Business Intelligence (BI) software allows you to view different components of a business using a single visual platform, which makes comprehending mountains of data easier. BI is everywhere. Applications that include reports, analytics, statistics, and historical and predictive modeling are all examples of BI. Currently, we are in the second generation of BI software—called BI 2.0—which is focused on writing BI software that is predictive, adaptive, simple, and interactive. As computers and software have evolved, more data can be presented to end users with increasingly visually rich techniques. Rich Internet Application (RIA) technologies such as Microsoft Silverlight can be used to transform traditional user-interfaces filled with boring data into fully interactive analytical applications that quickly deliver insight from large data sets. Furthermore, RIA applications now include 3D spatial-design capabilities that move beyond a simple list or grid and allow for interesting layouts of aggregated data. BI 2.0 implemented via an RIA technology can truly bring out the power of BI and deliver it to an average user on the Web. Next-Generation Business Intelligence Software with Silverlight 4 provides developers, designers, and architects with a solid foundation in BI design and architecture concepts for Microsoft Silverlight. This book covers key BI design concepts and how they can be applied without an existing BI infrastructure. Author Bart Czernicki provides you with examples of how to build small BI applications that are interactive, highly visual, statistical, predictive—and most importantly—intuitive to the end-user. BI isn't just for the executive branch of a Fortune 500 company—it is for the masses. Let Next-Generation Business Intelligence Software with Silverlight 4 show you how to unlock the rich intelligence you already have.

A one-of-a-kind resource on identifying and dealing with bias in statistical research on causal effects Do cell phones cause cancer? Can a new curriculum increase student achievement? Determining what the real causes of such problems are, and how powerful their effects may be, are central issues in research across various fields of study. Some researchers are highly skeptical of drawing causal conclusions except in tightly controlled randomized experiments, while others discount the threats posed by different sources of bias, even in less rigorous observational studies. Bias and Causation presents a complete treatment of the subject, organizing and clarifying the diverse types of biases into a conceptual framework. The book treats various sources of bias in comparative studies—both randomized and observational—and offers guidance on how they should be addressed by researchers. Utilizing a relatively simple mathematical approach, the author develops a theory of bias that outlines the essential nature of the problem and identifies the various sources of bias that are encountered in modern research. The book begins with an introduction to the study of causal inference and the related concepts and terminology. Next, an overview is provided of the methodological issues at the core of the difficulties posed by bias. Subsequent chapters explain the concepts of selection bias, confounding, intermediate causal factors, and information bias along with the distortion of a causal effect that can result when the exposure and/or the outcome is measured with error. The book concludes with a new classification of twenty general sources of bias and practical advice on how mathematical modeling and expert judgment can be combined to achieve the most credible causal conclusions. Throughout the book, examples from the fields of medicine, public policy, and education are incorporated into the presentation of various topics. In addition, six detailed case studies illustrate concrete examples of the significance of biases in everyday research. Requiring only a basic understanding of statistics and probability theory, Bias and Causation is an excellent supplement for courses on research methods and applied statistics at the upper-undergraduate and graduate level. It is also a valuable reference for practicing researchers and methodologists in various fields of study who work with statistical data. This book was selected as the 2011 Ziegel Prize Winner in Technometrics for the best book reviewed by the journal. It is also the winner of the 2010 PROSE Award for Mathematics from The American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence

The go to resource for how to use Excel dashboards and reports to better conceptualize data Many Excel books do an adequate job of discussing the individual functions and tools that can be used to create an "Excel Report." What they don't offer is the most effective ways to present and report data. Offering a comprehensive review of a wide array of technical and analytical concepts, Excel Reports and Dashboards helps Excel users go from reporting data with simple tables full of dull numbers, to presenting key information through the use of high-impact, meaningful reports and dashboards that will wow management both visually and substantively. Details how to analyze large amounts of data and report the results in a meaningful, eye-catching visualization Describes how to use different perspectives to achieve better visibility into data, as well as how to slice data into various views on the fly Shows how to automate redundant reporting and analyses Part technical manual, part analytical guidebook, Excel Dashboards and Reports is the latest addition to the Mr. Spreadsheet's Bookshelf series and is the leading resource for learning to create dashboard reports in an easy-to-use format that's both visually attractive and effective.

