Better Data, Better Decisions


Book Description

Data flows into medical practices daily from practice management systems, electronic medical record (EMR) systems, accounting systems and many other sources. Too many practices extract only the bare minimum of data to file claims and meet reporting obligations, without recognizing the value in the flood of data that passes through the practice.




Loss Models


Book Description

An update of one of the most trusted books on constructing and analyzing actuarial models Written by three renowned authorities in the actuarial field, Loss Models, Third Edition upholds the reputation for excellence that has made this book required reading for the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) qualification examinations. This update serves as a complete presentation of statistical methods for measuring risk and building models to measure loss in real-world events. This book maintains an approach to modeling and forecasting that utilizes tools related to risk theory, loss distributions, and survival models. Random variables, basic distributional quantities, the recursive method, and techniques for classifying and creating distributions are also discussed. Both parametric and non-parametric estimation methods are thoroughly covered along with advice for choosing an appropriate model. Features of the Third Edition include: Extended discussion of risk management and risk measures, including Tail-Value-at-Risk (TVaR) New sections on extreme value distributions and their estimation Inclusion of homogeneous, nonhomogeneous, and mixed Poisson processes Expanded coverage of copula models and their estimation Additional treatment of methods for constructing confidence regions when there is more than one parameter The book continues to distinguish itself by providing over 400 exercises that have appeared on previous SOA and CAS examinations. Intriguing examples from the fields of insurance and business are discussed throughout, and all data sets are available on the book's FTP site, along with programs that assist with conducting loss model analysis. Loss Models, Third Edition is an essential resource for students and aspiring actuaries who are preparing to take the SOA and CAS preliminary examinations. It is also a must-have reference for professional actuaries, graduate students in the actuarial field, and anyone who works with loss and risk models in their everyday work. To explore our additional offerings in actuarial exam preparation visit www.wiley.com/go/actuarialexamprep.




Data, Models, and Decisions


Book Description

Combines topics from two traditionally distinct quantitative subjects, probability/statistics and management science/optimization, in a unified treatment of quantitative methods and models for management. Stresses those fundamental concepts that are most important for the practical analysis of management decisions: modeling and evaluating uncertainty explicitly, understanding the dynamic nature of decision-making, using historical data and limited information effectively, simulating complex systems, and allocating scarce resources optimally.




Data Driven Business Decisions


Book Description

A hands-on guide to the use of quantitative methods and software for making successful business decisions The appropriate use of quantitative methods lies at the core of successful decisions made by managers, researchers, and students in the field of business. Providing a framework for the development of sound judgment and the ability to utilize quantitative and qualitative approaches, Data Driven Business Decisions introduces readers to the important role that data plays in understanding business outcomes, addressing four general areas that managers need to know about: data handling and Microsoft Excel®, uncertainty, the relationship between inputs and outputs, and complex decisions with trade-offs and uncertainty. Grounded in the author's own classroom approach to business statistics, the book reveals how to use data to understand the drivers of business outcomes, which in turn allows for data-driven business decisions. A basic, non-mathematical foundation in statistics is provided, outlining for readers the tools needed to link data with business decisions; account for uncertainty in the actions of others and in patterns revealed by data; handle data in Excel®; translate their analysis into simple business terms; and present results in simple tables and charts. The author discusses key data analytic frameworks, such as decision trees and multiple regression, and also explores additional topics, including: Use of the Excel® functions Solver and Goal Seek Partial correlation and auto-correlation Interactions and proportional variation in regression models Seasonal adjustment and what it reveals Basic portfolio theory as an introduction to correlations Chapters are introduced with case studies that integrate simple ideas into the larger business context, and are followed by further details, raw data, and motivating insights. Algebraic notation is used only when necessary, and throughout the book, the author utilizes real-world examples from diverse areas such as market surveys, finance, economics, and business ethics. Excel® add-ins StatproGo and TreePlan are showcased to demonstrate execution of the techniques, and a related website features extensive programming instructions as well as insights, data sets, and solutions to problems included in the material. Data Driven Business Decisions is an excellent book for MBA quantitative analysis courses or undergraduate general statistics courses. It also serves as a valuable reference for practicing MBAs and practitioners in the fields of statistics, business, and finance.




