View agency activity clustering on geography in Excel using Excel Data Mining Add-ins

By Don Krapohl

1.       Ensure you have downloaded the Excel Data Mining Add-ins from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35578 .  The article assumes you have a working version of the DM Addins and a default Analysis Services (SSAS) instance defined.  Search for getting started with SQL Server Data Mining Add-ins for Excel if you are not familiar with this process.

2.       Open the Excel sample file for Federal contract acquisitions in Wyoming (2012) from http://www.augmentedintel.com/content/datasets/government_contracts_data_mining_addins.xlsx

3.       On the wy_data_feed tab, select all the data.

4.       In the Home tab on the ribbon in the Styles section select “Format as Table”.  Pick any format you wish.

5.       A new tab will appear on the ribbon for Table Tools with menus for Analyze and Design as below.

 

6.       On the Analyze menu, select “Detect Categories”.  This is will group (cluster) your information on common attributes, particular commonalities that are not obvious or immediately observable.

7.       Deselect all checkboxes except the following:

a.       Dollars Obligated

b.      Award Type

c.       Contract Pricing

d.      Funding Agency

e.      Product Or Service Code

f.        Category

8.       Click ‘run’

9.       The output will show you categories of information showing strong affinities.  Explore the model by filtering the charts and tables by the category/ies generated.  Do this by selecting the filter icon (funnel) next to Category on the table or the Category label at the lower left of the graph.

10.   Interesting information may be derived from the groups with fewer rows that may show particularly interesting correlations for a targeted campaign.  For example, filter the table and chart on Category 6.  This group indicates a group affinity for the attribute values ProductOrServiceCode = “REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING COMPONENTS”, fundingAgency = “Veterans Affairs, Department Of”, and a contract award value of $61,148 to $1,173,695 as shown below:

For my organization’s business development activities, if I am in the heating and air business I may elect to focus efforts on medium-sized contracts with Veterans Affairs.

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