Conference Sections
| Technology Solutions | ||
| Applications Development | Data Mining and Predictive Modeling | Reporting and Information Visualization |
| Beyond the Basics (formerly Advanced Tutorials) |
Foundations and Fundamentals (formerly Beginning Tutorials) |
|
| BI Forum - BI User Applications | Hands-On Workshops | Statistics and Data Analysis |
| Coders' Corner | Planning, Development and Support | Systems Architecture |
| Data Integration | Posters | |
Technology Solutions
Applications Development
Section Chairs:
Nancy Brucken, i3 Statprobe
Derek Morgan, Washington University School of Medicine
The Applications Development section welcomes papers that showcase how users overcome business problems. Papers
appropriate for this section include those that explore the assembly of one or more SASŪ products into a package
that provides the interface between existing systems and the business users. Of particular interest are papers that
focus on building systems using SAS solutions such as SAS/IntrNetŪ software, Business Intelligence Architecture and
SAS Web Analytics (and, yes, even Base SAS). Case studies addressing the problems of design, development and
implementation are appropriate if they demonstrate the philosophy, techniques and methods used to tackle the issues.
The featured applications could cover a single-user interface for a SAS job control system, or they could focus on a
system integrating Microsoft applications or a full query, analytical and reporting system.
Beyond the Basics (No Contributed Submissions Allowed)
Section Chair:
Diana Suhr, University of Northern Colorado
You've set a foundation and learned SASŪ fundamentals. Now is your opportunity to showcase your existing SAS skills
and help others learn to go "Beyond the Basics." This section welcomes tutorials that will explain, expand, extend
and elaborate on basic SAS skills. Presentations should cover any SAS product and provide how-to techniques in a
step-by-step approach. If you are an experienced SAS user who has been previously invited to speak on your area of
expertise, this is a section you definitely should consider.
BI Forum - BI User Applications
Section Chair:
Lois Levin, LSL Consulting
Business intelligence (BI) is the concept of integrating data across the entire business enterprise and performing analysis and reporting on an integrated platform. This section welcomes papers that will cross all the technical section subject areas and show how the functions of data integration, analytics, reporting and charting can be applied to an integrated business solution. Successful papers might cover:
- Reporting - Designing and producing reports.
- Query and analysis - Asking questions and getting quick and meaningful answers.
- OLAP - Using online analytical processing for summarizing data in various dimensions across the business enterprise.
- Integrated analytics - Using statistics, data mining, optimization, and modeling techniques to analyze and interpret data.
- Visualization - Presenting data in tables and graphs.
- Microsoft Office integration - Creating output compatible with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and/or using the SASŪ Add-In for Microsoft Office.
Coders' Corner
Section Chair:
Maribeth Johnson, Medical College of Georgia
Curtis Mack, Looking Glass Analytics
The Coders' Corner section is a place where you can share your knowledge and helpful hints. Do you have:
- great tidbit of code you almost always include in your programs?
- technique or trick that helps you on a regular basis?
- tip about a powerful SASŪ feature that is relatively unknown or underused?
- practical piece of advice you think everyone should know and should be using?
Data Integration
Section Chair:
Paul Gorrell, Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.
Papers in the Data Integration section include not only the core areas of data
warehousing, ETL operations, data quality processes and data management, but
also the use of metadata, data cleansing procedures, data synchronization and
enterprise-level integration of disparate data sources within a unified query
or reporting system. Papers may address the development of customized
programming solutions based on SASŪ, the use of the SAS Enterprise
Intelligence Platform or implementing the SAS Data Integration Studio.
Throughout, the focus is on creative and practical approaches to integrating
the various processes involved in efficiently transforming data into accurate
and useful information.
Data Mining and Predictive Modeling
Section Chair:
George Fernandez, University of Nevada Reno
Data mining and predictive modeling encompass advanced analytical methods, including sampling, data preparation, exploration, missing value imputation, visualization, and model building and validation techniques.
