Nine tips for effective data mining
In my career I’ve seen many examples of successful and unsuccessful data mining projects. I’m often asked how clients can […]
Nine tips for effective data mining Read More »
Blog
A first look at IBM’s Watson Analytics
An analytical tool for the business user. It isn’t a new idea, more a nut that many of us have
A first look at IBM’s Watson Analytics Read More »
How can predictive analytics help retailers weather the economic storm?
In this blog post I’m going to suggest some ways in which predictive analytics can help retailers weather the economic
How can predictive analytics help retailers weather the economic storm? Read More »
The widening analytics skills gap – how much of a problem is it?
It’s well known that there’s a growing skills gap in the area of analytics. As organisations are waking up to
The widening analytics skills gap – how much of a problem is it? Read More »
Predictive analytics – five ways your business can benefit
When talking to companies who have yet to invest in predictive analytics I am often asked if I am sure
Predictive analytics – five ways your business can benefit Read More »
What do your customers care about most? Using key driver analysis to find out.
After basic significance tests, T-tests, Z-tests and so on, key drivers analysis (KDA) is probably the second most popular statistically-based technique in market
What do your customers care about most? Using key driver analysis to find out. Read More »
What makes for good data visualisation?
Data visualisation is a hot topic at the moment. And with good reason: a picture paints a thousand words … and the
What makes for good data visualisation? Read More »
Writing a standalone Python script for Modeler
In my last post I gave a brief overview of the new Python-based scripting available in Modeler 16. In this
Writing a standalone Python script for Modeler Read More »
An overview of Python scripting in Modeler 16
Modeler scripts are used to automate the creation of streams, construction and configuration of nodes, stream execution and managing the
An overview of Python scripting in Modeler 16 Read More »
Is there a business case for the Chief Analytics Officer?
The past decade has seen huge growth in the practical use of data mining and analytics. Increasingly, analytics is being
Is there a business case for the Chief Analytics Officer? Read More »
Using predictive analytics and the tax inspector’s nose to spot fraud
Organisations hold information, lots of it. Often it’s all over the place and sometimes its not acknowledged as being useful
Using predictive analytics and the tax inspector’s nose to spot fraud Read More »
Do you have to be a data scientist to do predictive analytics?
What is a data scientist? The predictive analytics field seems to love nothing more than giving a new name to an established
Do you have to be a data scientist to do predictive analytics? Read More »
Predictive analytics – what can you do with your results?
I talked in my last blog post about the confusion that often emerges around how much data is enough to
Predictive analytics – what can you do with your results? Read More »
Predictive analytics – how much data do you really need?
When I’m talking to prospective clients something I hear a lot is ‘but we don’t really have enough data to
Predictive analytics – how much data do you really need? Read More »
Predictive analytics: how small improvements can deliver big results
It never ceases to surprise me at the wide array of interesting and smart folks we have the privilege to
Predictive analytics: how small improvements can deliver big results Read More »
Why should charities invest in in-house predictive analytics?
Predictive analytics can really pay dividends for charities but I often find that such organisations are reluctant to invest in
Why should charities invest in in-house predictive analytics? Read More »
Five myths about big data
Big data is everywhere at the moment. There’s a lot of talk about it, much of which presents big data
Five myths about big data Read More »
Assessing the value of your customers
Moving beyond RFM analysis to create truly data-driven customer segments RFM stands for recency, frequency, monetary value and is a
Assessing the value of your customers Read More »
Do you really need special software for predictive analytics?
When I’m talking to prospective clients, one of the questions I’m regularly asked is why they should invest in expensive
Do you really need special software for predictive analytics? Read More »
Why not now? The barriers to adopting true predictive analytics.
While reading Jared Diamond’s excellent book on the rise and subsequent global dominance of Eurasian societies Guns, Germs and Steel, I
Why not now? The barriers to adopting true predictive analytics. Read More »
How real is real-time offline advertising?
Real time advertising is a hot topic right now. Over the last few months I’ve read a growing number of
How real is real-time offline advertising? Read More »
Predictive analytics – art or science?
Predictive analytics uses statistical techniques and mathematical algorithms to analyse existing data and extrapolate it forward to predict what’s likely
Predictive analytics – art or science? Read More »
IBM SPSS Modeler – 8 reasons why it is still brilliant after all these years
IBM SPSS Modeler has been through quite the name changes since it first came onto the market as Clementine in
IBM SPSS Modeler – 8 reasons why it is still brilliant after all these years Read More »
Big data analytics – when is enough enough?
There’s been a fair amount of discussion recently as to whether or not the whole big data analytics agenda has
Big data analytics – when is enough enough? Read More »
Deployment of analytics – a great example of the Anna Karenina principle?
The Anna Karenina principle describes an endeavour in which a deficiency in any one of a number of factors dooms
Deployment of analytics – a great example of the Anna Karenina principle? Read More »
How charities can make better use of predictive analytics
People often think of predictive analytics as something that’s primarily useful for commercial organisations or is too expensive for charities
How charities can make better use of predictive analytics Read More »
Are the results of predictive analytics really that surprising?
It’s common to hear claims about how businesses will be transformed through the use of predictive analytics techniques with surprising
Are the results of predictive analytics really that surprising? Read More »
How the CRISP-DM method can help your data mining project succeed
I’ve worked in predictive analytics for many years and have seen that a key factor for increasing the prospects of
How the CRISP-DM method can help your data mining project succeed Read More »
Top ten predictive analytics questions
During a recent trawl of my archives I happened across an article from DM Review, now Information Management, first published
Top ten predictive analytics questions Read More »
The first step in predictive analytics – understanding your data
I speak to a lot of people in organisations just starting out on their analytics journey, organisations that have started
The first step in predictive analytics – understanding your data Read More »
6 ways to increase the value of your predictive analytics project
In my last blog post I talked about how it’s now possible to automate large parts of your predictive analytics
6 ways to increase the value of your predictive analytics project Read More »
Getting started with advanced analytics – advice for analytics virgins
What do you think of when you hear phrases like predictive analytics, data mining or machine learning? For many people
Getting started with advanced analytics – advice for analytics virgins Read More »
Could predictive analytics be the answer to Network Rail’s maintenance problems?
I read with interest, a little dismay and a dash of sympathy the recent news about the problems Network Rail is
Could predictive analytics be the answer to Network Rail’s maintenance problems? Read More »
