From Complexity to Simplicity to Complexity Peter Lauf, Berlin

From Complexity to Simplicity to Complexity

Peter Lauf, Berlin

Complexity - Simplicity - Complexity

My Business: Information Consulting

• Data Management and Analysis

• Content Optimization

• Statistical Service for Students and Post-Graduates

• Skill Training (Numbers to Knowledge)


Projects done with SIR/DBMS

• 1980s Academic Resarch: The Students Body of the

University of Cologne

• 1990s Pharmaceutical Industry:Post Marketing Surveillances

Market Research


Recent Projects with SIR/DBMS

Processing (hidden) Complex Data


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 SIGUCCSconference, Kansas City, 1977


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


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


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)


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


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

Thank you !

Documents

From Complexity to Simplicity to Complexity Peter Lauf, Berlin