250 + ready-to-use, powerful DAX formulas Develop effective business intelligence (BI) solutions and drive faster, better decision making across your enterprise with help from an experienced database consultant and trainer. Through clear explanations, screenshots, and examples, Practical PowerPivot & DAX Formulas for Excel 2010 shows you how to extract actionable insights from vast amounts of corporate data. More than 250 downloadable DAX formulas plus valuable appendixes covering SQL, MDX, and DMX query design are included in this hands-on guide. Build pivot tables and charts with PowerPivot for Excel Import information from Access, Excel, data feeds, SQL Server, and other sources Organize and format BI reports using the PowerPivot Field List Write DAX formulas that filter, sort, average, and denormalize data Construct complex DAX formulas from statistical, math, and date functions Compare current and past performance using date and time intelligence Handle non-additive numbers, non-numeric values, and running totals Develop complete self-service and sharable BI solutions in a few minutes Download the source code from www.mhprofessional.com/computingdownload

This book provides a broad, mature, and systematic introduction to current financial econometric models and their applications to modeling and prediction of financial time series data. It utilizes real-world examples and real financial data throughout the book to apply the models and methods described. The author begins with basic characteristics of financial time series data before covering three main topics: Analysis and application of univariate financial time series The return series of multiple assets Bayesian inference in finance methods Key features of the new edition include additional coverage of modern day topics such as arbitrage, pair trading, realized volatility, and credit risk modeling; a smooth transition from S-Plus to R; and expanded empirical financial data sets. The overall objective of the book is to provide some knowledge of financial time series, introduce some statistical tools useful for analyzing these series and gain experience in financial applications of various econometric methods.

Do you know what people do when they visit your website or web app? Or how much the site contributes to your bottom line? Google Analytics keeps track and makes it easy for you to learn precisely what's happening. This hands-on guide shows you how to get the most out of this free and powerful tool -- whether you're new to Google Analytics or have been using it for years. Google Analytics shows you how to track different market segments and analyze conversion rates, and reveals advanced techniques such as marketing-campaign tracking, a valuable feature that most people overlook. And this practical book not only provides complete code samples for web developers, it also explains the concepts behind the code to marketers, managers, and others on your team. Discover exactly how the Google Analytics system works Learn how to configure the system to measure data most relevant to your business goals Track online marketing activities, including cost-per-click ads, email, and internal campaigns Track events -- rather than page views -- on sites with features such as maps, embedded video, and widgets Configure Google Analytics to track enterprise data, including multiple domains Use advanced techniques such as custom variables and CRM integration

This book provides a comprehensive and systematic approach to understanding GARCH time series models and their applications whilst presenting the most advanced results concerning the theory and practical aspects of GARCH. The probability structure of standard GARCH models is studied in detail as well as statistical inference such as identification, estimation and tests. The book also provides coverage of several extensions such as asymmetric and multivariate models and looks at financial applications. Key features: Provides up-to-date coverage of the current research in the probability, statistics and econometric theory of GARCH models. Numerous illustrations and applications to real financial series are provided. Supporting website featuring R codes, Fortran programs and data sets. Presents a large collection of problems and exercises. This authoritative, state-of-the-art reference is ideal for graduate students, researchers and practitioners in business and finance seeking to broaden their skills of understanding of econometric time series models.