In this section, papers should address case studies involving business
intelligence that highlight how data mining is being used to help enterprises
achieve their goals and how it helps marketing analysts, database marketers,
risk analysts, fraud investigators, engineers and scientists solve critical
business or research issues. Topics can range from marketing applications such
as profiling, response modeling or churn analysis to production applications
like inventory optimization or call-center queuing. Papers that cover
applications from a variety of industries - such as financial services,
manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, retail, government, environmental
and life sciences, health informatics, institutional analytics, and
agriculture, etc. - are welcome. In addition, this section explores methods
for interpreting data using predictive and descriptive modeling, all facets of
data mining, online analytical processing, and both new and novel approaches
that can be used to drive decision making. Appr opriate papers should
highlight applications using SASŪ Enterprise MinerTM and SAS/STATŪ software,
SAS/ORŪ, and SAS/ETSŪ procedures, as well as other SAS solutions that enable
user-friendly data mining and predictive modeling solutions.
Foundations and Fundamentals (No Contributed Submissions Allowed)
Section Chair:
Andrew T. Kuligowski, The Nielsen Company
A strong structure requires a strong foundation. The same is true for users of
the SASŪ System. The presentations in this section will be selected and
scheduled to provide attendees with a well-rounded overview of the fundamental
concepts of the SAS System. Speakers will be selected on an invitation-only
basis, and will have demonstrated some proficiency in both presentation style
and subject matter at SAS Global Forum and other SAS user group events.
Hands-on Workshops (No Contributed Submissions Allowed)
Section Chairs:
Sue Douglass, Independent Consultant
Peter Eberhardt, Fernwood Consulting Group Inc
"Something old, something new..."
We are borrowing the beginning words of an old wedding custom to describe the 2008 Hands-On Workshops. This year's Hands-On Workshops topics will cover a wide range of the SASŪ landscape - from the "old" Base SAS we all know and love to "new" BI topics we all know we need to know. Hands-On Workshops help you bridge those two worlds.
Hands-On Workshops offer you the opportunity to:
- Refresh your skills on an aspect of SAS that perhaps has lain dormant for a while.
- Develop skills in the new Business Intelligence Architecture.
- Build the bridges between the SAS you have read and heard about, and the SAS use at work.
In Hands-On Workshops, SAS experts explain the concepts and then give
you exercises to help you turn the concepts into code; if you get stuck,
facilitators are available to help you. If you like to learn by doing,
Hands-On Workshops are for you.
Planning, Development and Support
Section Chair:
Sunil Gupta, Qunitiles Inc.
Papers in this section cover the skills needed to stay at the top of your game as you continue to grow as a SASŪ professional. Appropriate papers also cover the way SAS users give and/or receive support, both technically and administratively. Papers should focus on developing and evaluating the skills in others or attaining skills for your own use, and should describe real-world approaches and solutions. Some of the many topics that would be appropriate for this section include:
- Managing people and/or projects, including offshore projects.
- Effective training methods and programs.
- Methods of providing technical support and how to best use SAS Technical Support resources, including the FAQ section.
- Certification issues and preparation.
- How to work effectively with co-workers and/or external clients.
- How to get the most out of SAS Global Forum and regional, local and in-house user groups.
Posters
Section Chairs:
Debbie Buck, D.B. & P. Associates
Zul Habib, Habib Consultants Limited
The Posters section will present a unique mix of subjects and audience interactions. Presenters in this section, which includes only poster presentations and written papers, will be faced with the challenge of arranging their ideas in a visual display that will inform and capture the attention of an audience. A brief oral presentation will take place during a "meet the presenters" session, but the visual presentation needs to carry the bulk of the message.
Viewers will have the opportunity to examine the material at their own pace and revisit it a number of times during the conference. Presenters can offer fairly complex visual concepts for study, and viewers can discuss these concepts without disturbing the flow of a presentation. Posters should quickly capture viewers' attention and provide a visually pleasing message.
