Description: End-User Computing (EUC) applications (such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and others) provide a great benefit by allowing users to directly manage, control, and manipulate data. Unlike SAP, Oracle, and other Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications that facilitate the automated and integrated flow of transactions and data, EUCs are neither ponderous nor difficult to modify. In fact, EUCs allow businesses and users to quickly deploy solutions in response to shifting market and economic conditions, industry changes, or evolving regulations. They can also help plug functionality gaps for ERP systems. Alas, those same elements that make EUCs so appealing (and vital in providing timely information) can also make them challenging to manage and control effectively.

Description: This article explains how to create more maintainable models using abstractions by relating it to option, machine learning and machine intelligence models.

Description: This article explains why distributed computing systems have grown in popularity as well as the benefits and drawbacks of implementing them.

Description: Describes the Excel OFFSET function and demonstrates how it can be used to efficiently manipulate arrays of data.

Description: Provides a summary of key points from the ERISA Advisory Council Report on Outsourcing (2014). The report provides interesting and important perspectives and the article encourages the reader to look at the report and consider the issues raised.

Description: The SOA has developed a new “tool” using Microsoft Access/Excel for international actuaries to conduct mortality and persistency studies in conjunction with the SOA’s international experience study initiative. Professionally programmed, this new tool facilitates the work of international actuaries.

Description: This article explores the possibility of using machine learning to improve, or potentially rewrite, actuarial code within actuarial software.

Description: A summary of the risk that the use of spreadsheets pose, along with key controls to reduce the risk.

Description: Feature article discussing new approaches to actuarial modeling.