With SAS® Visual Analytics, more organizations draw value from their data

More than 5,700 sites licensed worldwide; organizations of all sizes span industries including energy, banking, government and health care

“The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see.” Mathematician John Tukey said it in the 1970s, and it’s just as true today. Organizations that use data visualization with SAS^® Visual Analytics are identifying patterns and relationships in their data that simply weren’t evident before. And they’re turning those discoveries into action.

“Our customers want to get more out of their data; they are looking beyond the simple donut charts and crave better understanding of opportunities, risks and a clearer perspective of future outcomes,” said Andy Bitterer, Senior Director of the Business Intelligence Product Line at SAS. “SAS Visual Analytics makes it easy for nontechnical users to analyze large volumes of data – enabling more people to uncover patterns, trends and outliers and tell important stories about their businesses or the problems they are trying to solve.”

Managing data to keep the lights on, literally

The largest distribution operator in Belgium, Eandis offers network solutions for electricity, natural gas and public lighting. They must also meet the European Union’s goals to increase energy efficiency by 2020. Eandis uses SAS Visual Analytics to visualize massive amounts of grid data. They now have the tools to manage a new smart grid that meets current and future consumer demand while modernizing their infrastructure to make the most of renewable energy sources.

“The energy business used to be an engineering business, all about managing pipes and wires,” said Olivier Goethals, Enterprise Architect and Manager of the BI Competency Center for Eandis. “Now, it’s increasingly about managing data. With SAS Visual Analytics, our analyst could complete the same job within minutes [versus three to six months]. In a matter of seconds, he could visualize and manipulate the data, add columns and do calculations. It is truly amazing.”

Crafting a clearer picture for marketers

Marketing firm 89 Degrees uses SAS Visual Analytics to help clients nurture customer engagement and build loyalty. The company designs loyalty programs and creates business metrics that help its clients craft winning strategies. SAS technologies enable 89 Degrees’ customers to visually explore data and quickly create new reports on their own, without having to consult an analyst. This gives users more interactive and flexible ways to analyze data. Better data interpretation, in turn, translates into improved service and results.

“Where we had previously spent meetings with clients taking notes for follow-up analysis, we are now presenting what happened and discussing the implications,” said Rosie Poultney, Vice President of Analytics for 89 Degrees. “We can even make changes to the reports or charts during the meeting, so decisions can be made quickly and collectively. Our clients can make their own reports and focus on what the data is telling them, which ultimately leads to improved marketing campaigns that yield higher ROI.”

Since implementing analytics from SAS, 89 Degrees’ annual revenue growth has averaged 20 percent.

The burgeoning ranks of SAS Visual Analytics customers also include 1-800-Flowers.com, CrescentCare, DirectPay, Ohio Mutual Insurance Group, Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, The Wine House, the University of New Hampshire and Wayne State University.

SAS Visual Analytics provides a complete platform for data visualization and analytics. Interactive, self-service BI and reporting combine with built-in advanced analytics so everyone can discover insights from any size and type of data, including text.

Since its launch in 2012, SAS Visual Analytics has grown to more than 5,700 site licenses worldwide. The best way to understand the value of SAS Visual Analytics is to experience it firsthand. Visit the interactive SAS Visual Analytics demo to try the software or view this webcast to learn more.