Getting Started with SQL Server Data Mining for Retail/Finance

By Rick Durham

There are two informative, technical webcasts found at this link that cover how SSAS Data Mining is used to solve general retail/marketing problems…

• “Overview of SQL Server Data Mining”
• “Applying SQL Server 2005 Data Mining to Enterprise Business Problem”

Here is the URL: http://www.sqlserverdatamining.com/ssdm/Home/Webcasts/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Types of finance/marketing problems that data mining can be used for include:

• Database marketing applications include offer response, up-sell, cross-sell, and attrition models
• Financial risk management models attempt to predict monetary events such as credit default, loan prepayment, and insurance claims
• Fraud detection methods attempt to detect or impede illegal activity involving financial transactions
• Process monitoring applications detect deviations from the norm in manufacturing, financial, and security processes
• Pattern detection models are used in applications that range from handwriting analysis to medical diagnostics
• (please note this is by no means an exhaustive list)

Another good site in terms of general tutorial is this following:

http://www.thearling.com/dmintro/dmintro_frame.htm

Hope this helps get you started!