SAS Voices

Best Practice #7: Collecting and acting on user feedback

Georgia Mariani — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:31:58 +0000

In my last post, we discussed the best way to process and deliver reports to stakeholders. So now that that you have launched the portal and users are happily using it, the work doesn’t stop there. Almost immediately, you need to start gathering feedback from users about how they are [...]

Useful CoP tips for working with virtual teams

Frank Leistner — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:03:38 +0000

This is not a post about members of the police force, but a post about an increasingly used form of collaboration within organizations named "Communities of Practice". The other night I found a great conversation in a Knowledge Management LinkedIn group on some best practices regarding Communities of Practice. Sometimes [...]

How does the SAS VP of big data spend his time?

Paul Kent — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:30:11 +0000

Some of you might be wondering what I’m planning to spend my time on as the new VP of Big Data at SAS. I think there are three equally important segments: First off I will be talking with customers who are really pushing us hard in the big data space, [...]

Is high-performance analytics a catalyst of change in the software industry?

Phil Weiss — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:54:44 +0000

In evolutionary biology there is an interesting concept called “punctuated equilibria,” which is used primarily to explain why the fossil record seems to abruptly change after long periods of apparent calm, or ‘stasis’ as it is called. To understand this better, think of a stairway where the length between each [...]

How to make data visualization more intuitive with auto charting

Don Chapman — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:59:17 +0000

Last year I was given an iPad. At the time I was rather ho-hum about my new toy, but my fourteen-year-old daughter was ecstatic about it. I now know why. Today, I am writing this blog post from my iPad and I am lost when I leave it at home. [...]

Introducing Willie the Seeing Eye Dog

Willie the Seeing Eye Dog — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:34:50 +0000

I’m Willie the Seeing Eye Dog. I help Software Development Manager Ed Summers get around SAS Corporate Headquarters without breaking his neck. The editors at SAS provided these questions for me to answer so you can learn more about what I do. What would SAS customers be surprised to learn about the [...]

Three visual narratives about SAS analytics

Steve Polilli — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:53:51 +0000

I agreed to shoot at SAS Global Forum in Orlando some brief, YouTube-style videos of a few poster contest entrants. I’ve been to the last four of these annual events, so I’m well aware of the extreme enthusiasm of the global community but the graciousness and excitement of these folks [...]

Best Practice #6: Interface design is important for reporting

Georgia Mariani — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:07:43 +0000

As we begin the second half of our series on the 10 best practices for information management, reporting and analytics let’s review what we have learned so far. We now understand the importance of securing executive sponsorship, identifying and involving stakeholders early and assessing their unique needs, identifying and integrating [...]

Have you seen these villains of analytics?

Dr. Insight — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:00:09 +0000

At SAS Global Forum, we added our first Analytic Hero to the League - Rick Andrews of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Rick has fought epic analytical battles in the healthcare industry resulting in better lives for millions of consumers, and thus he has joined me in Datapolis [...]

Big data improves speed, accuracy and automation for credit lenders

Waynette Tubbs — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:58:06 +0000

Credit lending is a fast-paced business that relies on large amounts of customer and transaction data. Premier Bankcard’s primary purpose has been to provide even customers with damaged credit histories an avenue to obtain credit and demonstrate positive financial patterns. To stay competitive, the company uses analytics to predict and [...]