Introduction to Embedded AI & Analytics with SAS Customer Intelligence 360

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The value proposition of analytical automation within software today makes bold promises. The energy of the aspirational messaging is intoxicating, and it is common to hear benefits like:

• Make better decisions
• Take action quickly
• Derive value faster

However, is all AI built the same? No. This directly correlates to the quality of an "easy-button" appearing in your software that claims to perform AI or machine learning. According to recent research in the applied discipline of customer analytics, SAS was noted for providing a deep bench of capabilities to deliver the next best experience. The study unraveled that SAS satisfies two very different analytical personas. First, SAS provides powerful embedded analytical capabilities for marketers and other business users in its Customer Intelligence 360 software. Second, data scientists and more technical users who wish to build custom models relish the analytical horsepower in the SAS Viya platform.

Powerful market trends have driven SAS to embed analytic capabilities into our contributions within martech technology, and accelerate the delivery of insight to users. As one of the most potent AI technologies in existence today, it made perfect sense for SAS to join and contribute to the automation trend in enabling more people to benefit from data-driven insight. Brands don't have the luxury of free time. In actuality, their employees don't have enough time, and for specific marketing use cases, automation brings tangible value.

Figure 1: Why SAS for embedded customer analytics?

Over the next few weeks, I will author a series of articles that will capture thought leadership, personal perspectives and technology demonstrations associated with these four categories. As we settle in, I want to share an update on SAS Customer Intelligence 360 and the release of exciting, new content:

• SAS Customer Intelligence 360 overview
• The Forrester Wave™: Customer Analytics Technologies, Q3 2020 research report
• The Forrester Wave™: Real-Time Interaction Management, Q4 2020 research report
• Consulting services
• Ecosystem partners
• Experience 2030 e-book

With that said, let's dive into an introduction of SAS for Embedded Customer Analytics, and how it intersects with customer experience management.

Figure 2: SAS for automation and embedded customer analytics

Simply stated, the term "embedded customer analytics" describes how SAS Customer Intelligence 360:

• Performs automated segment discovery
• Enables testing, experimentation & recommendation engines
• Support for algorithmic & rules-based attribution
• Journey analytics and optimization

SAS 360 Discover, SAS 360 Engage & the SAS Viya are the software modules that live and breath with embedded analytical capabilities, and I invite you to view a video that will address the following topics:

1. Introduction to SAS for embedded analytics
2. A/B testing for single factor optimization
3. Automated segmentation

Learn more about how the SAS Platform can be applied for embedded customer analytics here.