Tag: Analytics

Project Management Certification (PMP)

Some resources for getting the PMP certification (based on a Linkedin Question)- This is a useful not too expensive and not very very tough certification for professionals who manage projects (and don’t we all !)

Online Websites-

Providers- http://tel.occe.ou.edu/cgi-bin/PMI_Provider/repsearch.cgi

The main website –http://www.pmi.org/Pages/default.aspx

Credentials-http://www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/Obtaining-Credential.aspx

Some white papers –http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/whitepaperlist.asp?pageid=502&wpcat=7&sort=&country=United+States

An additional book-http://www.amazon.com/PMP-Exam-Prep-Fifth-Passing/dp/1932735003

The main book – PMBOK

The detailed answers on the Linkedin site are much more helpful- Try it.

http://www.linkedin.com/answers/management/business-analytics/MGM_ANA/207457-6691344

Project Management Tools:Alternatives to MS Project

Some popular and free project management tools are –

1) Trac –http://trac.edgewall.org/

2) Dotproject http://www.dotproject.net/

3) OpenProj –http://sourceforge.net/projects/openproj/

4) DreamTeam –http://dreamfactory.com/solutions/dreamteam/amazon

5) Bugzilla –http://www.bugzilla.org/

6) Liquid Planner –http://www.liquidplanner.com/

7) Basecamp http://www.basecamphq.com/

8) Rally Software http://www.rallydev.com/

9) Gantt Charts in Google Apps

http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2008/07/spreadsheet-gadgets-free-collaborative.html

10) Some more alternatives from another good blog (http://woork.blogspot.com/)

http://woork.blogspot.com/2008/03/resources-on-line-for-project.html

11) Assembla www.assembla.com

The R wars- continued

Here is an excellent presentation on R vs SPSS vs SAS. Its favorablein analysis towards R, but still a very informative piece.

The original link is from –http://www.matthewckeller.com/Lecture1.ppt

Here are a few snapshots for comparing multiple packages-

Other Comparisons with Base SAS (a SAS Institute Copyrighted Product ) can be found at http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/technicalreports/

or by searching packages at http://finzi.psych.upenn.edu/search.html

 

Online Analytics: Monte Carlo Simulation

Do your eyes glaze over when ever you hear the words simulation ? Simulation refers to trying to predict actual events , usually in a controlled atmosphere. Monte Carlo simulation is a type of simulation that draws on repeated random sampling to hit the result, and it is usually computed using computers (unless you are Enrico Fermi who did it in 1942.)

The classical definition as per the most peer reviewed online statistical journal (called www.wikipedia.org )

“the term describes a large and widely-used class of approaches. However, these approaches tend to follow a particular pattern:

  1. Define a domain of possible inputs.
  2. Generate inputs randomly from the domain, and perform a deterministic computation on them.
  3. Aggregate the results of the individual computations into the final result.”

and ”

Monte Carlo simulation methods are especially useful in studying systems with a large number of coupled degrees of freedom, such as liquids, disordered materials, strongly coupled solids, and cellular structures (see cellular Potts model). More broadly, Monte Carlo methods are useful for modeling phenomena with significant uncertainty in inputs, such as the calculation of risk in business (for its use in the insurance industry, see stochastic modelling). A classic use is for the evaluation of definite integrals, particularly multidimensional integrals with complicated boundary conditions.

Monte Carlo methods in finance are often used to calculate the value of companies, to evaluate investments in projects at corporate level or to evaluate financial derivatives. The Monte Carlo method is intended for financial analysts who want to construct stochastic or probabilistic financial models as opposed to the traditional static and deterministic models.”

Here is a very good example of using the simulation to calculate distribution of leads to a website and the resultant conversion rate and probabilities. The down loadable excel sheet is great for learning both this class of simulation as well , maybe adding more robust mathematics in your online estimation efforts. The site is also great for excel related stuff.mc.GIF http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelArticles/mc/SalesForecast.html 

Use it if you think estimating Online Profitabilty is more complex than :

conversion ratio *number of leads *profit per conversion-number of leads*cost per lead.

