Data Mining For Dummies

Chapter 7

Gearing Up with the Right Software

In This Chapter

Waiting for the right moment

Determining software requirements

Avoiding risks

Dealing with vendors

People getting into data mining often have many questions about software. At data-mining conferences and presentations, most every speaker is asked, “What tools do you use?” And you hear lots of talk about pricing and negotiating with vendors. Media coverage of data mining and other types of analytics also puts heavy emphasis on software.

With so much attention focused on software, it can seem that your data-mining career begins with getting your hands on the right tools, but that’s the wrong place to start. You’ll get better results and a more positive experience by putting your business goals first, and letting business needs direct your software selection process.

That’s where this chapter comes in. In this chapter, you find out how to put your own business goals first, and use them to guide you as you gear up for data mining. The focus here is process: assessing needs, prioritizing, comparing products, and working with ...