SAS Business Intelligence

PROS & CONS

What are the best aspects of this product?

I think that SAS BI is the jack of all trades, and I used to think this even when the product was simply SAS's compute engine. I see serious improvement now, especially since I started using their amazing storage capacity, the portal, and the information road map. For me, SAS BI means that I can create websites on any topic, at any time; and I want prospective users to understand that this is a tool that will make them more powerful!

What aspects are problematic or could work better?

Even if SAS BI provides for managing data and content, the overall process is not synchronized. I miss an organized workflow as the one a system administrator is supposed to have, and I wish less administrative tasks were performed by me (sometimes, I don't even feel like I'm benefiting from the system). Together with the lack of consistency, I mind not having a bird-eye on employees and information, and I don't see too much effort on promoting governance (maybe just Metadata and OS Security). Being familiar with SAS for years, I understand why all of this is happening: SASs are made for individuals, not teams, and the developers obvioulsy saw no reason to change this in BI.

What specific problems in your company were solved by this product?

My current position doesn't require me to use the system that much, but I'm still holding around with auditing UNIX processes and modest reporting. It’s not like I'm turning a blind eye on other users's activity, I simply do it only when necessary.

Are you a current user of this product?

Yes

PROS & CONS

What are the best aspects of this product?

SAS Business Intelligence is very powerful, having in mind all those beautiful and advanced tools you get to use against a modest price. The thing that makes it shine, however, is the speed of performing complex analytics and drafting statistical reports, and of course the flexibility that allows you to customize it to work for the specific needs of your business.

What aspects are problematic or could work better?

Building queries is awesome, but I can't say the same about sharing. I dislike sharing as an option, and I think there should be less people involved in working with sensitive information.

What specific problems in your company were solved by this product?

Most of the time, we're analyzing and comparing our portfolios. All data is displayed in a single location, which eases building statistics too. The final result of using SAS Business Intelligence were reduced risk, and visibly increased profitability.

Are you a current user of this product?

Yes

PROS & CONS

What are the best aspects of this product?

We are using base SAS, and we are abolutely satisifed with the statistical techniques coverage. SAS works with a developed programming syntax, fairly simple and easy to learn compared to similar softwares and their high-level languages. The thing that makes it shine, though, is the rich library of predefined users and functions, and the macro programming which covers a large scope of local and global variables. Overall, a well-planned product!

What aspects are problematic or could work better?

I was comparing it with SQL, and even if perceive it as a statistically powerful tool, I can't bet it is the best in terms of exporting and manipulating information. For instance, if you want to merge two different datasets, you have to open and review each set separately, unlike SQL that does this at the very moment.

What specific problems in your company were solved by this product?

My idea was to find a program that can perform all of my statistic operations, and a variety of analyses like ANOVA, ANCOVA, unvariate, and multivariate, etc. In fact, I needed more than just a program-what could describe it better is a Powerful machine that can take over my incredible workload and the hundredths of retail transcations I am dealing with. I rely completely on SAS's defined functions library and the easiness of data manipulation, and I connect the software with Exadata to make the most of both technologies and procedures.

Are you a current user of this product?

Yes

PROS & CONS

What are the best aspects of this product?

I think SAS BI is a fantastic product, and I am especially grateful for the Data Visualization Package they are offering. Being able to have an eye on all data was a blessing for my work, due the fact that I'm holding a representative position, and I have to deliver multiple presentations and reports every day. The shift from traditional SAS software to this one was not as difficult as I expected it to be, and I learned how to use the program very fast.

What aspects are problematic or could work better?

I was honestly overwhelmed by features at the beginning, and it scared me. I gues this happens to every novice users, advanced coders shouldn't have an issue with it.

What specific problems in your company were solved by this product?

I'm working for a government agency, and I am using the program to deal with official operations, such as business analysis or project evaluation. The main problem I faced doing this in the past was the inability to track KPIs in order to evaluate the programs, and the fact that I couldn't see all evaluation data displayed in one place made it even worse. SAS BI provides me with a powerful Dashboard, I really like that.

Are you a current user of this product?

Yes

PROS & CONS

What are the best aspects of this product?

If there is one BI tool you could prescribe unconditional power to, that's SAS Business Intelligence. I worked on its development, but I'm being realistic, rather than biased, and I am stating facts. SAS dives deep inside the core of complex analytics, and transforms them into few lines of coding. I'll mention large contract research organizations as the best end-users (they used to be our prototype community), because I've seen them deliver listings they used to generate millions of times, with a single click.

What aspects are problematic or could work better?

Its syntax is honestly one of the hardest languages I've worked it, and it automatically triggers a long and painful learning process. However, you need to understand that you're doing this for your own good, and you need to adopt the system in order to harvest the fruits. Another serious drawback is price: There is no such thing as SAS BI for free, and transitions can dry your pocket if you're not a fast learner.

What specific problems in your company were solved by this product?

Currently, I am applying the system to create Phase I-IV clinical trial listings and to pull off reports that I need to present to the companies. As expected, I'm handling it without any trouble.

Are you a current user of this product?

Yes