128 ◾ Edward Chen
Reporting
Question: “What happened?” Data mining captures raw data and allows
decision makers to look back at exactly what happened during a certain
time frame.
Analyzing
Question: “Why did it happen?” is question is answered with the
results that come from data mining. When data mining takes place, the
results are given to key decision makers who can then determine the root
cause of success or failure.
Predicting
Question: “What will happen?” One of the most wonderful features of
data mining is its ability to forecast. Analysts can use data mining to
predict future trends based on past performance.
Operationalizing
Question: “What is happening now?” is question is achieved using
real-time data. Many industries use re