SAS Business Intelligence Reviews

PROS: I think that SAS BI is the jack of all trades, and I used to think this even when the product was simply SAS's compute engine. I see serious improvement now, especially since I started using their amazing storage capacity, the portal, and the information road map. For me, SAS BI means that I can create websites on any topic, at any time; and I want prospective users to understand that this is a tool that will make them more powerful!

CONS: Even if SAS BI provides for managing data and content, the overall process is not synchronized. I miss an organized workflow as the one a system administrator is supposed to have, and I wish less administrative tasks were performed by me (sometimes, I don't even feel like I'm benefiting from the system). Together with the lack of consistency, I mind not having a bird-eye on employees and information, and I don't see too much effort on promoting governance (maybe just Metadata and OS Security). Being familiar with SAS for years, I understand why all of this is happening: SASs are made for individuals, not teams, and the developers obvioulsy saw no reason to change this in BI.

What are the best aspects of this product?

I think that SAS BI is the jack of all trades, and I used to think this even when the product was simply SAS's compute engine. I see serious improvement now, especially since I started using their amazing storage capacity, the portal, and the information road map. For me, SAS BI means that I can create websites on any topic, at any time; and I want prospective users to understand that this is a tool that will make them more powerful!

What aspects are problematic or could work better?

Even if SAS BI provides for managing data and content, the overall process is not synchronized. I miss an organized workflow as the one a system administrator is supposed to have, and I wish less administrative tasks were performed by me (sometimes, I don't even feel like I'm benefiting from the system). Together with the lack of consistency, I mind not having a bird-eye on employees and information, and I don't see too much effort on promoting governance (maybe just Metadata and OS Security). Being familiar with SAS for years, I understand why all of this is happening: SASs are made for individuals, not teams, and the developers obvioulsy saw no reason to change this in BI.

What specific problems in your company were solved by this product?

My current position doesn't require me to use the system that much, but I'm still holding around with auditing UNIX processes and modest reporting. It’s not like I'm turning a blind eye on other users's activity, I simply do it only when necessary.

Are you a current user of this product?

Yes

PROS: SAS Business Intelligence is very powerful, having in mind all those beautiful and advanced tools you get to use against a modest price. The thing that makes it shine, however, is the speed of performing complex analytics and drafting statistical reports, and of course the flexibility that allows you to customize it to work for the specific needs of your business.

CONS: Building queries is awesome, but I can't say the same about sharing. I dislike sharing as an option, and I think there should be less people involved in working with sensitive information.