In this episode, Wayne Eckerson and Matthew Schwartz discuss non-traditional uses of business intelligence tools. Although BI tools have been around for almost three decades, most companies just scratch the surface of what’s possible to do with those tools. Using web layers and APIs, a company can use their imagination to customize and leverage their exiting BI tool-set to monetize data, integrate tribal knowledge and build industry-specific proprietary products.

Matthew Schwartz is the chief technology officer of Sage Hospitality, one of the world's largest hotel operators. Although Matt is responsible for all aspects of Sage’s IT operations, he has a deep fondness for data and analytics, having served as a BI director for several companies, including PetSmart and Staples. Matt firmly believes in the power of BI tools to transform organizations.

What problems do you have with key performance indicators (KPIs)? Are they actionable or not? How do you measure them?

Today, I'm sharing a session that I did that was rated #1 at the Real Business Intelligence event at MIT back in 2017. It's called "Secrets to building actionable KPIs". Specifically, I discuss three of the more well-known and commonly used methods: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound (SMART) Goals, Wildly Important Goals (WIGs), and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).

In this episode, you'll learn: [02:19] Are KPIs and metrics the same? Do you track KPIs? Metrics? Core competencies? [02:44] Key Quote: Living in KPI land, there's a lot of measurements, but you discover that not all measurements are created equal. - Mico Yuk [04:02] KPI Problem #1: Too many KPIs; focus on tracking 3-5, no more than 10. For full show notes, his book give away, and the links mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/37 Sponsor This exciting season of AoF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our next workshop on January 28-30, 2020 is now open for registration at a special early bird rate! Consider upgrading to the VIP option for extras including access to our online course. Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with a clear BI delivery action plan. Register today!   Enjoyed the Show?  Please leave us a review on iTunes.      

Become an expert who can use window functions to solve T-SQL query problems. Replace slow cursors and self-joins with queries that are easy to write and perform better. This new edition provides expanded examples, including a chapter from the world of sports, and covers the latest performance enhancements through SQL Server 2019. Window functions are useful in analytics and business intelligence reporting. They came into full blossom with SQL Server 2012, yet they are not as well known and used as often as they ought to be. This group of functions is one of the most notable developments in SQL, and this book shows how every developer and DBA can benefit from their expressive power in solving day-to-day business problems. Once you begin using window functions, such as ROW_NUMBER and LAG, you will discover many ways to use them. You will approach SQL Server queries in a different way, thinking about sets of data instead of individual rows. Your querieswill run faster, be easier to write, and easier to deconstruct, maintain, and enhance in the future. Just knowing and using these functions is not enough. You also need to understand how to tune the queries. Expert T-SQL Window Functions in SQL Server clearly explains how to get the best performance. The book also covers the rare cases when older techniques are the best bet. What You Will Learn Solve complex query problems without cumbersome self-joins that run slowly and are difficult to read Create sliding windows in a result set for computing such as running totals and moving averages Return aggregate and detail data simultaneously from the same SELECT statement Compute lag and lead and other values that access data from multiple rows in a result set Understand the OVER clause syntax and how to control the window Avoid framing errors that can lead to unexpected results Who This Book Is For Anyone who writes T-SQL queries, including database administrators, developers, business analysts, and data scientists. Before reading this book, you should understand how to join tables, write WHERE clauses, and build aggregate queries.

Today's guest is the talented and intelligent Lillian Pierson. Lillian is a Data Science Instagram rock star with 600K+ followers across social media. Currently, she is the data science instructor for multiple courses on LinkedIn Learning, as well as an author, entrepreneur, coach and social media genius. In this new BI Masterclass, Lillian is going to teach you how to build a solid enterprise-wide data strategy that scales. Stay tuned to get Lillian's best tips for social media, data strategies, and collecting data for use cases In this episode, you'll learn: [10:07] The definition of enterprise-wide data strategy and who it is for [11:35] Lillian's "Aha" moment and her two different types of clients [13:21] Key Quote: "What is the point of all this big data talk? The point is that they generate business value from that new knowledge." - Lillian Pierson For full show notes, his book give away, and the links mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/36 Sponsor This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our second one is coming up on Jan 28-30 and registration is open!  At the end of three days, you'll leave with the tools, techniques, and resources you need to engage your users. Register today!   Enjoyed the Show?  Please leave us a review on iTunes

Today's guest is no stranger to most of you. Ryan Goodman is a BI rock star and my former AoF co-host. Currently, he's the Head of Analytics at a super cool startup turned ongoing profitable and growing financial services company.

Ryan's going to teach us how to create an analytics playbook using the BI Dashboard Formula (BIDF) methodology. An analytics strategy playbook encapsulates and executes all the elements of people, technology, and process. Stay tuned to get Ryan's playbook template!

