Category: Analytics

Customizing your R software startup

Customizing your R software startup helps you do the following.
Thus it helps you to boot up R faster.
It automatically loads packages that you use regularly (like a R GUI -Deducer, Rattle or R Commander), set a CRAN mirror that you mostly use or is nearest for downloading new packages, and set some optional parameters.

Everytime you start R Instead of doing this , loading same R packages, setting a CRAN mirror,setting some new functions- the user needs to do this just once by customizing the R Profile SITE file.

This is done by editing the $R_HOME/etc/Renviron file for globally setting a default or the .Renviron file that is created in your home directory for a shared system.

There are two special functions you can customize in these files.
.First( ) will be run at the start of the R session and
.Last( ) will be run when the R session is shutting down.

When R starts up, it loads the .Rprofile file in your home directory and executes the .First() function.

Where is the R Profile file?
It is located in the \etc folder of your R folder- folder you installed R in.
In Windows the folder will be of the format -”C:\Program Files\R\R-x.ab.c\etc”
where x.ab.c will be the R version number (like 2.11.1)
Example
.First <- function(){
library(rattle)
rattle()
cat(“\nHello World”, date(), “\n”)
}

will automatically start the Rattle GUI for data mining and print Hello World with the date in your session.

You can also modify the Rcmd_environ file in the same \etc folder if you are particular on your settings

## Default browser
R_BROWSER=${R_BROWSER-‘C:\Documents and Settings\abc\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe} ## Default editor EDITOR=${EDITOR-${notepad++}}

will change the default Web browser to Chrome and the default editor to Notepad++ which is an enhanced Code Editor.

Public Opinion Quarterly

If you are interested in

SURVEY METHODOLOGY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCHERS

There is a free virtual issue, Survey Methodology for Public Health Researchers: Selected Readings from 20 years of PublicOpinion Quarterly. The virtual issue’s 18 articles illustrate the range of survey methods material that can be found in POQ and include conclusions that are still valid today. Specially chosen by guest editor Floyd J. Fowler, the articles will be of interest to those who work and research in public health and health services more broadly

Using Code Snippets in Revolution R

So I am still testing Revo R on the 64 bit AMI i created on the weekend and I really like the code snippets feature in Revolution R.

Code Snippets work in a fairly simply way.

Right click– Click on Insert Code Snippet.

You can get a drop down of tasks to do- (like Analysis) Selecting Analysis we get another list of tasks (like Clustering).

Once you click on Clustering you get various options. Like clicking clara will auto insert the code

Now even if you are averse to using a GUI /or GUI creators don’t have your particular analysis you can basically type in code at an extremely fast pace.

It is useful to people who do not have to type in the entire code, but it is a boon to beginners as the parameters in function inserted by code snippet are automatically selected in multiple colors.

Also separately if are typing code for a function and hover, the various parameters for that particular function are shown.

Quite possibly the fastest way to write R code- and it is un matched by other code editors I am testing including Vim,Notepad++,Eclipse R etc.

The RPE (R Productivity Environment for windows- horrible bureaucratic name is the only flaw here) thus helps as it is quite thoughtfully designed. Interestingly they even have a record macro feature – which I am quite unsure of , but looks like automating some tasks. That’s next 🙂

See screenshot –

It would be quite nice to see the new Revo R GUI if it becomes available if it is equally intuitively designed considering it now has the founders of SPSS and one founder of R* as it’s members-it should be a keenly anticipated product. again Revolution could also try creating a Paid Amazon AMI and try renting the software by the hour at least as technology demonstrator as the big analytics world seems unaware of the work they have been up to.

without getting much noise on how much the other founder of R loves Revo 😉 )

IBM SPSS 19: Marketing Analytics and RFM

What is RFM Analysis?

Recency Frequency Monetization is basically a technique to classify your entire customer list. You may be a retail player with thousands of customers or a enterprise software seller with only two dozen customers.

