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Segmentation/Clustering (Common Groups)

Discover hidden patterns and natural groupings in your data with AI-powered clustering

You're viewing documentation for the legacy Scoop self-service product. For the current product, see What Is Scoop.

Clustering automatically discovers natural groupings in your data—customer segments, behavior patterns, or performance tiers—that you might not have thought to look for. Scoop's AI handles the complex math and delivers clear, actionable segment descriptions in plain English.

What Is Clustering?

Aspect Description
Definition Machine learning that groups similar records together
Method Analyzes multiple attributes simultaneously
Output Named segments with clear descriptions
Skill Required None—Scoop handles the data science

Clustering vs. Filtering

Approach How It Works Example
Filtering You define the rule "Show deals over $100K"
Grouping You pick the column "Group by Region"
Clustering AI finds the patterns "Discover natural segments"

Clustering considers combinations of attributes across multiple columns simultaneously, finding patterns you might never have thought to look for.

Tip: Use clustering when you want to discover "unknown unknowns"—patterns you didn't know existed in your data.

How Clustering Works in Scoop

The Workflow

Select Dataset → Click "Find Common Groups" → AI Analyzes → Segments Revealed
      ↓                    ↓                        ↓              ↓
   Your data          One click              EM algorithm    Named segments
                                            + Rules models   with descriptions

Step-by-Step

  1. Select Your Dataset: Load the dataset to analyze (deals, customers, tickets, etc.)
  2. Click "Find Common Groups": Access from Data Science Studio tab
  3. AI Builds Clusters: Scoop determines optimal number of clusters automatically
  4. Clusters Named: AI translates statistical patterns into human descriptions
  5. Results Delivered: See summaries, profiles, and defining rules

What Happens Behind the Scenes

Stage Algorithm Purpose
Clustering Expectation Maximization (EM) Finds natural groupings
Interpretation Decision Trees Identifies defining attributes
Naming Rules Models Creates human-readable descriptions

Tip: You don't need to understand the algorithms. Scoop handles variable selection, scaling, and cluster assignment automatically.

Understanding Cluster Results

Cluster Profiles

Each cluster includes:

Component Description
Name Descriptive label based on key characteristics
Size Number and percentage of records
Key Attributes What defines this segment
Rules Conditions that predict membership

How Clusters Are Named

Scoop creates meaningful names from the data:

Pattern Detected Cluster Name
High revenue, short cycles "Quick Wins"
Large deals, many stakeholders "Strategic Accounts"
Frequent engagement "High Touch Customers"
Low activity, at-risk signals "Needs Attention"

Names are derived from actual patterns—not random labels.

Cluster Rules

Each cluster comes with defining rules:

Cluster: "Fast Closers"
Rules:
- Deal Size < $50K
- Sales Cycle < 30 days
- Decision Makers = 1-2
- Industry IN (Tech, Retail)

These rules tell you exactly why records belong to this segment.

Example: Sales Opportunity Clusters

Sample Results

After running clustering on opportunities:

Cluster Size Key Characteristics
Quick Wins 35% Small deals, single decision maker, fast close
Enterprise Deals 15% Large value, long cycle, multiple stakeholders
Stalled Opportunities 20% Aging deals, low engagement, needs intervention
Competitive Battles 18% Competitor mentioned, price sensitive
Expansion Deals 12% Existing customers, upsell/cross-sell

What Each Cluster Tells You

Cluster Actionable Insight
Quick Wins Prioritize for this month's close
Enterprise Deals Assign senior reps, plan resources
Stalled Opportunities Intervention needed—re-engage or disqualify
Competitive Battles Arm reps with competitive positioning
Expansion Deals Leverage existing relationship

Example: Support Ticket Clusters

Sample Results

Cluster Key Characteristics
Quick Resolutions Resolved < 1 hour, repeat customers, known issues
Escalated Criticals High severity, specific products, long resolution
Low Engagement Minimal customer response, incomplete descriptions
Complex Investigations Multiple back-and-forths, cross-team involvement

Insights

  • Quick Resolutions: Document common fixes for knowledge base
  • Escalated Criticals: Route to senior agents immediately
  • Low Engagement: Implement proactive outreach
  • Complex Investigations: Allocate specialist time

Example: Customer Segmentation

Sample Results

Cluster Size Profile
Power Users 8% High engagement, many features, advocates
Steady State 45% Regular usage, core features only
Growing 22% Increasing activity, adding users
At Risk 15% Declining usage, no recent logins
Dormant 10% Minimal activity, churn candidates

Actions by Segment

Cluster Recommended Action
Power Users Reference program, beta access
Steady State Feature adoption campaigns
Growing Upsell opportunities, success check-ins
At Risk Intervention, health check calls
Dormant Re-engagement campaign or churn prevention

Using Cluster Results

Filter by Cluster

Once clusters are identified, use them as filters:

  • View all records in a specific cluster
  • Compare metrics across clusters
  • Track cluster distribution over time

Export for Action

Use Case How
Targeted campaigns Export cluster for marketing automation
Sales prioritization Filter opportunities by cluster
Support routing Assign tickets based on cluster

Track Changes

Monitor how clusters evolve:

  • Are "At Risk" customers increasing?
  • Is "Quick Wins" cluster growing?
  • Movement between clusters over time

Best Practices

When to Use Clustering

Good Fit Poor Fit
Discover unknown patterns Confirm known groups
Explore large datasets Very small datasets
Find natural segments Simple filtering needed
Multi-dimensional analysis Single-attribute grouping

Data Preparation

Practice Why
Include relevant attributes More columns = richer segments
Clean data quality Missing values affect clustering
Sufficient records Need enough data for patterns
Mix of attributes Variety enables discovery

Interpreting Results

Tip Description
Review cluster sizes Very small clusters may be noise
Check rules Understand what defines each segment
Validate with domain knowledge Do segments make business sense?
Test actionability Can you act on these insights?

Common Applications

Domain Clustering Use
Sales Opportunity segmentation, rep assignment
Marketing Customer segments, campaign targeting
Support Ticket routing, workload planning
Product User personas, feature usage patterns
Finance Customer value tiers, risk groups

Troubleshooting

Too Many/Few Clusters

Scoop automatically determines optimal cluster count. If results seem off:

  • Check if data has clear natural groupings
  • Verify data quality and completeness
  • Consider filtering to relevant subset

Clusters Don't Make Sense

If segments aren't meaningful:

  • Review which columns are included
  • Check for data quality issues
  • Validate with domain experts

Clusters Too Similar

If segments overlap significantly:

  • Data may not have strong natural groupings
  • Consider adding more discriminating attributes
  • Focus on the most distinct clusters

Related Topics

Updated October 19, 2026