APPLICATIONS

An Overview of our Consulting Work

Z Solutions' support clients in analytical projects requiring both traditional and advanced methodologies. Many of our projects call upon our expertise with neural networks, others are traditional statistical projects and other projects are analytical but require project management expertise. Our practical experience, combined with our versatile software, allows us to offer the most cost-effective applications possible to solve a variety of problems. Consulting assignments vary considerably with Z Solutions handling many different roles including project management, staff augmentation, programming and training.

Z Solutions offers a diversified list of services including several major fields of study such as Market Research, Forecasting, Manufacturing, List Mining and Process Review. While at first glance there may be little in common with these services, from the analytical perspective the common thread is, "we get asked to do the hard stuff." When the problem is complex, the solution requires a complex multidimensional solution. Our task becomes to solve this problem in its complexity and then interpret and present results in a way the organization can use the findings.

Market Research

Companies spend a great deal of money collecting market research. Analyzing these results usually produces tables of summary results. These tables can say what has happened. More difficult questions such as why the customers made their decisions require deeper analysis. And beyond that point, finding ways to influence customer behavior is even a more difficult analytical task.

Z Solutions uses predictive modeling approaches to maximize the value of Market Research data. Through predictive modeling approaches a greater understanding of customer behavior is reached. The methods allow the organization to predict what will happen under new circumstances.

Case Study

Data Mining (Direct Marketing)

To many people Data Mining means list mining or Direct Marketing. It is the use of predictive modeling techniques to determine who will respond to a marketing offer. This is frequently used in mail campaigns to maximize the response to the offer. Simply speaking all customer on the list are evaluated as to the predicted probability they will respond to an offer. The company then mails to those most likely to respond.

Z Solutions is proficient in these approaches. However, we don't stop at the generation of the list. We consider the exploratory aspects of the project just as important. No project is complete until the exploratory findings are presented to help structure the next effort.

Z Solutions is under contract with the SAS Institute to provide training for the Institute's Enterprise Miner™ software including the popular Predictive Modeling Using Enterprise Miner Software class. Z Solutions may support the client with the Enterprise Miner software if a license is in place or we may use our own proprietary software, if not.

Case Study

Manufacturing Review

Manufacturing processes are increasing being recognized as the multidimensional problems that they are. Z Solutions multidimensional approaches are able to focus on the key components by first analytically understanding the whole, then reducing down to the key components. Past activities have included creating an early warning system, reducing product failure and line speed increase.

Case Study

Process Review

Marketing efforts and engineering efforts of large organizations are increasing difficult to understand in their total impact on the operations of the enterprise. Organizations may find the complexity of field conditions conflicts with the "planned" implementation. Z Solutions provides a unique perspective on this problem with the concept of data assisted decisions. Most traditional analytical processes were developed with the thought that the process would produce a final answer - we call these data driven solutions. These solutions are easy; you do what the analytic model says. Very little interpretation is needed. Real world problems, however are not as well behaved. The analytical processes can only help to a limited degree. The management or engineer in charge has to make a decision based on what the model says and their real world knowledge and experience. There is not a 100% certainty involved. These are data assisted decisions.

A process review by Z Solutions includes an analytical study in the traditional sense. Further evaluations then look at the true accuracy of the model, including the accuracy of the input data and/or the stability of the environment and the points where expert knowledge is needed. The resulting process review then includes an evaluation of the true performance of the process and where the decision maker needs support.

Case Study

White Paper