Analytics &

Business Intelligence

MGIS-130 Information Systems & Technology

Rochester Institute of Technology
Saunders College of Business
 Data Analytics

Source: Google search (as sourced from Oxford Languages) 2020-05-26

Source: Google search (as sourced from Wikipedia) 2020-05-26
 What an exciting time to get into analytics!

Source: Google search 2020-04-20

 What skills do I need for business analytics?
1. SQL 10.Problem-solving
2. Spreadsheets 11.Research
3. Critical Thinking 12.Attention to detail
4. Statistical programming 13.Collaboration
5. Data visualization 14.Project management
6. Public speaking 15.Data prep
7. Machine learning 16.Statistics
8. Data warehousing 17.Writing
9. Communication 18.Domain knowledge

Source: 18 Key Skills for Data Analysts https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/skills-for-data-analyst 2020-03-30

 What is SQL?

1. Declarative programming language

2. Learn once; use for almost any relational DBMS
3. Applications generally access your DB via SQL

Image source: LinkedIn Learning 2020-05-26 https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=sql

 What should I learn about spreadsheets?

1. The dominant spreadsheet today is Excel

2. You should learn its functionality and programming
3. A great way to showcase your mastery is the MOS certificate

Image source: LinkedIn Learning 2020-05-26 https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=spreadsheets&sortBy=RECENCY

 Statistics are at the core of analytics

1. Descriptive
Types of statistics: 2. Inferential
3. Predictive
4. Prescriptive
5. Casual Analysis
6. Exploratory

Image source: LinkedIn Learning 2020-05-26 https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=statistics

 How do analysts visualize data?
1. Tableau is perhaps the most
popular of the data
visualization tools
2. Microsoft’s Power BI has
been the top-rated
visualization tool per Gartner
for several years
3. Python and R are the most
popular data analytics
programming languages at
present

Image source: LinkedIn Learning 2020-05-26 https://www.linkedin.com/learning/topics/data-visualization

 Why is public speaking important???
1. “Soft skills” are the #1 answer at
advisory board meetings when
employers are asked, “What skills are
most important when you hire our
graduates?”
2. As a data analyst, you will regularly
present your finding to your team,
bosses, clients, and other
stakeholders
3. Being persuasive makes the
difference between being ignored and
being respected

Image source: LinkedIn Learning 2020-05-26 https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=public%20speaking

 What is Machine Learning?
What is the definition of machine learning?
Machine-learning algorithms use statistics to find
patterns in massive* amounts of data. And data, here,
encompasses a lot of things—numbers, words,
images, clicks, what have you. If it can be digitally
stored, it can be fed into a machine-learning algorithm.
Machine learning is the process that powers many of
the services we use today—recommendation systems
like those on Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify; search
engines like Google and Baidu; social-media feeds
like Facebook and Twitter; voice assistants like Siri
and Alexa. The list goes on.

Definition source: MIT Technology Review 2018-11-17 https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/11/17/103781/what-is-machine-learning-we-drew-you-another-flowchart/

Image source: Gartner 2020-05-26 https://www.gartner.com/document/3979080
 What are examples of analysis tools?

Source: Google search 2020-04-20

 What are examples of analytics careers?
• Marketing research, analytics, and consulting
• Digital analytics
• Web intelligence and analytics
• Accounting and financial analytics
• Risk management
• Supply chain analytics
• Customer analytics
• Consulting

Source: RIT Business Analytics Program 2020-04-20

Source: Google search (as sourced from Wikipedia) 2020-05-26
 What is data warehousing?
Data warehousing is a technology that aggregates structured data from one or more sources so that
it can be compared and analyzed for greater business intelligence.

What do I need to know about data warehousing?

Data warehouses are typically used to correlate broad business data to provide greater executive
insight into corporate performance.

How is a data warehouse different from a regular database?

Data warehouses use a different design from standard operational databases. The latter are
optimized to maintain strict accuracy of data in the moment by rapidly updating real-time data. Data
warehouses, by contrast, are designed to give a long-range view of data over time. They trade off
transaction volume and instead specialize in data aggregation.

Source: Informatica Support and Training 2020-05-26 https://www.informatica.com/services-and-training/glossary-of-terms/data-warehousing-definition.html

 Data Warehouse
Integrates data from multiple different sources (e.g.,
individual transactional databases) and stores it in a
uniform manner; a central data repository

Data warehouses often contain historical information about

transactions or other time-specific information

Data mining requires a large data set.

 Business Intelligence / Data Mining
The process of analyzing data to identify patterns
or relationships between data elements.

Analytical tools that employ advances in artificial

intelligence to analyze data.

Used to support forecasting and business decision making.

Data mining tools eliminate the need for a practical knowledge of many
statistical techniques, but not the need to understand the data.
 Gartner 2020
Magic Quadrant for
Analytics & BI Platforms

Source: Gartner 2020-02-11

 Business Intelligence Analyst Skillset
1. Relevant and demonstrable experience in the BI analyst field.
2. Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills.
3. A firm grasp of business strategy and KPIs.
4. A fundamental understanding of SQL and the technical aspects of BI.
5. A well-crafted business intelligence resume.
6. A working understanding of cloud computing and data visualization

Source: Your Guide To Starting A Career In Business Intelligence & The BI Skills You Need https://www.datapine.com/blog/bi-skills-for-business-intelligence-career/ retrieved: 2020-03-30
 What are examples of visualization tools?

Source: Google search 2020-04-20

 Questions?

Contact: kweber@saunders.rit.edu
This slideshow is an adaptation of RIT MMDB Department Chair and Professor Sean Hansen’s 2019 lecture slideshow for consistency with MGIS-
130 Information Systems & Technology on the main campus in Rochester. Some elements have been changed or updated as warranted.

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