Profile: How do I create a Profile?

Profiling works on two sets of data namely the Analysis (or target) data set and the Base.

  • The Analysis is the set of data that you wish to measure the characteristics of.

  • The Base is the backdrop against which you wish to measure.

Creating a Profile can be summarised by the following stages:

  1. Define the base set using any of the FastStats' methods of selecting records e.g. Selection tool, Venn tool, a saved reference number file etc.

  2. Similarly, define the analysis set.

  3. Specify the variables for consideration in the profile. (e.g. Selectors, Banded Date and Numeric, Queries or Query Sets)

  4. Specify which type of profile to perform.

  5. Build the profile.

If no selection is made for the base group then the entire database will be used to build the profile.

Scenario

As a worked example using the Holidays demonstration system, let's suppose we want to profile customers who have been to Italy across people who have spent more than £200 on a holiday. To do this we will use Italy holiday makers as the base selection and people who have spent >= £200 as the analysis:

Define the Analysis selection:

  1. Create a new selection by dragging the Selection tool onto the FastStats workspace.

  2. From the Bookings folder in the System, explorer, drag the Destination variable onto the selection window.

  3. Select Italy in the list of destinations.

  4. Drag and drop the Profile tool from the toolbox and onto the selection window.

Define the Base Selection:

  1. Select the Base Selection tab from the top of the Profile window.

  2. From Bookings folder in the System, drag the Cost variable onto the Base Selection window.

  3. Enter >=200 in the Freeform box.

Define the variables to use in the profile then generate it:

  1. Make sure you have the Profile tab selected at the top of the screen (i.e. not the Base Selection tab)

  2. From the People folder in the System explorer, drag and drop each of the variables Title, Occupation, Income and Source in turn onto the Profile window.

  3. Click the Build   button to build the profile.

Example Profile with Title Information displayed

 

For help on interpreting the Profile results see Profile: How do I interpret the Profile results?