From Complexity to Simplicity to Complexity

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From Complexity to Simplicity to Complexity

• Peter Lauf, Berlin

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My Business Information Consulting

• Data Management and Analysis
• Content Optimization
• Statistical Service for Students and
  Post-Graduates
• Skill Training (Numbers to Knowledge)

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Projects done with SIR/DBMS

• 1980s Academic Resarch The Students Body of
  the University of Cologne
• 1990s Pharmaceutical Industry Post Marketing
  Surveillances Market Research

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Recent Projects with SIR/DBMS

• Processing (hidden) Complex Data

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Complex Data The Origin of SIR

• This Product is adressed to the researcher and
  data analyst faced with the need to manage and
  analyze data sets in form of complex file. This
  complex file arises when data is collected from
  multiple sources over a period of time. In the
  health sciences, studies of this nature are quite
  common, examples being large multi-centered
  clinical trials, patient record studies, health
  surveys, patient monitoring studies, etc...
• Proceedings of the 5th annual ACM SIGUCCS
• conference, Kansas City, 1977

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Complex Data and Statistical Analysis

• Statistical software need rectangular data sets
• SIR produces rectangular data sets out of complex
  data
• SIR is a logical complement to Statistical
  Packages

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Simplicity The Relational Model

• In the last two decades we saw an explosive
  growth and spread of IT
• The inflationary phase pushed the relational
  model
• Relational databases became commodity (Access,
  MySQL, ...)
• SIR became a relational Database

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Against all Hypes

• Complex data are still there
• For one part complex data are hidden (Excel
  Tables, SAS Files)
• For one part complex data are stored in an
  inefficient way (Oracle DB)

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Complexity The USP of SIR/DBMS

• SIR survived not because of its superior
  relational Technology
• SIR survived because of its superior
  functionality to handle complex data

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Brontos and Programs

• In the 1980s SIR itself was called a complex
  system compared to programs like SPSS
• Today SIR is small and highly efficient compared
  to many over featured programs

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Thank you !