Second level aggregation
While this invoice level file might be of some use in terms of analytics, it is more likely to be valuable as a means of gaining better insight regarding customer behavior. To obtain such insights, more preparation needs to be done before aggregating up to the customer level. Sorting the invoice file by CustomerID
and date will make it possible to calculate the number of days between purchases, which could be used for a wide range of marketing/promotional decisions. It could also help identify customers that appear to have been lost due to lack of activity relative to their typical purchase pattern.
Preparing aggregated data for further use
To calculate the number of days between purchases, the Shift Values
option on the Transform
menu can be used. Obtaining the CustomerID
and date from the prior record in the sorted data creates the foundation to calculate the days between each purchase and the preceding one by the same customer. The CustomerID
needs to be compared...