Marketing Analytics


Book Description

The authors of the pioneering Cutting-Edge Marketing Analytics return to the vital conversation of leveraging big data with Marketing Analytics: Essential Tools for Data-Driven Decisions, which updates and expands on the earlier book as we enter the 2020s. As they illustrate, big data analytics is the engine that drives marketing, providing a forward-looking, predictive perspective for marketing decision-making. The book presents actual cases and data, giving readers invaluable real-world instruction. The cases show how to identify relevant data, choose the best analytics technique, and investigate the link between marketing plans and customer behavior. These actual scenarios shed light on the most pressing marketing questions, such as setting the optimal price for one’s product or designing effective digital marketing campaigns. Big data is currently the most powerful resource to the marketing professional, and this book illustrates how to fully harness that power to effectively maximize marketing efforts.




Data for Decisions


Book Description

TRB Special Report 234 - Data for Decisions: Requirements for National Transportation Policy Making examines data requirements necessary to support strategic transportation policy making and the institutional changes necessary to make those data available on a permanent basis. The report calls for the establishment of a statistical agency within USDOT (this recommendation became helped create the Bureau of Transportation Statistics), the development of performance indicators, and regular reporting to the Secretary and Congress on important trends in system performance.




The Big Picture: How to Use Data Visualization to Make Better Decisions—Faster


Book Description

Not a data expert? Here’s an engaging and entertaining guide to interpreting and drawing insights from any chart, graph, or other data visualization you’ll encounter. You’re a business professional, not a data scientist. How do you make heads or tails of the data visualizations that come across your desk—let alone make critical business decisions based on the information they’re designed to convey? In The Big Picture, top data visualization consultant Steve Wexler provides the tools for developing the graphical literacy you need to understand the data visualizations that are flooding your inbox—and put that data to use. Packed with the best four-color examples created in Excel, Tableau, Power BI, and Qlik, among others, this one-stop resource empowers you to extract the most important information from data visualizations quickly and accurately, act on key insights, solve problems, and make the right decisions for your organization every time.




How to Make Decisions with Different Kinds of Student Assessment Data


Book Description

In How to Make Decisions with Different Kinds of Student Assessment Data, best-selling author Susan M. Brookhart helps teachers and administrators understand the critical elements and nuances of assessment data and how that information can best be used to inform improvement efforts in the school or district. Readers will learn— * What different kinds of data can—and cannot—tell us about student learning; * What different analyses reveal about changes in student achievement; * How to interpret, use, and share relevant data; and * How to create a model to go from problem to solution in a data-based decision-making process. With easy-to-understand explanations, supplemented by examples and scenarios from actual schools, this book offers a path to better understanding, more accurate interpretation of assessment results, and—most important—more effective use of data to improve teaching and learning.




Data Science for Business and Decision Making


Book Description

Data Science for Business and Decision Making covers both statistics and operations research while most competing textbooks focus on one or the other. As a result, the book more clearly defines the principles of business analytics for those who want to apply quantitative methods in their work. Its emphasis reflects the importance of regression, optimization and simulation for practitioners of business analytics. Each chapter uses a didactic format that is followed by exercises and answers. Freely-accessible datasets enable students and professionals to work with Excel, Stata Statistical Software®, and IBM SPSS Statistics Software®. Combines statistics and operations research modeling to teach the principles of business analytics Written for students who want to apply statistics, optimization and multivariate modeling to gain competitive advantages in business Shows how powerful software packages, such as SPSS and Stata, can create graphical and numerical outputs




Business Intelligence


Book Description

This book is about using business intelligence as a management information system for supporting managerial decision making. It concentrates primarily on practical business issues and demonstrates how to apply data warehousing and data analytics to support business decision making. This book progresses through a logical sequence, starting with data model infrastructure, then data preparation, followed by data analysis, integration, knowledge discovery, and finally the actual use of discovered knowledge. All examples are based on the most recent achievements in business intelligence. Finally this book outlines an overview of a methodology that takes into account the complexity of developing applications in an integrated business intelligence environment. This book is written for managers, business consultants, and undergraduate and postgraduates students in business administration.