RFM Analysis can help you cut through and focus on the real customer that drives your profit.

As per Wikipedia–

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFM

RFM is a method used for analyzing customer behavior and defining market segments. It is commonly used in database marketing and direct marketing and has received particular attention in retail.

RFM stands for

  • Recency – How recently a customer has purchased?
  • Frequency – How often he purchases?
  • Monetary Value – How much does he spend?

To create an RFM analysis, one creates categories for each attribute. For instance, the Recency attribute might be broken into three categories: customers with purchases within the last 90 days; between 91 and 365 days; and longer than 365 days. Such categories may be arrived at by applying business rules, or using a data mining technique, such asCHAID, to find meaningful breaks.

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Even if you dont know what or how to do a RFM, see below for an easy to do way.

I just got myself an evaluation copy of a fully loaded IBM SPSS 19 Module and did some RFM Analysis on some data- the way SPSS recent version is it makes it very very useful even to non statistical tool- but an extremely useful one to a business or marketing user.

Here are some screenshots to describe the features.

1) A simple dashboard to show functionality (with room for improvement for visual appeal)

2) Simple Intuitive design to inputting data3) Some options in creating marketing scorecards4) Easy to understand features for a business audiences

rather than pseudo techie jargon5) Note the clean design of the GUI in specifying data input type6) Again multiple options to export results in a very user friendly manner with options to customize business report7) Graphical output conveniently pasted inside a word document rather than a jumble of images. Auto generated options for customized standard graphs.8) An attractive heatmap to represent monetization for customers. Note the effect that a scale of color shades have in visual representation of data.9) Comparative plots placed side by side with easy to understand explanation (in the output word doc not shown here)10) Auto generated scores attached to data table to enhance usage. 

Note here I am evaluating RFM as a marketing technique (which is well known) but also the GUI of IBM SPSS 19 Marketing Analytics. It is simple, and yet powerful into turning what used to be a purely statistical software for nerds into a beautiful easy to implement tool for business users.

So what else can you do in Marketing Analytics with SPSS 19.

IBM SPSS Direct Marketing

The Direct Marketing add-on option allows organizations to ensure their marketing programs are as effective as possible, through techniques specifically designed for direct marketing, including:

• RFM Analysis. This technique identifies existing customers who are most likely to respond to a new offer.

• Cluster Analysis. This is an exploratory tool designed to reveal natural groupings (or clusters) within your data. For example, it can identify different groups of customers based on various demographic and purchasing characteristics.

• Prospect Profiles. This technique uses results from a previous or test campaign to create descriptive profiles. You can use the profiles to target specific groups of contacts in future campaigns.

• Postal Code Response Rates. This technique uses results from a previous campaign to calculate postal code response rates. Those rates can be used to target specific postal codes in future campaigns.

• Propensity to Purchase. This technique uses results from a test mailing or previous campaign to generate propensity scores. The scores indicate which contacts are most likely to respond.

• Control Package Test. This technique compares marketing campaigns to see if there is a significant difference in effectiveness for different packages or offers.

Click here to find out more about Direct Marketing.

New Deal in Statistical Training

The United States Government is planning a new initiative at providing employable skills to people, to cope with unemployment.
One skill perpetually in shortage is analytics training along with skills in statistics.

It is time that corporates like IBM SPSS, SAS Institute and Revolution Analytics as well as offshore companies in India or Asia can ramp up their on demand trainings, certification as well as academic partnership bundles. Indeed offshroing companies can earn revenue as well as goodwill if they help in with trainers available via video- conferencing. The new Deal initiative would require creative thinking as well as direct top management support to focus their best internal brains at developing this new revenue stream. Again the company that trains the most users (be it Revolution for R, IBM for SPSS-Cognos, SAS Institute for Base SAS-JMP, WPS for SAS language) is going to get a bigger chunk of new users and analysts.

Analytics skills are hot. There is big new demand for hot new skills by millions of unemployed Americans and Asians. How do you think this services market will play out?