In this episode, you'll learn: [06:40] BI Whisperer: Bridging the gap between technology and business analysts. [08:20] Disconnecting from being a business owner back into driving customer analytics. [09:16] Key Quote: Everyone is data driven...what that means, and what it should mean. - Ryan Goodman For full show notes, his book give away, and the links mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/35 Sponsor This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our second one is coming up on Jan 28-30 and registration is open! Join us and consider upgrading to be a VIP (we have tons of bonuses planned). Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with the tools, techniques, and resources you need to engage your users. Register today!   Enjoyed the Show?  Please leave us a review on iTunes.      

Guess what? I missed you! After focusing on making our first BI Data Storytelling Accelerator - 3-day live workshop a major success, I'm back! Registration is now open for the next workshop on January 28-30, 2020. It's the hottest thing since fried rice!

Today, I talk to the amazing Alberto Cairo, author of How Charts Lie. He's an AoF alumni, who was on my very first AoF podcast episode where we were the first to announce The Functional Art (one of the most well-known books in our industry). Stay tuned to the end for an insane book giveaway you won't find anywhere else!

In this episode, you'll learn: [12:00] Learn why Alberto warns: "Be aware of what some people call the Curse of Knowledge." [19:11] Key Quote: A visualization can only be worth a 1,000 words if we know how to read it. - Alberto Cairo [21:41] Key ways to overcome biases: Steps to read a visual. Read the title, message, and patterns For full show notes, his book give away, and the links mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/34 Sponsor This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our second one is coming up on Jan 28-30 and registration is open! Join us and consider upgrading to be a VIP (we have tons of bonuses planned). Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with the tools, techniques, and resources you need to engage your users. Register today!   Enjoyed the Show?  Please leave us a review on iTunes.      

"Hands-On SAS for Data Analysis" is a practical guide that introduces you to the fundamentals of using SAS for managing and analyzing data effectively. Through a hands-on approach, you'll explore key topics such as data manipulation with SAS 4GL, SQL querying, and creating insightful visualizations and reports. By the end of the book, you'll not only have a robust understanding of SAS but also be prepared for the SAS certification exam. What this Book will help me do Effectively use SAS modules and tools for comprehensive data analysis tasks. Master SAS 4GL functions to perform advanced data manipulation and transformation. Leverage advanced SQL options within SAS to query and analyze datasets. Become proficient in writing SAS Macros to automate repetitive tasks efficiently. Produce professional reports and visualizations using SAS Output Delivery System. Author(s) None Gulati is a renowned expert in data analysis and business intelligence, with years of professional experience in leveraging SAS for enterprise solutions. An experienced trainer and technical author, None has a unique ability to simplify complex concepts. Through this book, None shares practical knowledge that aligns with industry needs and certification goals. Who is it for? This book is designed for data professionals seeking to enhance their skills in SAS programming and data analysis. Whether you're just starting out with SAS or aiming to pass the SAS certification exam, this book will provide valuable insights. Readers with basic knowledge of data management will find this guide especially beneficial.

Master the art of business intelligence with "Learn Power BI". This beginner-friendly guide introduces you to building interactive business reports and dashboards using Microsoft Power BI. By covering data modeling, visualization, and analysis techniques, you will be equipped with the tools to derive actionable insights and decision-making support from your organization's data. What this Book will help me do Create interactive dashboards using Power BI features to enhance business reporting. Import and transform raw data using Power BI's Query Editor for cleaner analysis. Perform dynamic and complex calculations with DAX to enrich your data insights. Develop storytelling reports that convey impactful business insights effectively. Publish and securely share Power BI reports, enabling collaboration across teams. Author(s) Greg Deckler is an expert in business intelligence and data analysis, with years of experience leveraging Power BI to solve real-world challenges. As a seasoned author, Greg combines technical depth with an approachable teaching style, making intricate concepts accessible. Through his writing, he focuses on empowering readers to unlock the full potential of Power BI for solving business challenges. Who is it for? This book is ideal for IT managers, data analysts, or professionals looking to adopt Power BI for their business intelligence needs. It's accessible to beginners with no prior Power BI experience. Additionally, if you're transitioning from other BI tools and aim to learn how to build interactive dashboards and reports in Power BI, this is the guide for you. Advance your skills and meet your business goals with confidence.

