JMP 9.0 – Applied Data Analysis
JMP (jump): The Sharpest Tool in the Shed
I have been a JMP fan ever since being introduced to the product through the University of Minnesota statistics department. I have a used a number of statistical programs over the years, but JMP is a perfect fit for the wide range of data analysis work I perform for customers.
The Problem – What You Don’t Know
I have found that even simple data sets can, and do, hide their secrets effectively. In fact, it is amazing what we don’t know about even the most basic data sets unless the data is run through a statistical package. Here is an example (PDF) of state population estimates for 2009. There are only 50 data points. The tool used here is the basic and easy distribution analysis in JMP. Of the 50 states, four actually have populations considered outliers in the data set. The median population is about 4.1 million. It would seem that these four states would be easy to identify, but that’s not necessarily true. I thought Wyoming, with a small population at 544,000, would also be an outlier – but that’s not so. All this information is at your fingertips with the click of a button.
A public example of more complex data set is collected by NOAA. Here we are taking a small sample (416K points) of Sea Level Pressure Data and plotting. JMP 9.0 makes short work of this data set.
Setting Expectations
One of the best attributes of any statistical package is helping users understand their hypotheses, or assumptions about some aspect of the world. Each of us creates hypotheses every day as a part of life. Estimating commute times to work is one example. JMP allows us to not only think more clearly about these everyday data interactions, but to test them if we so desire. The hypothesis test is a statistical approach to testing a theory, according to The Economist, Numbers Guide. This test however, is not necessary to increase the basic understanding of data you are responsible for, whether it is financial, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, medical or administrative.
JMP – World Applications
JMP’s latest magazine describes uses of the program. (PDF) It is used in clinical trials, consumer products, product development and, of course, manufacturing. In today’s competitive marketplace, analyzing your data with a statistical package has become a business fundamental – much like cash flow. It’s something every business should have and deploy as part of an effective business strategy.
