SAS Data Management Reviews

I primarily use the solution to compare the Computer Associate of Outcome with the data management program.

The monitoring capabilities are very good.

The product offers very good flexibility.

The stability could be a bit better. It's lacking in this area right now.

The solution could use better documentation.

It would be nice if the solution offered better training and certification for the product itself to ensure people know the ins and outs of every aspect.

I've only been using the solution for a few weeks. It hasn't been that long yet.

The stability of the product is okay. However, occasionally we do face some instability issues. It's not 100% perfect in that regard.

I haven't directly dealt with technical support, however, it's my understanding that the solution should offer faster, more responsive support.

I'm not sure which company we used before we used this solution. It's my understanding, however, that they did not properly meet the client's demands and therefore we needed to find a new solution, which was this current product.

The installation was pretty straightforward. It wasn't that difficult. I wouldn't describe the process as complex.

My colleague and I can both handle deployment by ourselves. You might need as many as four people to handle deployment. We also handle maintenance and take care of some of our customers.

Typically our team handled the installation in-house. We don't need the assistance of outside consultants or integrators. We can perform the task ourselves.

I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using currently.

We have about 100 users on the solution currently.

We do plan to continue to use the product.

I would recommend the solution to other organizations. In general, I would rate the solution at a six out of ten. There are still some elements that need to be improved in future releases.

On-premises

As in any housing finance company, we have multiple source systems. 

One is on-premises and is used for loan management, and recently we implemented Microsoft Dynamics which is a cloud-based CRM.

We also have a system in place for our call center to manage their calls. It's called a CPS system. 

We require data from multiple sources to be in one central location. 

Previously we did not have any data warehousing, but now we are using SAS Data Integration Studio to get the data from multiple sources into a single location.

This is the major use case of SAS Data Integration.

The SAS Data Management software has enabled us to have a single source of truth for any data that was earlier being fetched from multiple source systems at multiple times

It's quite easy to use, even for a business user.

A person who does not have any background in coding, could with minimal training use this software to get any additional data elements or additional tables that they require but are not currently getting.

Also, it can connect to a variety of sources through an ODBC driver, so whether the solution is on-premises or on the cloud it can connect to all of the sources.

The installation and maintenance need to improve a lot. It's complicated.

The stability needs improvement in the tuning of the parameters, and the scalability could also be improved. Other solutions are better because they can load faster.

In the next release, I would like to have additional features that allow you to connect with other databases. For example, we are using Salesforce. If I wanted to connect to the Salesforce database, which is in the cloud, I would have to have an ODBC driver and have it configured first, even though there is direct connectivity available. You would have to purchase a third-party driver.

SAS Data Management cannot connect directly to SLBC. 

When using Tableau you enter your credentials and if you have access, there is a feature that allows you to connect directly from Tableau to Salesforce Database.

With SAS Data Management, you have to purchase an external drive, and then configure all of the tables for all of the data that you will extract from Salesforce. It's not a straightforward process.

Connectivity should be simplified, especially since it is a data management software, and it is expected that there will be multiple source systems.

This solution was implemented in June, so we have been using it for six months now.

We are using the latest version of SAS Data Management.

We are still facing issues related to the stabilization because it requires some tuning, and depending on the usage you need to increase certain parameters. 

For example, RAM uses a certain process, and that customization is available, but the tuning is not done out of the box, so depending on the usage, you have to manually tune it. To manually tune it you need the help of the technical support team.

This solution is easy to scale.

I haven't used any other Data Management Software yet, but in my opinion, I am quite sure that if the configuration of the hardware remains the same, then other software solutions might be able to perform better.

At times with SAS, simple processes can take a lot of time. If you look at other solutions such as Oracle, or SSIS which is in Microsoft, they are database solutions that can handle this kind of data and can load it faster.

For Data Management, we use only three to four people who are responsible for the ETL process, but overall there are always 20 to 25 concurrent users, who are mainly IT administrators or IT managers, and Business Analysts who are creating new dashboards or who are doing some ad-hoc analysis. 

We contacted the technical support for the stabilization and for tuning the parameters.

The technical support is excellent. 

They always respond within an hour or two. 

If the issues are not resolved through email, then they arrange a Skype call or a call through WebEx, and if they are still not able to resolve your issue, they escalate it to a level two or level three-team that are available to help you 24/7.

Use used an in-house report solution which fetched reports in CSV. This was not optimal and took a lot of time to compile and analyse.

The initial setup is straightforward but the installation and maintenance are quite complicated.

It took approximately one month for us to implement the entire solution and stabilize it.