Business Intelligence (BI) has emerged as a field which seeks to support managers in decision-making. It encompasses the techniques, methods and tools for conducting analytically-based IT solutions, which are referred to as OLAP (OnLine Analytical Processing). Within this field, SQL has a role as a leader and is continuously evolving to cover both transactional and analytical data management. This book discusses the functions provided by Microsoft® SQL Server 2014/2016 in terms of business intelligence. The analytic functions are considered as an enrichment of the SQL language. They combine a series of practical functions to answer complex analysis requests with all the simplicity, elegance and acquired performance of the SQL language. Drawing on the wide experience of the author in teaching and research, as well as insights from contacts in the industry, this book focuses on the issues and difficulties faced by academics (students and teachers) and professionals engaged in data analysis with the SQL Server 2014/2016 database management system.

How can one of my students go from a BI startup to a Big five acquisition? By using our BI Dashboard Formula (BIDF) methodology. This week, I'm talking to Andrew Mackay, co-founder of former Dubai based BI startup Team base, now director of digital services at PwC Middle East. I met Andrew six years ago when he registered for our online BI Dashboard Formula methodology online course, as he was seeking to differentiate his BI offerings in the middle east. This inspiring conversation outlines both his reasons for using BIDF, how he operationalized it and how it led to his recent acquisition by PwC. There is so much to be learned from his focus and use of the BIDF methodology! Enjoy!

Sponsor

This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our first workshop coming up on Sept 17-19 almost full and VIP is sold out! Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with the tools and techniques to truly engage your users. Register today

Enjoyed the Show?  Please leave us a review on iTunes.   For all links and resources mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/33

The goal of self-service analytics is to empower business people to build their own reports, dashboards, and predictive models. If that happens, does your company still need a corporate business intelligence team?

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/organizing-success-part-1-organize-bi-team

Leverage the power of SQL Server 2017 Integration Services to build data integration solutions with ease Key Features Work with temporal tables to access information stored in a table at any time Get familiar with the latest features in SQL Server 2017 Integration Services Program and extend your packages to enhance their functionality Book Description Microsoft SQL Server 2017 uses the power of R and Python for machine learning and containerization-based deployment on Windows and Linux. By learning how to use the features of SQL Server 2017 effectively, you can build scalable apps and easily perform data integration and transformation. You'll start by brushing up on the features of SQL Server 2017. This Learning Path will then demonstrate how you can use Query Store, columnstore indexes, and In-Memory OLTP in your apps. You'll also learn to integrate Python code in SQL Server and graph database implementations for development and testing. Next, you'll get up to speed with designing and building SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) data warehouse packages using SQL server data tools. Toward the concluding chapters, you'll discover how to develop SSIS packages designed to maintain a data warehouse using the data flow and other control flow tasks. By the end of this Learning Path, you'll be equipped with the skills you need to design efficient, high-performance database applications with confidence. This Learning Path includes content from the following Packt books: SQL Server 2017 Developer's Guide by Milos Radivojevic, Dejan Sarka, et. al SQL Server 2017 Integration Services Cookbook by Christian Cote, Dejan Sarka, et. al What you will learn Use columnstore indexes to make storage and performance improvements Extend database design solutions using temporal tables Exchange JSON data between applications and SQL Server Migrate historical data to Microsoft Azure by using Stretch Database Design the architecture of a modern Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) solution Implement ETL solutions using Integration Services for both on-premise and Azure data Who this book is for This Learning Path is for database developers and solution architects looking to develop ETL solutions with SSIS, and explore the new features in SSIS 2017. Advanced analysis practitioners, business intelligence developers, and database consultants dealing with performance tuning will also find this book useful. Basic understanding of database concepts and T-SQL is required to get the best out of this Learning Path.

What did you think of my very first solo podcast? If you haven't listened to it yet, go to Analytics on Fire - 31: My Top BI User Adoption Hacks (Part 1). Today is Part 2, where I wrap up my list of top BI User Adoption hacks to help you be successful. Use adoption is the only KPI that BI teams should be focused on IMO. Enjoy and I'd love your feedback!

Sponsor

This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our first workshop coming up on Sept 17-19 almost full and VIP is sold out! Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with the tools and techniques to truly engage your users. Register today

Enjoyed the Show?  Please leave us a review on iTunes.   For all links and resources mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/32

Explore how data analytics leaders can balance the use of specialists and generalists.

Originally published at https://www.eckerson.com/articles/specialists-or-generalists

I'm so nervous that my armpits are sweating! But I'm trying something new and different. Solo podcasts focused on topics that you voted you need help with. 

Today's topic is, My Top 10 BI User Adoption Hacks (Part 1). User adoption is a problem that most BI teams experience regardless of how great our dashboards perform or look, so I created a checklist of items that should evoke action.

Sponsor

This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our first workshop coming up on Sept 17-19 almost full and VIP is sold out! Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with the tools and techniques to truly engage your users. Register today!