Design and Deliver Oracle CRM On Demand Dashboards Create custom, interactive dashboards to deliver actionable business intelligence directly to end users with help from this Oracle Press guide. Oracle CRM On Demand Dashboards provides comprehensive coverage of the versatile features available in Oracle Answers On Demand coupled with detailed planning and design strategies for building and deploying reports and dashboards with Oracle CRM On Demand. Real-world examples and time-saving formatting tips are included throughout this practical resource. Configure administrative settings to access report and dashboard development tools Take advantage of built-in dashboards Plan dashboards and reports based on business needs Create, edit, manage, save, and delete custom dashboards Configure dashboard properties and pages Add and configure dashboard objects, such as guided navigation, links, images, and folders Display and arrange reports on dashboards Develop dashboard filter prompts Deploy dashboards to Oracle CRM On Demand end users

Montgomery and Runger's bestselling engineering statistics text provides a practical approach oriented to engineering as well as chemical and physical sciences. By providing unique problem sets that reflect realistic situations, students learn how the material will be relevant in their careers. With a focus on how statistical tools are integrated into the engineering problem-solving process, all major aspects of engineering statistics are covered. Developed with sponsorship from the National Science Foundation, this text incorporates many insights from the authors' teaching experience along with feedback from numerous adopters of previous editions.

A Complete Blueprint for Maximizing the Value of Business Intelligence in the Enterprise The typical enterprise recognizes the immense potential of business intelligence (BI) and its impact upon many facets within the organization–but it’s not easy to transform BI’s potential into real business value. In top BI expert Mike Biere presents a complete blueprint for creating winning BI strategies and infrastructure, and systematically maximizing the value of information throughout the enterprise. The New Era of Enterprise Business Intelligence, This product-independent guide brings together start-to-finish guidance and practical checklists for every senior IT executive, planner, strategist, implementer, and the actual business users themselves. Drawing on thousands of hours working with enterprise customers, Biere helps decision-makers choose from today’s unprecedented spectrum of options, including the latest BI platform suites and appliances. He offers practical, “in-the-trenches” insights on a wide spectrum of planning and implementation issues, from segmenting and supporting users to working with unstructured data. Coverage includes • Understanding the scope of today’s BI solutions and how they fit into existing infrastructure • Assessing new options such as SaaS and cloud-based technologies • Avoiding technology biases and other “project killers” • Developing effective RFIs/RFPs and proofs of concept • Setting up competency centers and planning for skills development • Crafting a better experience for all your business users • Supporting the requirements of senior executives, including performance management • Cost-justifying BI solutions and measuring success • Working with enterprise content management, text analytics, and search • Planning and constructing portals, mashups, and other user interfaces • Previewing the future of BI

Written by the best known and most trusted name in the ColdFusion community, Ben Forta, The ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit is the best-selling ColdFusion series of all time. Volume 3: Advanced Application Development, focuses on application security, scalability and high-availability, and integration with other systems and technologies. The book starts with two sections dedicated specifically to scalability and security, and then focused on extending ColdFusion applications using web technologies, other languages and platforms, and sophisticated integration techniques. Complete coverage of ColdFusion 9 is included in "Volume 1, Getting Started" (0-321-66034-X) and "Volume 2, Application Development" (0-321-67919-9).

The Complete Guide to Building Cloud Computing Solutions with Amazon SimpleDB Using SimpleDB, any organization can leverage Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon’s powerful cloud-based computing platform–and dramatically reduce the cost and resources associated with application infrastructure. Now, for the first time, there’s a complete developer’s guide to building production solutions with Amazon SimpleDB. Pioneering SimpleDB developer Mocky Habeeb brings together all the hard-to-find information you need to succeed. Mocky tours the SimpleDB platform and APIs, explains their essential characteristics and tradeoffs, and helps you determine whether your applications are appropriate for SimpleDB. Next, he walks you through all aspects of writing, deploying, querying, optimizing, and securing Amazon SimpleDB applications–from the basics through advanced techniques. Throughout, Mocky draws on his unsurpassed experience supporting developers on SimpleDB’s official Web forums. He offers practical tips and answers that can’t be found anywhere else, and presents extensive working sample code–from snippets to complete applications. With A Developer’s Guide to Amazon SimpleDB you will be able to Evaluate whether a project is suited for Amazon SimpleDB Write SimpleDB applications that take full advantage of SimpleDB’s availability, scalability, and flexibility Effectively manage the entire SimpleDB application lifecycle Deploy cloud computing applications faster and more easily Work with SELECT and bulk data operations Fine tune queries to optimize performance Integrate SimpleDB security into existing organizational security plans Write and enhance runtime SimpleDB clients Build complete applications using AJAX and SimpleDB Understand low-level issues involved in writing clients and frameworks Solve common SimpleDB usage problems and avoid hidden pitfalls This book will be an indispensable resource for every IT professional evaluating or using SimpleDB to build cloud-computing applications, clients, or frameworks.