We implemented through a vendor. Their expertise was quite high as they had done multiple implementations before.

Single server setup is the easy to install and maintain but if you have a spare server for multi-server environment then it would be better

We evaluated SSIS, Oracle, and Informatica. The reason that we went with SAS is that we have been using SAS since 2013 with an older version. We had a lot of data that was already in SAS, and we already had a team of SAS developers. 

Had we gone with a new software solution all together then we would have had to invest a lot in terms of human capital to get another team.

If you are looking into implementing SAS you should have a team in place. Someone who has worked hands-on with SAS implementation, and someone who has SAS administration experience, otherwise it is difficult for a layman to resolve any issues that can come up during the implementation and stabilization.

This is true even with help from the technical support team because you need to understand and know how to read the log to be able to catch the errors.

Since there are multiple processes in Data Management itself, you will need to know which process is responsible for what part. So unless you have hands-on experience or have a team that has hands-on experience with SAS or any version os SAS I wouldn't recommend that they implement this solution.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

On-premises

We have customers that are typically in the finance sector and include banking and insurance companies. They require us to align or integrate their existing data warehouse into all the processes that feed into the data warehouse. We clean the data and create reports for the clients. Typically, they are visual in nature and may include Excel or PowerPoint. The solution allows for a great variety of output in the reports we provide to our clients. 

The language is the most valuable feature within the solution. It's very flexible and very powerful. 

If you compare it to SQL, the memory and development times are very quick.

Trying to develop the code is very easy.

SAS Institute build its solutions starting from the basic modules of the platform. So each solution consists of these basic modules plus some dedicated parts that are usually quite small. To adapt to the market which is rapidly evolving, SAS often changes these packages or solutions. These changes can involve both the functionality and the interfaces and the names of the applications. This sometimes creates confusion among users, both end users and consultants.

I've been using this SAS solution for more than 20 years.

Excellent stability for the language and many basic component (libraries). For the newer components they need time (as usual for all software vendor).

SAS is strong scalable, I have used on very little server that during the time have grown to huge. I can say that with SAS this is not a problem.

SAS offers different levels of support. All are quite good quality. If you have a problem, they're right there to assist. We find them very useful and have been satisfied with the level of service we've received.

I've worked with Oracle in the past as well as Python and other solutions. I find SAS the most productive and reliable.

Whether the setup is straightforward or complex often depends on the model used. Some models are very easy to implement. Others are much more complex. We have team members who specialize in installation for our clients and we choose the model that will best fit with their needs.

In terms of deployment, once again, the length of time and complexity depends on the project. Some customers need an installation done on 100 servers. However, typically, within two to five days we'll have the platform up and fully functioning. It only really takes one person to handle the deployment.

We handle the implementation for our clients.

The solution is quite expensive. It's not cheap but it's very powerful. Therefore, most businesses can't afford to use this particular product. But, good news, SAS in putting on the market solutions at a more affordable price.

We're a gold partner with SAS and we typically use the latest versions of the solutions we have with them.

Most of our clients are enterprise-level organizations. Smaller companies may find using SAS difficult because the pricing is quite high.

The best advice I can give to other organizations contemplating installation is to find someone who knows the solution very well. SAS as a platform is very, very powerful but it is very complex as well. It's complicated to use properly. It's also difficult to learn the systems. If a company finds someone who understands the solution well, however, they can get a lot out of its offerings. 

No project is simple. All projects have some level of complexity in their data, so having data integration or management isn't enough. It's necessary to use code. Visual instruments are not enough. That's why SAS is great.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten. I've worked with many other solutions in the past, but I find that, for the warehouse and BI environment, SAS is very quick, very intuitive, very, very powerful, and very valuable. I've used a huge amount of data on servers that were not good enough. Also, when you're looking at other technologies, like Python, they can be much more difficult and take more time to develop. This product, however, can work miracles. 

The interface of the solution is great. You don't need to be an experienced analytics person to work with the product. Even new users can do all sorts of modeling on the data. 

The data-cleaning aspect of it is awesome. 

You can put together different data sets from different environments and different platforms. SAS Data Management takes a lot of data sets, and you can do any sort of analysis on them. It's very, very comprehensive.

The pricing of the solution needs to be improved. They need to work to make it more affordable.

I've been using the solution for two years.

The solution is very stable. We haven't faced any issues with glitches or bugs. We haven't had any crashes.

There are very few limitations to the scalability of the product. Organizations with hundreds of thousands of customers or millions of customers use this solution. It scales very well. The support is good.

