SAS Visual Analytics Reviews

Vendor: SAS

4.1 out of 5

39 reviews
96% willing to recommend

7,601 followers

What is SAS Visual Analytics?

SAS Visual Analytics is a data visualization tool that is used for reporting, data exploration, and analytics. The solution enables users - even those without advanced analytical skills - to understand and examine patterns, trends, and relationships in data. SAS Visual Analytics makes it easy to create and share reports and dashboards that monitor business performance. By using the solution, users can handle, understand, and analyze their data in both past and present fields, as well as influence vital factors for future changes. SAS Visual Analytics is most suitable for larger companies with complex needs.

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SAS Visual Analytics is the #7 ranked solution in top Data Visualization solutions. PeerSpot users give SAS Visual Analytics an average rating of 8.2 out of 10. SAS Visual Analytics is most commonly compared to Tableau: SAS Visual Analytics vs Tableau. SAS Visual Analytics is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 71% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 20% of all views.

Helped 838,533 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Renato Vazamin

Associate Director at B3

We had that solution installed previously in another solution, Selvaya, but I don't think we used it at the time. We are now using SAS Detect Investigation as a complementary solution, in which we have part of the process, use a gene, SAS collects information and identifies some business situations, and the business guys use Visual Analytics to explore the results of the process. We previously used the FICO platform, but we switched because FICO's pricing was not scalable. Bringing more data or workloads to the platform required a significant investment in order to scale. We needed to change because we have a lot of data to process every day. FICO was also a little more complicated than SAS Visual Analytics.

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Robert Heck

Co Owner at Hecht und Heck GmbH

There are a few little things that are predefined and can be done out of the box immediately. There is no business intelligence application that is predefined, which is something some customers or prospects would love to have. Small and mid-sized companies would struggle with it because they prefer something standard that has been predefined by somebody else. For instance the system does not come with a pre-defined accounting, budgeting or planning model for a particular industry. Some competitors come with such a model (e.g. for retail companies) which makes the implementation of course easier if the customer can comproise with this predefined model. SAS does not provide such models but does not demand customers to comply with a foreign business model.

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Adbul Samad Gabru

Director of Mergers and Acquisitions at Look Alive Investment Pvt. Ltd.

There are certain shortcomings in the tool's support services, making it an area where improvements are required. I used the product for a very long time. I was very happy using it because I always achieved the objective and got the kind of analysis that was requested. I used it to budget for the entire country. The tool's big plus is that it runs on different platforms. In order for me to do the budgeting, I had to post this to every little branch in the country here, which I could do via local information on a PC. Once I get back the budget figures, I post them on the mainframe. The tool runs on all platforms, and it is one big advantage. The tool integrates very easily with Microsoft Excel. Google has got its own version of the software. The tool should offer integration features with Google.

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SAS Visual Analytics mindshare

As of February 2025, the mindshare of SAS Visual Analytics in the Data Visualization category stands at 4.7%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Visualization

PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	Data Visualization	Feb 20, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Feb 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	SAS Visual Analytics vs Tableau	Feb 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	SAS Visual Analytics vs Qlik Sense	Feb 20, 2025	Download
Comparison	SAS Visual Analytics vs Splunk Cloud Platform	Feb 20, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Tableau	4.2	27.2%	89%	295 interviews Add to research
Qlik Sense	4.3	7.3%	96%	118 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

SAS Visual Analytics excels with its intuitive interface, powerful data visualization, and comprehensive reporting tools. It integrates diverse data sources, supports predictive modeling, and automates reporting. Users cite its scalability, reliability, and ease of use for fast data processing and exploration. With robust security features and AI capabilities, it facilitates advanced statistical analysis and interactive dashboards, appealing to both technical and non-technical users for seamless data insights and intelligence gathering.

"The visualization capabilities and the email functionality are most beneficial."
"It is a very stable solution."
"The tool's most valuable features are its ease of use and advanced data visualization capabilities."

Room for Improvement

SAS Visual Analytics faces challenges with high cost and complex installation requiring professional assistance. It lacks integration with modern data stores and languages like Python. Users experience issues with stability, performance, compatibility, and support services. Visualization and sorting features need enhancement alongside the integration of machine learning. The interface and user-friendliness lag behind competitors like Power BI, and the tool would benefit from more streamlined data preparation, cheaper licensing, and better external user accessibility.

"Some capabilities are missing compared to Power BI, especially when working with spreadsheet types."
"There are certain shortcomings in the tool's support services, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The integration aspects of the solution could be improved."

ROI

Several users noted SAS Visual Analytics aids in customer retention and acquisition, though some felt the costs, including components like text mining and machine learning, outweigh the benefits. Companies have experienced improved analytics, efficiency, and quality. Operational costs present challenges, making it hard to quantify returns. While ROI calculation was not always conducted, some analysts mentioned the tool's costs could be managed effectively in smaller settings, allowing business owners insight into financial allocations.

