from DSSResources.comSAS® accelerates optimization, delivers power and accessibility; adds decision guidance to integrated BI offeringCARY, NC, March 12, 2007 -– Empowering decision makers to make the best use of limited resources, SAS, the leader in business intelligence, shipped enhanced SAS/OR® software. Customers use this SAS operations research software to optimally operate within constraints and more fully achieve strategic objectives. SAS does the "heavy lifting,” including all of the data preparation and descriptive and predictive analysis steps needed to build and solve large, complex optimization problems. IMS Health, a leading pharmaceutical consulting provider, needed to optimize its portfolio planning solutions to schedule promotions at levels of detail beyond what Excel-based spreadsheets or current niche industry models could handle. "We turned to SAS/OR due to its ability to store, manipulate and analyze vast quantities of data in a distributed computing environment," said Chris Nickum, Global Practice Leader at IMS Health. "IMS operates in a highly competitive environment, and the SAS BI platform has given us an edge with clients by providing us the capability to constantly and consistently execute sales force effectiveness strategies for our clients in real time. With its power, we can truly leverage the insights of the world’s ninth-largest repository of healthcare information to add value to their business." The benefits of new enhancements to SAS/OR include: • Faster solvers that generate quicker answers. • Powerful new modeling syntax that enables greater expressiveness. • Improved method of inputting data that increases flexibility and reusability. With SAS/OR, modelers transform real-world scenarios into mathematical expressions. When tweaking models to produce the most accurate representation, they can compare one type of model with another – leveraging essential modeling, optimization and scheduling capabilities – from within the integrated, adaptable SAS Enterprise Intelligence Platform. Thus, they avoid the hassles of dealing with multiple niche software packages. Optimization is never performed in isolation; it is part of a continuum that begins with data integration, grows by informing decision makers with reports of descriptive and predictive analytics, and crunches through a myriad of alternatives before recommending the optimal choice. This information-fueled decision guidance promotes continual positive change by achieving successes never before possible. About SAS SAS is the leader in business intelligence and analytical software and services. Customers at 42,000 sites use SAS software to improve performance through insight from data, resulting in faster, more accurate business decisions; more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; compliance with governmental regulations; research breakthroughs; and better products and processes. Only SAS offers leading data integration, storage, analytics and business intelligence applications within a comprehensive enterprise intelligence platform. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know® . Americas: Faye Merrideth (919) 531-4261 |