Uses the powerful interactive and visual approach of JMP to introduce readers to the logic and methods of statistical thinking and data analysis. It includes a myriad of examples and problems that rely on real sets of data, often starting with an important or interesting research question that an investigator has pursued.

The Profit Impact of Business Intelligence presents an A-to-Z approach for getting the most business intelligence (BI) from a company's data assets or data warehouse. BI is not just a technology or methodology, it is a powerful new management approach that – when done right – can deliver knowledge, efficiency, better decisions, and profit to almost any organization that uses it. When BI first came on the scene, it promised a lot but often failed to deliver. The missing element was the business-centric focus explained in this book. It shows how you can achieve the promise of BI by connecting it to your organization’s strategic goals, culture, and strengths while correcting your BI weaknesses. It provides a practical, process-oriented guide to achieve the full promise of BI; shows how world-class companies used BI to become leaders in their industries; helps senior business and IT executives understand the strategic impact of BI and how they can ensure a strong payoff from their BI investments; and identifies the most common mistakes organizations make in implementing BI. The book also includes a helpful glossary of BI terms; a BI readiness assessment for your organization; and Web links and extensive references for more information. A practical, process-oriented book that will help organizations realize the promise of BI Written by Nancy and Steve Williams, veteran consultants and instructors with hands-on, "in the trenches" experience in government and corporate business intelligence applications Will help senior business and IT executives understand the strategic impact of BI and how they can help ensure a strong payoff on BI investments

Deliver SAP BI 7.0 Web Reports Distribute integrated, accurate, and timely data across your enterprise using the Web-based reporting components in SAP BI. Written by an SAP insider, Applied SAP BI 7.0 Web Reports: Using BEx Web Analyzer and Web Application Designer shows you how to construct effective queries, create HTML-based reports, and combine key analytics into a dashboard-style interface. Learn how to import data from multiple providers, configure custom templates, track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and incorporate JavaScript and XHTML. Security, troubleshooting, and third-party tools are also discussed in this comprehensive guide. Essential BI skills for business professionals: Define queries and export them as links with BEx Web Analyzer Create BI-specific HTML pages using Web Application Designer and Report Designer Construct reusable templates, shortcuts, and Web items Design high-impact BI dashboards, cockpits, and billboards Integrate toolbars,drilldown capabilities, and drag-and-drop features Publish reporting objects with the Broadcaster and Broadcast Wizard Migrate existing systems and reports to the SAP BI 7.0 platform Add BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, and JavaScript components Peter Jones, MBA, is a principal/platinum business applications consultant with SAP Professional Services Consulting. He has more than 11 years of consulting and educational experience in a variety of strategic and leadership roles. Jones is the author of SAP Business Information Warehouse Reporting.

This book introduces and details the key facets of Combined Analysis - an x-ray and/or neutron scattering methodology which combines structural, textural, stress, microstructural, phase, layer, or other relevant variable or property analyses in a single approach. The text starts with basic theories related to diffraction by polycrystals and some of the most common combined analysis instrumental set-ups are detailed. Also discussed are microstructures of powder diffraction profiles; quantitative phase analysis from the Rietveld analysis; residual stress analysis for isotropic and anisotropic materials; specular x-ray reflectivity, and the various associated models.

