Spring Meeting Thursday March 18

Mark Your Calendar!

THE SPRING TWIN CITIES AREA SAS USERS GROUP MEETING IS HERE!

Lunch will be provided by our sponsor Analytiks

The event will be held at:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
River Park I
3400 Yankee Drive
Eagan, MN 55121

9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (CST)

• 50 Ways to Lose Your Data (And How to Avoid Them)
• Dear Miss SASAnswers: A Guide to Efficient Proc SQL Coding
• Using Informal Social Network Analysis for Fraud and Abuse detection in Health Care
• Retention Modeling and Understanding the Lifetime Value of Your Insurance Customers
• Applications of the GLMSELECT Procedure for Mega-Module Selection
• Optimizing SAS System Performance: A Platform Perspective

Agenda (speaker order may change):
50 Ways to Lose Your Data (And How to Avoid Them)
Speaker: Jane Stroupe, SAS Institute
Abstract: There probably are not fifty ways to lose your data, but there are a bunch. Of course, if we all backed up our data prior to working with it, there wouldn’t be a problem; however, that’s not always a practical solution, especially if your data sets are large. By being aware of coding syntax that can lead to data destruction, you can avoid finding yourself with a data set containing 0 observations. The techniques in this paper can help anyone from the novice to the experienced user prevent disasters. If you’ve never had this problem, these techniques will allow you to continue to be quite proud of yourself.

Dear Miss SASAnswers: A Guide to Efficient Proc SQL Coding
Speaker: Jane Stroupe, SAS Institute
Abstract: She's back! Advice columnist Miss SASAnswers has received more questions from curious users -- questions such as "What used all that CPU time?”, "Which should I use, merge or join?", "Should I use a subquery?", and "Why should I learn SQL, anyway?" She will share her answers to help you harness the potential of Sequential Query Language.

Retention Modeling and Understanding the Lifetime Value of Your Insurance Customers
Speakers: Mike Sweeney, Elite Technologies and Scott Wise, JMP
Abstract: This discussion will focus on the importance of understanding the retention potential of your customers and resulting lifetime value to your company. Accurate predictions of retention, at inception, can help guide refined pricing decisions, balance expense allocation, and assist in targeted marketing campaigns. Further, being able to project which types of customers are likely to leave in the near future allows for focused attention on critical problem areas. Discussion will include business issues and tools available in SAS and JMP to help structure solutions to this universal business problem.

Using Informal Social Network Analysis for Fraud and Abuse detection in Health Care
Speaker: Chris Scheib, SAS Institute

Optimizing SAS System Performance: A Platform Perspective
Speaker: J. Patrick McDonald, Scryer Analytics

Applications of the GLMSELECT Procedure for Mega-Module Selection
Speaker: Robert Cohen, SAS Institute
Abstract: When you can select regression models from tens of thousands of effects, what possibilities for modeling are open to you? This paper explores applications of the GLMSELECT procedure in SAS/STAT software to such problems. The GLMSELECT procedure supports a variety of model selection methods for general linear models, including the LASSO method and the related LAR method. Examples of mega-models arising in genomic data analysis and nonparametric modeling are discussed. In addressing these examples, built-in facilities of the procedure to handle validation and test data are highlighted, as well as techniques for extending the procedure's functionality to address model selection bias by using bootstrap-based model averaging.

Directions:

From downtown Minneapolis
Take I-35W south to the “airport” exit (Highway 62/Crosstown). Follow
Highway 62 east to Cedar Avenue (Highway 77). Take Cedar Avenue south
to Highway 13 (Sibley Memorial Highway). Proceed on Highway 13 north to
Yankee Doodle Road. Turn left on Yankee Doodle Road, go one block and
turn left on Yankee Drive. Take Yankee Drive to the main entrance (on
the right).

From the western suburbs
Take I-494 or Highway 62/Crosstown to Cedar Avenue (Highway 77). Take
Cedar Avenue south to Highway 13 (Sibley Memorial Highway). Proceed on
Highway 13 north to Yankee Doodle Road. Turn left on Yankee Doodle
Road, go one block and turn left on Yankee Drive. Take Yankee Drive to
the main entrance (on the right).

From the southern suburbs
Take I-35E north to the Pilot Knob exit. Turn left (north) onto Pilot
Knob Road. Proceed to Yankee Doodle Road. Turn left on Yankee Doodle
Road. After crossing Highway 13, go one block and turn left on Yankee
Drive. Take Yankee Drive to the main entrance (on the right).

From downtown St. Paul
Take I-35E south to Yankee Doodle Road. Turn right on Yankee Doodle
Road. After crossing Highway 13, go one block and turn left on Yankee
Drive. Take Yankee Drive to the main entrance (on the right).

From the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport (main terminal)

When exiting the airport, follow the signs to Highway 55 east, crossing
over the Mendota Bridge. Turn right on Highway 13 (south). Follow
Highway 13 south to Yankee Doodle Road. Turn right on Yankee Doodle
Road, go one block and turn left on Yankee Drive. Follow Yankee Drive
to the main entrance (on the right).