Wiley & sas business Series

   Aggregation  
  A process by which variables are summed based on a classifi cation or tem-
poral hierarchy. Common examples include totaling all sales for a given 
time period or geographic region. 
   Algorithm  
  A fi nite series of well-defi ned steps that achieve a desired outcome. These 
steps may be deterministic or include random or probabilistic elements. 
   Analytics  
  A data-driven process that creates insight. These processes incorporate a 
wide variety of techniques and may include manual analysis, reporting, 
predictive models, time series models, or optimization models.