We're very satisfied with technical support. SAS works very closely with its partners. When any issues come up, they're very quick to respond. You really can't run the products without their support, in any case. You have to rely on their expertise.

The initial setup is straightforward. It's very easy to implement everything.

Usually, SAS will directly give an organization all the deployment plans. You come up with the scope of the work together with them, you work together with them, and you typically have a project manager that oversees everything. It's just a very smooth deployment.

We implemented the solution with the assistance of SAS.

The solution is very expensive.

We're a SAS partner.

We don't use the solution ourselves but we implement it for customers.

We only work with enterprise-level organizations as they would be the only types of companies that could afford the solution.

I would highly recommend the solution to other organizations. It's a very solid platform. It's hard to knock it down.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

On-premises

I have always worked in data analysis, data warehousing and information services in the corporate environment and, more specifically, mostly in the insurance industry. I used to be a SAS programmer because I'm always interested in it. Even though I'm not using the product officially in the corporate environment. I use it personally.

I use the free cloud version. I use it when I work for the agriculture industry and I do their analysis for them. I like to use it for many data analysis tasks and working with business information.

At this point in my career it really just improves what I am able to do for my personal clients. That is because I am very familiar with the product and it does what I need it to do. I have the benefit of experience with the tool and it improves my services. 

I just use the main features of SAS (Statistical Analysis System). I use it to work with data from Excel and then go from SAS to Excel. It is very light usage really. I don't use the broader capabilities. There is probably 90% I haven't used at all.

Data analysis and analytics tools can always be improved. That could be to simplify or enhance the product. Technology is progressing very much in the area of analytics. I suppose the sky is the limit when it comes to improvement. There are all kinds of better ways of reading data, better methods of presenting data, better analytics — all of those things — new advancements come out every day.

Additional features that I'd like to see in the next release would be making a better, more graphical interface. More graphical ways of representing data as well. Today the graphic element of programs is a big thing. Why should I have to use something that is not pleasing and simple when I've got the opportunity to use something out there that offers me better graphical options and different options of graphic display?

I also have ideas for the programming side. I'd like to be able to more with the MDDBs (Multi-relational Databases) in the cloud, utilizing all the cloud features. You want to be able to have the information that you are analyzing available. If all the information you need is available in the cloud, people in different locations can look at it and you can help them to look at it in an analytical manner. So maybe instead of just showing them results at a high level that they may not be so interested in, they can click on a button or a tab or something else and navigate better to the data that interests them. The information opens up in a more customized way to their interests and concerns and then they read the analysis in the way that they want to see.

To some extent, you've already got all of that. But those are the features that can be mainly improved to give them greater power over how they drill into it. Then the same information is available all over, people are examining the same information and are on the same page even if they choose to view it in different ways.

I have been using the solution since before the first official stable release six years ago.

I think the product is very stable. I think it's a marvelous product. It is very widely used by many people and I never hear people complain. There are so many other options for data analysis coming up. Whether it's Oracle, or Microsoft, or Sigma Data Analysis — another German company — all these other companies have introduced their data analysis products. These are all competing with SAS at the moment. Maybe some will get better. But I like SAS because I know it. And when they see what other competing products do better, they can add features.

It is a very vast program and you only use what you need. As much as you can use it, it is as scalable as you want to make it. There are good options for making use of it from individuals to an enterprise solution. If that's the meaning of scalability, then it can grow with you. Also, I know they bring out new releases of the software which is scaling in even another way. 

I'm satisfied with the support I get from the company when I need it. Online support is very good. I don't have a department of people to turn to if I get stuck. So I go on to the internet or I go online and I ask a question. I get back answers from the SAS support without any trouble. I'm very happy with it.

I used to use Excel only but as I was working in corporations where they had better tools for analysis that were quicker and better, it made a lot of sense to learn them. I still use Excel a lot because it can do some things very well. These days I have more powerful options.

Most of the time, I do my own setups. A while ago we used it on the mainframe. I was employed in the corporate world for a long time. We have used it on PCs in the mid-range. Right now, for me, I use it either on a virtual machine or in the cloud. I have to go by my own instincts by outlining what is necessary. Sometimes technology just tells you what to do. I'm 72 already, so I'm on my way to not using it much anymore, but I still follow the changes.

The deployment takes different time depending on how it is deployed, but I am such an experienced person with it, I don't think it is ever hard. It lets me do the things I have practiced all these years and I can do analysis for people from where I am right here, via the internet.

I am an expert in this SAS Data Management tool. Many people and companies use it in South Africa. But I have been an expert in the SAS program for a long time and maybe am one to the most experienced with it. I do not really do installations anymore, but always did my own. Right now I am more prepared to do analysis for companies over the internet.