Pricing

SAS Visual Analytics licensing and setup costs vary, often described as expensive but competitive when scaled. Consulting and additional services contribute to ongoing expenses. Some users report costs over $10,000 annually, with others mentioning prices up to $114,000. Cloud-based pricing in v10 is anticipated to reduce costs. Users should consider data volume, server requirements, and additional plugin costs. Despite its price, many find its advanced analytics capabilities justify the expense for large enterprises.

"I work with the tool's free version...The tool's corporate version is very expensive and requires a monthly hire."
"The product is quite expensive."
"The product is expensive."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use SAS Visual Analytics for dashboarding, reporting, and data visualization. They extract data, transform it for analysis, and load it for interactive reports, infographics, and statistics. They utilize it to analyze large datasets, detect anomalies, and create management dashboards for operations and sales. Users apply it in sectors like education, insurance, government, and healthcare. It is implemented on both on-premise and cloud platforms.

Service and Support

Customer service and support of SAS Visual Analytics receive varied feedback. Their customer service is often quick and helpful, though sometimes lacking in effectiveness. Technical support tends to perform well, being responsive and knowledgeable. Ratings range from high satisfaction to moderate disappointment, often based on location and outsourcing. Support is praised for ease of contact, yet occasionally it may focus more on technology than business needs. Generally, users find technical support to be reliable.

Deployment

The initial setup of SAS Visual Analytics is generally complex and often requires guidance. Many companies face challenges due to the intricate nature of installation, especially in different environments. Documentation and support are crucial, as some users find the process requires troubleshooting and external assistance. Experiences vary, with some users finding it straightforward, while others require multiple team members or third-party vendors. Factors like environment, licensing, and configuration needs affect the complexity level.

Scalability

SAS Visual Analytics is noted for its highly scalable capabilities, handling large user bases and data volumes effectively. While some mention hardware dependency and costs, many find it adaptable and easy to integrate. Organizations report no significant issues with scalability, with successful implementations involving diverse user groups. It receives high ratings for accommodating large datasets, making it a strong option for organizations that seek scalability without frequent challenges.

Stability

SAS Visual Analytics is mostly stable with occasional responsiveness issues. Many users find it reliable and free of bugs or crashes, scoring it high on stability. However, some encounter performance slowdowns, especially with large datasets and complex environments. Users report needing configuration adjustments and server restarts. Stability is rated between seven and ten out of ten by various users, with some noting potential issues from improper deployment or hardware inadequacies.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our SAS Visual Analytics Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

20%

Government

13%

Computer Software Company

10%

University

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Healthcare Company

Educational Organization

Retailer

Real Estate/Law Firm

Media Company

Non Profit

Construction Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Pharma/Biotech Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Comms Service Provider

Transportation Company

Hospitality Company

Performing Arts

Legal Firm

Consumer Goods Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Marketing Services Firm

Outsourcing Company

Logistics Company

Compare SAS Visual Analytics with alternative products

Learn more about SAS Visual Analytics

SAS Visual Analytics Features

SAS Visual Analytics has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Data
Interactive data discovery
Augmented analytics
Chat-enabled analytics
Sharing and collaboration
Visual analytics apps
Embedded insights
Location analytics
Security and administration
In-memory engine

SAS Visual Analytics Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing SAS Visual Analytics. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Machine learning and natural language: SAS Visual Analytics uses machine learning and natural language explanations to find, visualize, and narrate stories and insights that are easy to understand and explain. This enables you to find out why something happened, examine all options, and uncover opportunities hidden deep in your data.

Easy and efficient reporting: With SAS Visual Analytics, you can create interactive reports and dashboards so you can quickly summarize key performance metrics and share them via the web and mobile devices.

Easy to use: SAS Visual Analytics was designed to be easy to use. Its easy-to-use predictive analytics enables even business analysts to assess possible outcomes, which also helps organizations make smarter, data-driven decisions.

Self-service data: Self-service data preparation gives users the ability to import their own data, join tables, create calculated columns, apply data quality functions, and more. In turn, the solution empowers users to access, combine, clean, and prepare their own data in an agile way, which helps facilitate faster, broader adoption of analytics for your entire organization.

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the SAS Visual Analytics solution.

A Senior Manager at a consultancy says, “The solution is very stable. The scalability is good. The usability is quite good. It's quite easy to learn and to progress with SAS from an end-user perspective.

PeerSpot user Robert H., Co-owner at Hecht und Heck GmbH, comments, “What I really love about the software is that I have never struggled in implementing it for complex business requirements. It is good for highly sophisticated and specialized statistics in the areas that some people tend to call artificial intelligence. It is used for everything that involves visual presentation and analysis of highly sophisticated statistics for forecasting and other purposes.

Andrea D., Chief Technical Officer at Value Partners, explains, “The best feature is that SAS is not a single BI tool. Rather, it is part of an ecosystem of tools, such as tools that help a user to develop artificial intelligence, algorithms, and so on. SAS is an ecosystem. It's an ecosystem of products. We've found the product to be stable and reliable. The scalability is good.”

SAS Visual Analytics was previously known as SAS BI.

SAS Visual Analytics customers

Staples, Ausgrid, Scotiabank, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, Xcel Energy, and Triad Analytics Solutions.