Transactional datasets (especially those originating from databases) may contain duplicate records that must be removed before any modeling can begin. There are simply two situations where duplicate records occur are: Datasets ARE erroneous (causing the same record to multiple times) Datasets ARE NOT erroneous (but records appear multiple times because information is collected different moments […]
Posts Tagged ‘Best Practices’
Primary Practices for Examining Data
SPSS Data Audit Node Once data is imported into SPSS Modeler, the next step is to explore the data and to become “thoroughly acquainted” with its characteristics. Most (if not all) data will contain problems or errors such as missing information and/or invalid values. Before any real work can be done using […]
Consumers are more open to sharing some data about themselves
Here in the U.S. we take privacy seriously and often go to great lengths to avoid asking customers for personal information. It appears that global consumers are more open to sharing personal information about themselves than maybe what everyone assumes. Sandy Carter recently posted on her blog Social Media to Social Business about an interesting study IBM recently […]
Top 5 Best Practices for an Actionable BI Strategy
In an earlier blog post, I pointed out a number of companies complete a BI Strategy but only to shelve it shortly after its completion. One main reason is that companies let their BI Strategy atrophy by not maintaining it; however, the other main cause of shelving a BI Strategy is that it was not […]
Guidelines for Deploying Cognos TM1 Rule Changes
Objective Making modifications to TM1 rule files can (potentially) affect both the TM1 application and the TM1 server (that the application is running on). Rule modification or reprogramming can cause loss of data, changes in how the application responds (performance) and unexpected changes in memory consumption. In addition, it can be difficult to effectively test […]
The Need for a Business-Focused BI Strategy
I have had the opportunity to provide advisory services for a number of clients in the past few years. I am surprised at the large number of these clients that do not have a BI Strategy and do not feel that a BI Strategy provides value. In talking with our clients I have noticed a […]
Estimating Hints for Cognos TM1 Report Development
Typically, a TM1 project will include work to create reports. Most finance groups will have a number of Excel workbooks that they are using for both their forecasting and planning as well as for reporting. These workbooks will become the “templates” for designing your TM1 input sheets and reports. For the reports, you will be […]
Cognos TM1 Reporting Solution Strategy
Solve, then Evolve All Cognos TM1 implementations require a strategy to deliver an appropriate reporting solution. This is the plan that will ensure that each business user will have access to all the TM1 data that they need, in the most usable format and in a timely manner. This plan must be based upon environmental […]
Best Practice – SOA Composite Applications Migration
A topic that often comes up in consulting engagements that involve Oracle SOA Suite is migration. Simply put, migration moves a code release – or some of its component – from one environment to another. When it comes to SOA Composite Applications, one approach I have seen consists in leveraging the revision control system, Subversion […]
Obstacles on the Road to Excellence – the Three-C’s
Establishing an organizations center of excellence (COE) takes vision and a strong commitment to overcoming obstacles. Three common obstacles often encountered on the journey towards excellence are: Complacency, Complexity and Conservatism. Complacency Complacency is the notion that “this works, it’s manageable, so why change it?” This attitude comes from the old saying, “if it’s […]
Transforming Data with Loop and Vector
As promised, today I am sharing the fundamentals of using the LOOP and VECTOR in a SPSS Syntax script. LOOP LOOP is a common programming concept – it simply allows you to apply or execute the same script commands for an identified number of times without having to recode them. VECTOR A VECTOR is […]