ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a foundation for understanding analytics, how to use them, what analytics processes and frameworks can be used, and better comprehending the steps in the analytics process. Analytics, coupled with intuition based on experiential learning, is a powerful combination for management decision-making. In addition to understanding the business problem, it is important to translate that business problem into an analytics problem. One of the characteristics frequently cited as common among talented analytics practitioners is their common sense of curiosity. A frequent conversation had in analytics shops throughout the marketplace is whether to choose a licensed or open-source. SAS takes an approach to analytics with an emphasis on action—they call it analytics in action. A careful review of the SAS, Institute for Operations Research and Management Science, and Cross-Industry Standard for Data Mining frameworks reveals subtle difference to each of the approaches.
