Training Opportunities

Post-Conference Training

Get the most value from your visit to Athens by attending special SPSS training classes after the conference. Training classes are taught by certified SPSS instructors.

Post-Conference Training: € 450

Thursday, 15 May
09:00 to 16:00

SPSS Directions 2008 post-conference training sessions

• Optimising marketing campaigns with customer segmentation
• Fraud detection using Predictive Analytical techniques
• How to retain customers and increase profitability

SPSS Directions 2008 offers delegates two days in which to sample a wide range of options for improving business performance using SPSS’ tools and solutions. But there’s more. Directions 2008 post-conference training provides hands-on opportunities to get to grips with SPSS products and find out in practice how they can be applied to resolve important business issues.

Combining our business knowledge with yours, SPSS’ experts will lead you through the steps you can take to make a significant improvement to your business processes.

Directions 2008 post-conference training now comes with an irresistible offer


Post-conference training at Directions 2008 now offers even more value for money.

Delegates who purchase and attend post-conference training will get 10 percent discount on SPSS training courses for six months from 16 May 2008 for their organisation*.

A visit to SPSS Directions already provides an unrivalled opportunity to learn about and keep up with the latest developments in predictive analytics. With this offer, it makes even more sense to maximise the value of the trip to Athens by attending SPSS Directions 2008 post-conference training – and earn a worthwhile discount for your organisation’s training budget!

* This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other offer and applies to SPSS public and OnDemand training only. Only available in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. Other terms and conditions apply.

 

Optimising marketing campaigns with customer segmentation
Trainer: Michael Vallely

This practical course highlights the techniques most often used to segment and profile populations using SPSS® Base. It emphasises the procedures for setting up and running analyses in SPSS and, as importantly, how to interpret the results. Specifically, it will look at:

• The most widely applied and effective market segmentation methods
• How to use cluster analysis to profile customers
• How to replace a large number of variables with an optimum number of ‘factors’ that can be used in their stead
• A number of other statistical techniques such as logistic regression, discriminant analysis and classification trees.

This course will interest SPSS users in any business areas who want to learn more about using SPSS segmentation and classification methods.

Prerequisite: experience with SPSS Base and/or a basic understanding of statistics would be helpful.

 

Fraud detection using Predictive Analytical techniques
Trainer: Rob Woods

Criminals will go to extraordinary lengths to make easy money and, increasingly, one of the most popular criminal operations is fraud. For many businesses today, it is vital to keep one step ahead of the fraudsters, and this SPSS training course has been planned to deliver both high level information and detailed content on how SPSS Predictive Analytics can help businesses detect and prevent fraud.

Thanks to Predictive Analytics, a leading insurance company has been able to filter insurance claims, flagging those without any obvious problems for quick resolution but highlighting those with suspicious characteristics. Meanwhile, several large banks are adopting Predictive Analytic methods to detect fraud in online card transactions -  the primary channel for card fraud in countries that have introduced chip and PIN.

This course is designed for anyone whose business would profit from tighter controls on fraud and the risk of fraud.

Prerequisite: in addition a strong desire to improve your business, experience with Clementine® , data modelling or data mining would be helpful.

 

How to retain customers and increase profitability
Trainer: Ronald A. Schwarz
Today’s consumer markets are all about choice. Banks, insurance companies, supermarkets, mobile phone providers and, in some markets, energy suppliers all compete for shoppers who can change allegiance on a whim. Indeed, quite a few of them make a practice of it – for example, those who regularly seek new 0% interest credit card deals.

However, some will choose to sample pastures new less often than others. These are the customers who will deliver long-term profits– but how can they be identified and cherished?

This training session will gives some comprehensive answers to that question, providing both high level information and detailed subject matter about how SPSS Predictive Analytics can help businesses retain their most valuable customers.

SPSS solutions for reducing churn are widely used in industries such as telecommunications, banking, retail and insurance. This session will interest anyone in these and other sectors where competition is fierce and customers’ choices are broad.

Prerequisite: in addition a strong desire to improve your business, experience with Clementine® , data modelling or data mining would be helpful.

 

Trainers:

Michael Vallely

Michael Vallely is as an education consultant at SPSS, delivering training on a wide range of analytical, statistical and data management and preparation topics. His focus is mainly on SPSS Base but his expertise extends to crossover training on Clementine, AMOS and SPSS Text Analysis for Surveys.

Michael is also a consultant on aspects of training including customisation, content and road‑mapping. His background is in data analysis and teaching and his role at SPSS incorporates both – a combination that has helped him develop superior teaching skills as well as an in-depth understanding of data gathering, cleansing and analysis.

Rob Woods

Rob has over 15 years’ experience in analytical implementations. A key area is fraud intelligence, where he has successfully provided specialist solutions to many different sectors. Among the highlights of the significant projects he has undertaken are:

• Successfully worked in a strategic partnership with a major consultancy to deliver an enhanced Fraud Intelligence solution to one of the largest telcos in Italy
• For a major ATM network provider, he developed models to detect anomalies and fraudulent patterns in transaction data, enabling the speedy cancellation and voiding of fraudulent card numbers
• Analysed invoice payment patterns to detect anomalies and possible fraud by small‑to medium‑sized enterprises for a large retail bank
• Provided analytical leadership for a financial institution in a project to detect and prevent the cloning of credit cards in the UK. As part of the overall process, he also developed a method to detect high‑value and cross‑border fraud.
• For a major insurance company, he effectively executed a solution to deliver early detection of fraudulent claims.

Ronald A. Schwarz

Ronald A. Schwarz studied psychology and economics before working at the Department of Organisational Psychology and Personnel Diagnostics at the University of Wuppertal. Later, while working as a scientific officer and project manager for the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, he developed new biometrical methods in the field of health care. During this time he socialised with SPSS personnel and occasionally worked for the company as an independent consultant.

In 2001, he started work as the key account manager for the public sector at SPSS Germany where, the next two years, he helped to develop a powerful field sales organisation. Before taking up a consulting project management role within SPSS services in 2005, he gained expert knowledge in financial and business consulting at an SPSS partner company.

During the last 15 years, he has written several articles and scientific publication about topics related to biometrical and statistical methods, data mining and industrial psychology.