Get (or Atleast Try ) Clicky

After writing about various tools on online analytics, a good favorite is Clicky from http://getclicky.com/

It is recommended especially to WordPress users because it has a customized WP Plugin (which means all the fun without any of the code), has an affiliate referral program (it’s a tough economy !) and can help you track individual visitors with a great deal of analytical value.

You can view the www.getclicky.com site for their own benefit list.

Short of actually building a click stream capturing application (which is quite useful for tracking and building models for web mining), clickstream data is extremely helpful in generating insights as it is at a record /visitor level and can be sliced /diced and viewed for your custom insights.

As for building automated models using web data, their is another software from Kxen (www.Kxen.com). They have been around for some time , though losing out on a couple of big chances , but their web scoring module is definitely worth a dekko.

5 Web Analytics Softwares (apart from Google)

The following softwares are also recommended for web analytics (or analyzing traffic to your website)

1) Index Tools (acquired by Yahoo in April , thats 2 months ago) and now reportedly free .It is considered comparable in most features to Omniture , the market leader (see below)

http://www.indextools.com/products/features.html

2) Omniture

The leading professional web analytics software. The only caveat is the premium cost.

http://www.omniture.com/en/products/web_analytics

3) Get Clicky

getclicky.com

4) Sitemeter (Small , useful for counting traffics, not useful for graphics rich sites)

www.sitemeter.com

5) Microsoft’s Answer (Adcentre -Analytics)

http://advertising.microsoft.com/advertising/adcenter-analytics

So here are 5 alternative ways to Google Analytics and thus have more , better control over your data.

The actual software used should be dependent on

your budget,

anticipated traffic and

subject matter domain of website.

Google’s fine print

Just read the fine print in Google Analytics,

“Google’s (and its wholly owned subsidiaries’) total cumulative liability to You or any other party for any loss or damages resulting from any claims, demands, or actions arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall not exceed U.S. $500.”

“TERM and TERMINATION . Either party to the Agreement may terminate it at any time and for any reason.”

Well , thats just standard legal clause right. Wrong.

It happened to me once when my gmail account got de activated for 1 day, as I wrote to larry@google.com and sergei@google.com , asking to stop their recruiter for spamming me.  If they (or any Googler) are reading this , please stop here right now, forgive me and I shall repent ………………………………………………………..for I need that gmail account still.

Anyways Google Analytics remains the best for tracking website performance.You can check website performance in terms of page views,time per page, location of visitors, trends in recency .frequency and duration of visits

Unfortunately it does not give you access to raw data from your own website, but gives you views , and slices of data .

The fine print says Google CAN use that data but you cant since, a record level data can be used for identifying customers using i.p addresses.

“ INFORMATION RIGHTS AND PUBLICITY . Google and its wholly owned subsidiaries may retain and use, subject to the terms of its Privacy Policy (located at http://www.google.com/privacy.html , or such other URL as Google may provide from time to time), information collected in Your use of the Service.

BLAH BLAH BLAH…

Unless You notify Google otherwise in writing, You hereby grant to Google and its wholly owned subsidiaries a limited license to use Your trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos, domain names and other distinctive brand features (“Brand Features”) in presentations, marketing materials, customer lists, and financial reports.”

7. PRIVACY . You will not (and will not allow any third party to) use the Service to track or collect personally identifiable information of Internet users, nor will You (or will You allow any third party to) associate any data gathered from Your website(s) (or such third parties’ website(s)) with any personally identifying information from any source as part of Your use (or such third parties’ use) of the Service. “.

Agreed on enhanced graphics, and functional design is extremely good for a free software. But it does allow the big G to own more of your data, which they cross sell for advertising.

Now if only Windows /Microsoft started giving programs for free by using advertising in their softwares. or Yahoo launched a tracking software .