Business Analysis and Business Intelligence

Data is the most valuable resource in the world. Go ahead: google it. The secrets to an organization’s success (and survival) are hidden in 44 zettabytes of information generated by users, consumers, platforms, websites, and pretty much anything else we can think of with a digital footprint — all across the world. But, just like diamonds or oil, organizations have to refine data before it’s of any use. And then, the quality of the data will influence everything from business strategy to software development to office communications. In 2022, it’s not an exaggeration to say, “data is life.”

Business analysts and BI pros are data superheroes

With an increasing amount of data in industries and functions such as healthcare, supply chain management, transportation, finance, and education, organizations need more and more data superheroes who can generate meaningful insights. And who are those superheroes? Business analysts, data scientists, business intelligence analysts, and many more people have learned how to work with data.

Business intelligence professionals deal with anything relating to data and its applications. That means reporting, analyzing, creating dashboards, running predictive analytics, and on and on. It’s a hugely critical field, having evolved from an interesting business niche into the crystal ball organizations use to see what’s going on in the world and how they fit within it. We can think of it like a periscope on a submarine. We can’t just look out the window in a sub if we want to see what’s going on — we can only trust our instruments and what we can see through the tiny lens in our periscope.

But business analysts and BI pros aren’t the only ones who wrangle data. Marketers, finance people, managers — everyone in an organization needs BI skills. A recent LinkedIn survey, for example, suggested that data analysis was one of the top growing skills in sales, marketing, and information technology. It’s everywhere now.

Remote work is becoming the new normal, demand for data and security analysis talent will only increase, and the customer journey is now intertwined with digital life. It’s not just about advertising anymore. It’s about understanding your audience, where they go, what they like, where they take vacations, if they have pets, the cars they drive, and what they watch on Netflix. Everything about anything is now valuable — as long as we can find the needles in the information haystack.

We, too, can develop BI skills

Yes, we too can be a periscope. Regardless of whether we’re a data pro or working in another function in our organization, BI skills are crucial (and transferable!). We take this vast ocean of information and filter it for something immediate and actionable — We give our organization a look at what’s outside the submarine. All based on data.

Business analysis is modernizing alongside business itself, so what can we expect with our new, updated skill-set? Business and technology are no longer separable, so BA is going to become less and obscure internal consultancy and more just a language everyone will speak as part of modern commerce.

Microsoft Power BI skills for powerful business intelligence

But what skills do people need to deal with data? They use many applications, but one of the most popular platforms in the world is Microsoft Power BI, used by more than 115 million people around the world — and growing. So, what is it?

Microsoft Power BI is an industry-leading collection of software services, apps, and connectors that work together to convert unrelated sources of data into unified, actionable insights. So, whether we’re working with an Excel spreadsheet or a collection of cloud-based and on-premises hybrid data warehouses, Microsoft Power BI helps us connect our data sources, uncover insights, and visualize our findings.

According to prominent IT research company Gartner, Microsoft Power BI is the leading global platform for analytics and business intelligence, with fourteen years running. That means that business analysis is only going to continue relying on best-in-class insights, which we can uncover with this versatile platform.