The Posters section will again provide a limited number of computer displays
for replaying navigation of applications, building complex visual messages,
highlighting multiple elements of a structure or demonstrating the evolution
of an application or process.
Reporting and Information Visualization
Section Chair:
Pete Lund, Looking Glass Analytics
The Reporting and Information Visualization section is looking for papers that highlight techniques for presenting data in new and innovative ways. Gone are the days of green-bar reports! Today the sky's the limit in terms of creativity and possibility. The range of possible topics is endless:
- From customizing output with the Output Delivery System (ODS) to generating reports with SASŪ Enterprise GuideŪ or SAS BI Server.
- From reporting via the Web with SAS/IntrNetŪ or SAS Integration TechnologiesŪ to integrating SAS reporting with Microsoft Office.
- From ODS Statistical Graphics to the Data Step Graphics Interface.
- From report layout and design to effective use of color.
Statistics and Data Analysis
Section Chairs:
Lisa Eckler, Lisa Eckler Consulting Inc.
Tyler Smith, DoD Center for Deployment Health Research
The Statistics Data Analysis section offers a multidisciplinary forum for
statisticians, analysts, epidemiologists and researchers to showcase their
statistical knowledge and programming skills using SASŪ. With special focus on
real-world application of statistics in government, academia or industry, the
goal of this section is the education and advancement of statistical methods
using SAS software. Whether you have a novel approach to handling an analytic
quandary or whether you use one of the many SAS statistical procedures
available, the Statistics and Data Analysis section welcomes your
contribution. Of special interest this year are papers that describe recent
developments in statistical methods for data analysis, modeling and
forecasting.
Systems Architecture
Section Chair:
F. Joseph Kelley, University of Georgia
Papers in Systems Architecture will cover a wide range of topics: basic
concepts of the multitiered architecture, deployment considerations,
traditional issues of metrics and tuning, as well as more complex matters
related client and server interaction. Real-world implementations
incorporating such issues as configuration, security, migration and
administration in a modern IT environment are appropriate. Always of interest
are papers about new and innovative techniques and applications as they relate
to the systems field. SASŪ9 server architecture has expanded the traditional
Systems Architecture section to bring together many nontraditional parts of
the SAS community. The technology can be complex and exciting; come share with
your colleagues what you have learned.
Industry Solutions
Communications, Media, Entertainment and Travel
Section Chair:
Joe DeShon, Sprint Corporation
This year, the Communications Industry Solutions section is merging with Media, Entertainment and Travel Industry Solutions to create one "supersection" full of exciting new insights and challenges for the future.
Not only are large corporations merging, but entire industries are coming together as the distinction between information and entertainment is blurred. Wireless companies provide streaming video, and Internet companies provide first-run television shows. At the center of it all, the consumer is exhibiting an insatiable need for data, entertainment and communication, commodities delivered by hardware and protocols that didn't even exist half a decade ago.
Data professionals are challenged with making sense of this convergence of technologies in an
increasingly complex environment, satisfying the needs of executive and mid-level managers as well as
the ultimate consumer. The Communications, Media, Entertainment and Travel section is looking for
papers offering business solutions SAS professionals need to excel in this fast-paced environment.
Customer Intelligence
Section Chair:
Lois Levin, LSL Consulting
Customer Intelligence is the concept of collecting useful information and intelligence about customers and clients. This section welcomes presentation topics that show how marketing activities can be optimized for all industries, including:
- Campaign management and optimization to acquire, cultivate and retain customers.
- Web analytics to analyze and optimize the effectiveness of the corporate Web site.
- Marketing resource management to analyze the effectiveness of advertising, promotions and incentives, then integrate them with the overall corporate strategy.
- Profitability management - managing customers based on their level of profitability.
- Strategic segmentation and behavior predictions based on customer data.