I find that their corporate price for licensing is very expensive. I don't pay because I'm using it free of charge on the cloud for personal use. But I know, if I want to buy, or if I want to have a version here, on-premises and installed on my desktop, then it is expensive.

I don't know the exact price, however as I haven't made any inquiries about that yet. When my needs change maybe I will have to.

Other people were in charge of choosing the products and options. I was not involved in that process, so I don't have much to compare it against. I'm only using this one product all the time for the analytics and supplement the use with Excel. I'm now at a stage where I got back to learning more about the other capabilities because of how they have improved. I'm not getting extra formal training or anything like that. But the other thing is that SAS has got everything and so much more than when I started to use it. Like, MDDBs and all of the additional capabilities. All of a sudden you have many new capabilities to learn and use. Now I am not a programmer and have much more power without expending that energy.

I think this is a great product. On a scale from one to ten when one is the worst and ten is the best, for me, it would have to be a ten. I have some ideas as to how it can be better, but it is a very good product.

Data quality and the great integration possibilities.

It's streamlined our vendor master-data approach. It has become more reliable and more efficient.

Native SAP integration or more efficient SAP is needed.

I've used it for three years.

System requirements could be clearer.

No, it is a very stable product.

No, however we spend time analyzing our system upfront.

Customer Service:

8/10.

Technical Support:

7/10.

We did, but nothing specifically for MDM.

It's straightforward and you can be up and running in a few days.

We used a mixed team.

It's less than two years.

Their software pricing offers the best value for money on the market.

Yes, we also looked at SAP MDM and Informatica.

Data integration is the difficult part of the implementation. The basic setup is quick and is very easy.

The main purpose for buying this product was to give our business users that have technical skills a tool where they can easily build jobs/queries against our DWH. The interface for building these jobs is very user friendly and the learning curve for using it is very good.

By having our business users using this product, they became more independent and the amount of requests that they issue for the technical team is considerably lower.

For the amount of features that we use, the licensing is expensive.

Although the interface is very user friendly, there are a few options that are hidden inside the jobs properties and the users have difficulty understanding and finding them. The user guide doesn’t provide all the information needed.

Another point is regarding the database connections. These connections must be independently set in each client and server. This type of definition should be centralized.

DataFlux dfPower Studio 8.2

DataFlux Data Integration Server 8.2

Deployment was very smooth. The only issue encountered was regarding the email configuration. The installation guide didn’t have much information and our firewall was blocking the mails.

No. After deploying the product and after an initial period of testing to find the correct configuration properties, everything runs smoothly.

• In the server, from time to time, depending of the type of job the users submit to the server, we have to increase the amount of memory in the server. However, we have a limited number of users that can deploy jobs to the server.
• The desktop client, when running a job, consumes resources of the client machine and of the database being accessed. This being said, the scalability depends of the user machine and database where the information is stored.
• Like many others tools that provide the same functionality, in order to perform the required analysis, the data must be transferred to the product and this step consumes time (network) and resources (memory and cpu). When the amount of data is very large (millions) the amount of time and resources is considerable high so the way to go is to analyze data samples and extrapolate from there.

Customer Service: After becoming a SAS Company the customer service has improved.Technical Support: From our experience, the technical support has room for improvement. There aren’t many experts using this tool and the knowledge base that we find online and in the SAS forums is very small.

Previously our business users would have to write complex SQL or issue requests to the technical team in order to get the information needed. They find it much easier using the Dataflux product to access the information stored in the database for the type of analyses they have to do on day to day basis.

The installation is very straightforward. Installing is not complex but the initial setup could take some time. There aren’t any guidelines or wizards that we can follow in order to find the best configuration based on infrastructure.

It was in-house. The vendor team was a proxy for getting support from DataFlux company.

SAS Integration and explore the standardization capabilities.

If they are looking for a profiling and data quality tool you should consider Dataflux. However you should do a trial first to understand which features are useful and if those compensate the costly licensing.

National Quality Knoledge Base
Matching features
QPI (Quality Performance Indicator) analysis approach

High performances in matching tool

ETL functions

Since 2012

Proprietary programming language

Not at all

No, high integration level with SAS

Customer Service:

High

Technical Support:

High

Informatica Powercenter
Lack of data quality governance features

Complex, as usual with SAS

The vendor team was from SAS, high level of expertise

High
Consider that, for Data Governance, the meaning of ROI may be Risk Of Inactions

IBM QualityStage

Data Governance needs specific tools, don't try to survive with user written codes