How to become A Business Intelligence Analyst

Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed. Business Intelligence Analysts use data to figure out market and business trends for companies to increase profits and efficiency.

• Analytical Data Miner
• Business Database Analyst
• Competitive Intelligence Analyst

What do Business Intelligence Analysts do?

A Business Intelligence Analyst would typically need to:

• Develop and provide new Business Intelligence solutions, tools, databases, dashboards, systems, and methods
• Manage the timely flow of essential information to users after conducting tests to ensure that Business Intelligence is consistent with their defined needs
• Synthesize current Business Intelligence or trend data to support recommendations for action
• Identify or monitor current and potential customers while using Business Intelligence tools
• Create or review technical design documentation to ensure the accurate development of reporting solutions while providing technical support for existing tools
• Collect the data from Multiple Heterogeneous sources with the help of the ETL (Extract, Transform & Load) or BI (Business Intelligence) team
• Develop interactive dashboards, so higher management has clarity about the business
• Interact with clients to explain the implications of complex data while objectively evaluating products and performance
• Create Business Intelligence tools or systems, including the design of related databases, spreadsheets, or outputs
• Analyze technology trends and competitive market strategies to identify markets for future product development or improve sales of existing products
• Generate standard or custom reports summarizing business, financial, or economic data for review by executives, managers, clients, and other stakeholders
• Communicate with customers, competitors, suppliers, and professional organizations to stay abreast of industry or business trends

A Business Intelligence Analyst’s workplace is typically indoors and in a controlled environment. Most of a Business Intelligence Analyst’s time is spent on a computer, and the rest is spent holding and participating in meetings. It is a collaborative profession and involves high pressure. The dress code is business casual unless otherwise specified.

The working hours for a Business Intelligence Analyst are long and regularly stretch over 40 hours a week.

Business Intelligence Analysts find job openings in any industry that deals with large amounts of data.

Business Intelligence Analysts are generally employed by:

• Nonprofit Organizations
• Fortune 500 Companies
• Public Sector Organizations
• The Healthcare Industry
• Government Agencies
• The E-Commerce Industry
• Financial Markets

Professional associations and organizations are a crucial resource for Business Intelligence Analysts interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume and can bolster your credentials and qualifications.

• Fierce competition and exceptionally long working hours with no time for leisure
• Health-related issues because of the long hours spent in front of a computer
• Profit-driven field, meaning it is generally not suitable for those invested in social causes

Working as a Data Analyst, a Business Analyst, or a Data Report Writer may help aspiring Business Intelligence Analysts grow familiar with SQL to model, and analyze data while defining and managing the scope of projects. All of these experiences will give you vital contacts in the industry, as well as a better sense of the end-to-end process of the kind of projects that a Business Intelligence Analyst completes.

Business Intelligence Analysts are expected to have work experience before entering the profession. An internship in the financial industry will allow you to learn about the inner workings of a business and count it as work experience.

In general, a Business Intelligence Analyst will often have some form of higher education degree in technology, especially one that provides a thorough knowledge of SQL, Cognos, and other business resources. A bachelor’s degree in a relevant course like business management, accounting, economics, statistics, information science, information systems, computer science, data science, or engineering is required.

Many aspirants have specific degrees in Business Intelligence. To stay in the competition, Business Intelligence Analysts will need to have a thorough understanding of data before entering the profession. Courses in data architecture, database design, data mining, and data visualization are useful.

Some jobs in the field may require a master's degree in business administration (MBA).

Successful certification programs serve and protect the public welfare by investigating individuals that practice outside of the program’s Code of Ethics. They help a profession secure its future by earning trust and respect.

Microsoft Certified Solutions “Expert in Business Intelligence” is a certification that is highly valued in the industry. It validates your professional competency and equips you with the skills necessary to design and use SQL to deliver data-based solutions.

Transforming data with intelligence (TDWI)’s certified Business Intelligence professional certification allows you to test for and receive at the levels of either “practitioner” or “mastery.” You’ll need at least two years of relevant work experience to register for this exam. You may want to get a certification in specific computer languages, like Statistical Analysis System (SAS).

Business Intelligence Analysts may work directly for a company or as Consultants. There are different kinds of Business Intelligence Analysts, such as Management Analysts, Healthcare Analysts, Agile Analysts, Technical Analysts, and Functional Analysts, each having their own set of responsibilities. Business Intelligence Analysts often move into higher-level jobs within ten years, including roles such as Analytics Manager, Business Intelligence Manager, Business Intelligence Architect, or Director of Business Intelligence.

Job prospects will be best for those who have the requisite skills, knowledge, and experience.

An average of about four years of work experience is usually required before becoming a Business Intelligence Analyst, though some companies require up to eight years of prior work experience. You will also likely need up to two years of supervisory experience within an organization, as Business Intelligence Analysts are often project managers and can sometimes have hiring responsibilities.

You can get a master’s degree in information technology, business administration (MBA), or any other industry in which you want to specialize; however, an MBA is preferred by many employers.

Gathering and Using Data

A Business Intelligence Analyst must have a comprehensive understanding of Business Intelligence tools like Tableau and Qlikview. Business Intelligence Analysts gather relevant data in many ways. They mine a company's computer data and look at competitor data and industry trends to help develop a picture of where the company stands in the industry, where they can improve, and where they can reduce costs.

Role of an ETL Developer and the BI Team ETL is one of the crucial elements of Business Intelligence. An ETL Developer is an IT Specialist who designs data storage systems. A BI team is a corporate group that primarily designs and builds data and analytics applications, governs and manages data resources, and develops and maintains the data environment and underlying infrastructure. In some organizations, however, the BI team serves primarily as an intermediary between business units and information technology (IT) groups, whose mission is mainly to gather and prioritize requirements.

Amazon uses Business Intelligence to sell you stuff you don't need by personalizing product recommendations.

Information is the oil of the 21st century; analytics is the combustion engine. Data will talk to you if you are willing to listen to it and equip you with the knowledge to become someone whose opinion is valued in the echelons of the corporate world.

Business intelligence is about providing the right data at the right time to the right people to make the right decisions. Above all, show the data. Data is what you need to do analytics; information is what you need to do business.