Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ralph Winters on January 21, 2009 at 9:15am

You are correct: SAS shops will always use SAS datasets as part of the solution. However, if you choose, you CAN work directly from the datawarehouse. But does that make sense? Remember, data is often changing within the warehouse itself and that is the main reason to perform an extract of the data to SAS datasets. That way you are guaranteed to get the same results of an analysis from one day to the next.

Another reason to do an ETL of the data is this: Variables kept on the warehouse are usually not predictive by themselves in their native form, and it takes many transformations or combinations of variables before one can even start to do a data analysis. By this I mean things like additional data cleaning, log transforms, and imputing missing values. These transforms can be performed via the mining tool, whether it be Clementine or Enterprise miner, but it is often easier and MORE flexible just to keep them on SAS datasets. It also saves much processing time, especially if you are dealing with terabytes of data. Many of the best data miners do it this way, and it doesn't matter which tools you are using, SPSS or SAS.

Ralph Winters

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Permalink Reply by Sandro Saitta on January 22, 2009 at 12:47am

Thanks Tim and Ralph for all these details. I'm now using R since my company is quite small and doesn't want to invest money in big data mining tools. However, I'm looking forward to learning and using Enterprise miner and/or Clementine.

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Permalink Reply by sharon christa on February 21, 2012 at 12:25am

I would like to know more about what and how exactly the data mining tools work, since it will be helpful for my research. Can you please help

Hope you will reply back to my mail ID: christaignatious@hotmail.com

Regards,

sharon

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Permalink Reply by bala ali on December 8, 2009 at 7:58am

How did you get the SAS EM software?

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Kesselman Wells on January 22, 2010 at 2:39am

Yes, very good question, Bala Ali! SAS licenses are expensive, even for BASE SAS. I used SAS Enterprise Guide 4.1 at my most recent contracting stint with a large American managed care company. However, the cost of Enterprise Miner was significant enough that even this profitable, well-established insurer required a very solid justification and many signature before going forward with EM. .... (I just re-read the thread and don't see any reference to any actual use of the application, only documentation for EM, and a SAS EM 5.1 pdf file, which surely must be a doc, not software....?)

In the U.S.A., SAS Corp gives special licenses and support to the Centers for Disease Control, as a public service. When necessary, the C.D.C. shares these licenses (after issuing restrictive convenants regarding use), with state government epidemiologists for public health studies and program support. This was how I was able to learn SAS, despite working in the (poorly-funded) public sector.

Last comment for: Sandro!
I recommend the "The Little SAS Book" primers, third edition, by Lora Delwiche and Susan Slaughter, published by SAS Press, saspress@sas.com, also www.support.sas.com/pubs. The series includes separate texts for BASE SAS, Enterprise Guide and Enterprise Miner. I haven't found anything comparable for SPSS, and rely mostly on the software documentation.

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Permalink Reply by Sandro Saitta on April 18, 2010 at 8:09am

Thanks Lisa! I have already read this book which is very good to start with. But to my point of view, this is only an introductory book.

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Permalink Reply by Biswajit Nayak on February 22, 2010 at 3:07am

Hi Sandro,

I guess & assume your interest in developing a skill set on DM may result to enhance/increase employment opportunity.

On the other side you may be captive/limiting your self only driven by a tool. As it is an individual investment should be more concerned about the cost of acqusition/ownership.

You may give a try to one of the learning/teaching aid resources.
HandBook of Statistical Analysis & Data Mining Application, Author - Robert Nisbet, John Elder, Gary Miner, published by Elsevier- ISBN 978-0-12-374765-5.

If we may be any of your assistance please let us know.

Thanks !
Biswajit.

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Permalink Reply by Sandro Saitta on April 18, 2010 at 8:11am

Hi Biswajit,

I'm now working with SAS (Base, EG, EM) for more than one year, but I always like to learn from books. I have bought the book you mentioned. It is an excellent book which focuses on SAS, SPSS and Statistica tools. I will soon write a review of it on my blog.

Regards.
Sandro.

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Permalink Reply by Kiran on June 3, 2010 at 12:15pm

Is there a book we can buy from you in India at a slightly discounted price
Kiran
91-9900601013

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Permalink Reply by Matthew A. Riebel on March 13, 2010 at 9:30am

I learned SPSS Clementine on my own rather easily at PepsiCo, but I had a harder time learning SAS Enterprise Miner at State Farm. I am now using SAS Enterprise Guide at PepsiCo, which is a bit more challenging than plain SAS 9.1 or 9.2, but not nearly as hard as Enterprise Miner.

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Permalink Reply by PHA NGUYEN on March 13, 2010 at 5:05pm

Mathew, you should take some advanced data mining courses with SAS!!!

Pha Nguyen

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Permalink Reply by sharon christa on February 21, 2012 at 12:30am

Hi,

Can you please help me with Clementine Tool,

my mail id is :christaignatious@hotmail.com

Regards,

Sharon

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