decide whether a sufficient number of records remain for the analysis to produce
meaningful results. The following example
illustrates how the true distribution can become distorted when the source of missing
values is not identified properly.
THE STORY OF MY AUNT SUSANNE
(Or missing values in the “age variable”
in the customer database of a telephone
provider)
My Aunt Susanne purchased her
phone in the mid-60s. Her date of birth
c
ontinuing
ducation
ESSENTIAL PRACTICE SKILLS
FOR ANALYTICS PROFESSIONALS
Topic areas:
» Problem Framing
» Developing the Work Plan
» Testing Recommendations
Next time I get a visionary assignment
that needs some clarity, I’ll be using what
I learned in this course to work towards
a great solution!
- Caroline Alexander,
Fed Ex Corporation
”
A NA L Y T I C S
ANALYTICS
PROFESSIONALS
INFORMS Continuing Education
program offers intensive, two-day
in-person courses providing analytical
professionals with key skills, tools, and
methods that can be implemented
immediately in their work environment.
Topics areas:
This course will be held
Atlanta, GA – February 20-21, 2014
Boston, MA – March 28-29, 2014
San Jose, CA – June 20-21, 2014
Learn more about these
courses at:
informs.org/continuinged
COURSES FOR
DATA EXPLORATION
& VISUALIZATION
» Presenting Results
» Impact Assessment
“
was not collected at that time as the philosophy of “know your customers” and
the need for customer data was nowhere
near as vital then as it is today. Things
changed in the 1990s with the deregulation of the telecommunications market;
suddenly, the analysis of customer behavior became important. Since then, it
has become mandatory for customers to
provide their date of birth on a new contract or with a contract change. My aunt,
however, never changed her contract type
or answered any customer questionnaire.