Revisit feature engineering when data drift impacts performance, typically every 3–6 months (or sooner if metrics drop).
Key indicators:
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Model performance decay (e.g., dropping accuracy/F1 score).
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Statistical drift (KS test, PCA, or feature distribution shifts).
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Domain shifts (e.g., policy changes, new user behavior).
Monitoring: Track input feature stats (mean, variance) and set alerts for anomalies. Retrain if drift exceeds thresholds.
Rule: Update features only if drift harms results—don’t fix what isn’t broken.