"While business analytics sounds like a complex subject, this book provides a clear and non-intimidating overview of the topic. Following its advice will ensure that your organization knows the analytics it needs to succeed, and uses them in the service of key strategies and business processes. You too can go beyond reporting!"—Thomas H. Davenport, President's Distinguished Professor of IT and Management, Babson College; coauthor, Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results Deliver the right decision support to the right people at the right time Filled with examples and forward-thinking guidance from renowned BA leaders Gert Laursen and Jesper Thorlund, Business Analytics for Managers offers powerful techniques for making increasingly advanced use of information in order to survive any market conditions. Take a look inside and find: Proven guidance on developing an information strategy Tips for supporting your company's ability to innovate in the future by using analytics Practical insights for planning and implementing BA How to use information as a strategic asset Why BA is the next stepping-stone for companies in the information age today Discussion on BA's ever-increasing role Improve your business's decision making. Align your business processes with your business's objectives. Drive your company into a prosperous future. Taking BA from buzzword to enormous value-maker, Business Analytics for Managers helps you do it all with workable solutions that will add tremendous value to your business.

In the book 'Microsoft Visio 2010 Business Process Diagramming and Validation', you'll master the specialized features of Microsoft Visio 2010 Premium. This guide focuses on creating structured diagrams and validation rules, helping you enhance the accuracy and clarity of your business data visualization. What this Book will help me do Gain expertise in leveraging Visio's structured diagram tools for business process mapping. Learn how to build, customize, and apply Validation Rules for ensuring diagram accuracy. Develop skills in using the Visio Object Model and ShapeSheet to create advanced diagramming solutions. Understand and implement enhanced diagramming templates and rules, including BPMN and custom workflows. Acquire techniques for creating add-ins and publishing templates to establish company-wide diagramming standards. Author(s) David Parker, the author of this insightful book, is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in Microsoft Visio. His expertise includes creating complex diagramming solutions and training professionals in maximizing Visio's features. David's hands-on approach and understanding of business process needs make this a practical and enriching guide. Who is it for? This book is for users and developers of Microsoft Visio 2010 Premium Edition who want to master diagram validation and structured diagrams. Beginners with basic Visio knowledge and experienced users aiming to develop advanced applications will both benefit from this resource. It is especially useful for professionals seeking to enforce accuracy and compliance in their diagrams.

Sams Teach Yourself Google Analytics™ in 10 Minutes gives you straightforward, practical answers when you need fast results. By working through its 10-minute lessons, you’ll learn everything you need to use Google Analytics to accurately measure your website’s performance–and improve it! 10 minutes is all you need to learn how to… Quickly create a Google Analytics account and add Google Analytics to your site Define goals and measure how well your site is achieving them Track visitors from search engines, pay-per-click advertising, email, and other sources Discover the pages your visitors view, how long they stay, and where they exit Monitor specific user actions, such as playing embedded video, selecting Flash menu items, or downloading files Identify your best and worst content, and fix poorly performing pages Improve your site by tracking error pages and broken links Measure AdWords traffic, position, and e-commerce performance Manage Google Analytics through the Dashboard Customize Google Analytics to work more effectively with your site Capture more accurate information by filtering out internal traffic Choose the right reports and data, understand them, and act on what you learn

Time is a scarce commodity in today's business environment. Curt Hinrichs and Chuck Boiler's JMP Essentials: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide for New Users is designed for the new or occasional JMP user who needs to generate meaningful graphs or results quickly. The authors, drawing on their own extensive experience working with customers with little or no background in JMP, provide a good survey and just what new users typically need. The format of the book is unique. It adopts a show-and-tell design with essential steps on the left-hand side and extensive illustrations on the right, which is very similar to the software's own philosophy of producing graphs alongside results. In most cases, each page or two-page spread completes a JMP task, which maximizes the book's utility as a reference. In addition, each chapter contains a family of features that are carefully crafted to first introduce basic features and progress to more advanced ones. For new users, JMP Essentials is the most accessible and fastest reference available.