vegas with a look at all the unscientific ways people try to predict the future. John Elder, Founder and President of Elder Research, Inc., entertained the audience with examples of how

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Sports & Entertainment

Analytics

Maggie MillerOctober 20, 2014 0

Higher education and analytics

It's my favorite time of year! The leaves are changing. Football is back. And it's also time for our annual Analytics conference. One of the best parts about my job is getting to attend the conference each year and host the Inside Analytics video series. Not everyone at the conference gets

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Analytics | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonOctober 16, 2014 0

How do men rate women on dating websites? (Part 2)

I always recommend looking at data in several different ways, to get a more complete picture of what's really going on - such is the case with the member 'ratings' on dating websites. Let's take a look at some data from a different angle... In a recent blog post, I

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Analytics

Mauro CazzariOctober 15, 2014 0

Is Hadoop the answer to big data?

Having spent a quarter of a century working on databases and on database-related technologies, I have developed an aura of skepticism on any new product that hits the market being presented as the best thing we have ever seen. It’s not that I love to revel in “I told you

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Analytics | Learn SAS

Darius BaerOctober 15, 2014 0

The SAS model factory – a big data solution

Do you have too many models to build, too many to manage, too few analytic resources or too much data? A Model Factory may be your answer. The mindset of analytics is changing. This represents the transformation from a “craftsman” dominated culture in which multiple weeks were spent cycling through

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Analytics | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonOctober 14, 2014 0

How does Amazon deliver packages so quickly?

With Amazon Prime's 2-day shipping, I seldom go to physical stores any more. How do they deliver items so quickly? Let's analyze some data to find out... There are very few services/memberships that I truly feel like I'm getting "a good deal" for my money - and Amazon Prime is

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Analytics

James EnochOctober 10, 2014 0

Taking advantage of the analytics opportunity

The rise of analytics and big data presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for organisations to put themselves at the cutting edge, to create a competitive advantage by developing a culture of analytical success within their organisation. Yet most seem unable to grasp the opportunity that is within their reach. Eric Hoffer

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Analytics

David PopeOctober 10, 2014 0

Where oh where can I find data scientists?

After attending the SAS Day at Texas A&M University on Oct. 2, I came away with a new perspective on some of the different educational offerings to help fill the analytic talent gap (which according to studies and research continues to grow). In essence, there is a yin and yang of

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Analytics | Data Visualization

Robert AllisonOctober 10, 2014 0

How do men rate women on dating websites?

What age women do men prefer on dating websites? - Let's have a look at the data... When I first started using computers in the early 80s, I thought it would be great to have everyone take a survey, and then let computers show you who your best matches were.

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Sports & Entertainment

Advanced Analytics | Analytics

Mike GillilandOctober 9, 2014 0

Foresight/SAS webinar October 30 on temporal aggregation

On Thursday, October 30, 11 am ET, Aris Syntetos delivers the next installment of the Foresight/SAS Webinar Series, "Forecasting by Temporal Aggregation." Based on his article in the Summer 2014 issue of Foresight, Aris provided this preview: When we attempt to improve forecast performance we usually consider new or alternative forecasting

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Analytics

Wayne ThompsonOctober 9, 2014 0

Machine Learning at Scale with SAS and Cloudera

Imagine being able to get into your car and say “Take me to work.” Then, it automatically drives as you read the morning paper. We’re not there yet. But we’re closer than you think. Google has already developed a prototype for a driverless car in the U.S. Driverless cars are

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Advanced Analytics | Analytics

Mike GillilandOctober 8, 2014 0

Significant Digits in Business Forecasting

My favorite dog trick is the group hug. This is achieved by taking a dog's bad habit (rising up on strangers who don't really want a 70# dog rising up on them), and "flipping it" into something cute and adorable. It's all a matter of controlling perception, and that is

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Analytics

Carl FarrellOctober 8, 2014 0

Fighting fraudsters

You might assume that a battle-tested businessman with a gruff exterior and a taste for salty language lacks an inner child, but you’d be wrong. Exhibit A is this little-known fact: I have a soft spot for animated Disney movies. Now, I could try to bluff a bit and say

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