Financial Services
Section Chair:
Harry Droogendyk, Stratia Consulting Inc. The financial industry continues to be challenged by regulatory compliance issues, robust competition, declining margins, security concerns and escalating demand for increased customer services. All sectors of the financial industry, including banking institutions, insurance providers, investment and brokerage houses and securities/mortgage providers, are affected by some or all of these challenges.
The Financial Industry Solutions section is looking for papers that focus on new and innovative
uses of SASŪ software and the sound business practices necessary to manage the above issues
successfully by providing key decision makers with timely, accurate, actionable information.
Presentations will address effective finance industry-specific enterprise business intelligence
solutions, risk analysis, data modeling, forecasting and customer behavior analysis.
Manufacturing
Section Chair:
Rick Mitchell, Westat
The Manufacturing Industry Solutions section is looking for papers that give attendees a close-up
look at today's solutions that have significantly contributed to a company's ability to continue to
grow and stay competitive in our fast-paced world. Having a full understanding of a company's
demands, supplies and operations as well as its customer insights is critical to its continued
success. Hot topic areas in manufacturing include supplier relationship management, warranty
analysis, forecasting for service parts optimization and all phases of the manufacturing supply
chain. Presentations that share first-hand experiences in these hot topic areas are encouraged.
Other key solution areas that pertain to specific manufacturing industry areas are welcome as well.
Pharma, Life Sciences and Healthcare
Section Chair:
Christianna Williams, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Papers in this section will focus on SAS business solutions applicable to the life sciences industry, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare providers and health insurers.
For the pharmaceutical industry, this will include papers explicating the use of PROC CDISC for importing and exporting documents that are compatible with the Clinical Data Standards Interchange Consortium (CDISC) data model, as well as presentations involving applications of SAS Drug Development to the management, analysis and reporting of clinical study data.
The section is also interested in hearing stories from healthcare provider organizations that have
used SAS analytics and reporting to enhance patient safety, quality of care, or other aspects of
performance. These solutions often arise from the integration of data across disparate parts of the
organization, or from the innovative use of information in electronic health records (EHR). Health
insurers may use beneficial SAS strategies for reporting data to employers in real-time, identifying
fraud before claims are paid, predicting risk or partnering with providers to develop disease
management strategies that lower costs and improve enrollee health. Papers describing how SAS was
used to help achieve any of these goals are welcome.
Retail
Section Chairs:
Rick Mitchell, Westat
Julie Rankin, Stage Stores
The Retail Industry Solutions section will offer attendees high-level business solutions where
companies leverage their consumer and market data with SAS to keep up with competitive retail trends
that are both close to home and seen internationally. In today's world, retail companies are
constantly reinventing solutions to enhance customer intelligence, their merchandise, their
operations and the management of their performance. Presentations addressing these key areas, as well
as any other vital issues specific retail companies may be facing, are welcome.
Adjunct Sections
Pre-Conference Activities
Section Chair:
Lauren Haworth, Genentech Inc.
Be sure to take advantage of the seminars and statistical tutorials that will be offered just prior to SAS Global Forum 2008. These extra-fee events require advance registration and are open to anyone who registers for the conference.
The seminars are topic-specific and offer practical techniques you are not likely to find anywhere else. The topics are appropriate for a variety of SAS experience levels.
Statistical tutorials provide an opportunity to learn how to use
SAS/STATŪ software straight from the SAS R&D staff. Some tutorials are
directed at new methodologies recently implemented in the software, while
others serve as introductions to standard statistical techniques that are
widely used in practice. The tutorials provide a blend of methodology and
helpful examples using SAS software.
SAS Presents
SAS Presents offers presentations by SAS staff on features and applications of newly developed or enhanced SAS tools and solutions. Recent and upcoming SAS developments are discussed in these presentations. Please feel free to provide feedback to the R&D staff either during a session or later on the exhibition floor.