If the US government could pump 800 Billion for bailouts, how much is your opinion it should spend on training programs to help citizens compete globally?

From http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/business/economy/03skills.html?hpw

The national program is a response to frustrations from both workers and employers who complain that public retraining programs frequently do not provide students with employable skills. This new initiative is intended to help better align community college curriculums with the demands of local companies.

SAS recognizes the market –

see http://www.sas.com/news/preleases/aba-tech-engage.html

‘

In tough economic times, it is more important than ever that companies be able to make better decisions using analytics. SAS is involved in two programs this summer that offer MBAs and unemployed technology workers the opportunity to learn and enhance analytics skills, and increase their marketability.

SAS is a partner in TechEngage, a week-long program of training classes that offer unemployed technology professionals new skills at a low cost to help them compete effectively in the marketplace.”

So does IBM-

http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/28994.wss

. “Fordham has a long history of collaboration with IBM that has brought innovative new skills to our curriculum to prepare students for future jobs. With this effort, Fordham is preparing students with marketable skills for a coming wave of jobs in healthcare, sustainability, and social services where analytics can be applied to everyday challenges.”

and R

Well TIBCO and Revolution ….hmmm…mmmm

I am not sure there is even a R Analytics Certification program at the least.

Economic: Indian Caste System -Simplification

I am often asked by Western and non Indian people regarding the caste system. It trips me a lot trying to explain the complexity, necessity and current scenario given the history.

Here is an effort- The Indian /Hindu caste system was primarily an economic system to divide labor. In the original Manusmriti ,named by the King Manu- it was flexible.

A son of blue collar worker could become a warrior if he was brave etc.

A couple of centuries later – the top castes primarily the priests decided to make it rigid. No more social intermingling or marriage between castes, and no more migration of occupation regardless of merit.

This led to a lot of lower caste people leaving Hinduism to join religions like Islam ( post 1000 AD, Muslim Invasions and Mughal Rule) and Christianity ( post the arrival of English).


Post 1947 , many of “lower castes” preferred to remain within Hinduism but adopted Buddhism as their primary worship mechanism.Also India‘s leaders in the 1940’s , many of whom were educated in UK as lawyers ( including Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawahar Lal Nehru) decided this system had weakened the nation state and divided the energies of India, besides being obviously inhumane and degrading.

The Constitution of India was shepharded in 1950  by an assembly led by Dr. B R Ambedkar , one of the very first educated lower castes ( also called Harijan , after Mahatma Gandhi’s name for them, literally Hari -Jan people of the Lord).That Cosntitution endures as India remains the finest example of a Democracy in the non Western world.

The Indian constitution established 7.5 % jobs reservation in Government jobs and educational institutes at a college and masters level only for lowest and most educationally backward castes ( hence called scheduled castes), 15 % jobs reservation in Government jobs only for tribal people ( hence called scheduled tribes). The provision is renewed every 10 years. Think of it as a constitutionallu bound affirmative action.

In 1990, another 27.5 % of jobs and educational seats were reserved for castes that were socially okay but educationally backward. This caused some riots, delays, political actions, but was finally implemented by 2007.

Opponents of the new affirmative action say that this is like doing two wrongs to make a right. Supporters say data proves that reservation has led to social advancement ( especially in the State of Tamil Nadu).Rollback of the new system is a political impossibilty thanks to unity among hitherto repressed classes.

As an upper caste Hindu ( embarassingly enough my caste is both a warrior and a kingly royal caste , which gives me zero benefit in 2010 AD)……..

In God we Trust..All others must bring Data.

Unfortunately, when it comes to politics the same data is either hidden, partially hidden, or interpreted in different ways especially with regards to projecting sampling error or decisions.

Phew…!! That was an analytical layman definition of the Indian Caste System over 2000 years.

Note- The Indian soldier caste is Kshatriyas not Kshatritas..