A Beginner’s Guide to SAS

Do you know what Allianz Insurance, 89 Degrees and Honda all have in common? They all rely on SAS software for efficient data usage. First created to analyze agricultural data, SAS (Statistical Analysis System) has become widely popular in the current market for its data-mining abilities. This tool initially was a competitor to IBM’s statistical software, SPSS but quickly grew to outperform all other software tools for statistical modelling.

Businesses around the world are dependent on data for impactful decision-making and hence require a powerful analysis tool. SAS analytics has become the software of choice in many sectors, particularly academia due to its amazing data mining libraries and functions. Simply speaking, the software can help you break down the most complex data to find meaningful insights. This, in turn, can be of great advantage to a company in managing current operations.

Getting acquainted with this software, which is used by nearly 100 companies in the 2019 Fortune 500 list, will significantly enhance your prospects in a range of industries. Till date, over 83,000 organizations have seen vast growth with SAS software and here is why.

Understanding SAS popularity

For the last six consecutive years, SAS has been considered a ‘leader’ in advanced analytics platforms because of its amazing foresight in development. Data is everywhere and while many are working on enhancing analytics, SAS went further than any other companies by investing over $1 billion in AI innovation. Over 25% of the software’s revenue goes into research and development which also enhances the functionality of the software.

As companies continue to innovate, SAS is becoming known as the best tool for data manipulation and is trusted by business professionals. SAS software is used in over 58 countries and has been the driving force behind multiple ventures which includes everything from addressing behavioral health to promoting global education.

Companies prefer SAS because it allows easy manipulation of data to provide useful insights whilst offering unparalleled data security. Further, it allows data to be accessed in any form, from SAS tables to Excel worksheets and is immensely popular in the finance sector for providing customized services through analytics.

How SAS helps?

In 2014, Canadian Western Bank (CWB) wanted to boost the performance of its advanced international ratings-based bank (AIRB) and for that, it needed a strong data verification system. SAS Banking Analytics Architecture provided CWD with strong data architecture to support its risk models. The result was an enhanced data model which directly impacted everything from risk management to marketing and hence, significantly enhanced the profitability of the company.

What can SAS do?

Strong data analysis is one of the most premium features of SAS as it offers a whole package of analysis acumen. The software can carry out everything from simple to complex level analysis. Its inbuilt libraries are very useful in analyzing and reporting data. With SAS analytics, you can manipulate your data in multiple ways to get the desired result which includes subdividing your data or even combining it with other data. The importance of SAS lies in its unique features which are:

  • SAS has unrivalled tech support which helps you navigate the software. There is a robust online and offline community which is ever-ready to assist you with everything from installation to understanding a function better.
  • Detailed documentation is another feature of SAS that acts as a practical guide for users and helps them to familiarize themselves with the technology.
  • The software provides strong data security which makes it a trusted name for many service providers.
  • Accessing libraries and data files using SAS is possible through any web browser and with any device. No user installation of any kind is required and you will be instructed along the way through its autocomplete feature.
  • SAS has superior memory management allowing it to store datasets on hard drive and processing huge sets of data that exceed your RAM size.

With an umbrella of efficient analytics services to choose from, SAS is a guaranteed and reliable tool for use across all sectors. It is functional, has tested algorithms and provides exemplary customer service. Data analytics is re-designing the way companies function by bringing in robust business models.

A career in this field is a wise decision for any professional who aspires to a stable and lucrative career. With invaluable programs offered by TSoM such as Diploma in Data Analytics Co-op, you can gain all the required knowledge of this subject area. The one-year diploma will strengthen your skills in data analysis and make you a powerful asset who can help the business make valuable decisions.