Enjoyed the Show?  Please leave us a review on iTunes.   For all links and resources mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/31

Now expanded and updated with modern best practices, this is the most complete guide to Microsoft's DAX language for business intelligence, data modeling, and analytics. Expert Microsoft BI consultants Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari help you master everything from table functions through advanced code and model optimization. You'll learn exactly what happens under the hood when you run a DAX expression, and use this knowledge to write fast, robust code. This edition focuses on examples you can build and run with the free Power BI Desktop, and helps you make the most of the powerful syntax of variables (VAR) in Power BI, Excel, or Analysis Services. Want to leverage all of DAX's remarkable capabilities? This no-compromise "deep dive" is exactly what you need. Related Content Video: Introduction to Microsoft Power BI (Video), Data Analysis Fundamentals with Excel (Video) Perform powerful data analysis with DAX for Power BI, SQL Server, and Excel · Master core DAX concepts, including calculated columns, measures, and calculation groups · Work efficiently with basic and advanced table functions · Understand evaluation contexts and the CALCULATE and CALCULATETABLE functions · Perform time-based calculations · Use calculation groups and calculation items · Use syntax of variables (VAR) to write more readable, maintainable code · Express diverse and unusual relationships with DAX, including many-to-many relationships and bidirectional filters · Master advanced optimization techniques, and improve performance in aggregations · Optimize data models to achieve better compression · Measure DAX query performance with DAX Studio and learn how to optimize your DAX

There's no one else better qualified than myself, Mico Yuk, to turn BI naysayers into superfans using the BI Dashboard Formula (BIDF) methodology than today's guest, Ron Reago. It's his superpower! I met Ron in June of 2012, and he's the pinnacle of what our BIDF methodology can do for one's career and company. He's BIDF's #1 global champion in the world, a low-key but well-respected oil/gas executive and a super-smart leader. In this epic episode of AoF, Ron candidly shares his successes and failures in BI, and how you too can turn doubtful users into raving fans by changing 'the story'. So much knowledge bombs.. enjoy! Sponsor

This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our first workshop coming up on Sept 17-19 almost full! Join us and consider upgrading to a VIP. Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with a clear BI delivery action plan. Register today!

Enjoyed the Show? Please leave us a review on iTunes.   For all links and resources mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/30

While most BI teams are shrinking, Ericsson's Analytics team has grown to triple digits in the last five years, to bring the 5G evolution to life! If you're not familiar with 5G, it's the next generation of cellular network technology that is 100 times faster than 4G! Crazy I know! I met Bjorn six years ago when Ericsson hired our team to help them create analytics to support the LTE evolution. As the Head of Automation and Analytics at Ericsson Networks, Bjorn Johansson shares his lessons learned from scaling up so quickly, his unique philosophy around analytics, and key tips to scale any BI team!   Sponsor

This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our first workshop coming up from Sept 17-19 is 75% full! Join us and consider upgrading to a VIP. Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with a clear BI delivery action plan. Register today!

Enjoyed the Show? Please leave us a review on iTunes.   For all links and resources mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/29

Are you still struggling to create and build a good social media presence in the data space? This week, I talk with real-life data analytics and BI rockstar, Kate Strachnyi. Kate is a Program Manager and Consultant of Data Analytics, as well as an author, blogger, and LinkedIn "Top-Voice" in data analytics with well over 50,000+ followers. In this knowledge filled BI masterclass, Kate teaches you the importance of social media and the exact steps you can take to up your social media game and become a rockstar!  

Sponsor

This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our first workshop coming up from Sept 17-19 is 75% full! Join us and consider upgrading to a VIP. Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with a clear BI delivery action plan. Register today!

Enjoyed the Show? Please leave us a review on iTunes.   For all links and resources mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/28

Are you data-informed or data driven? My guest this week, Ella Hilal, the Director of Data at Shopify explains exactly why being data-informed is more important than being data-driven. Ella works at Shopify, a unicorn company in Canada that handles over $100B per year in e-commerce transactions and is growing 60%+ year over year. Besides dealing with insane amounts of data, Ella is an award-winning professor with more accolades than we can list here. Listen as Ella clarifies what it means to be a leader, and explains why being data informed is to key to transforming your organizations' data culture! Golden nuggets galore here folks.. enjoy!

Sponsor

This exciting season of AOF is sponsored by our BI Data Storytelling Mastery Accelerator 3-Day Live workshop. Our first workshop coming up from Sept 17-19 is 70% full! Join us and consider upgrading to a VIP. Many BI teams are still struggling to deliver consistent, high-engaging analytics their users love. At the end of three days, you'll leave with a clear BI delivery action plan. Register today!

Enjoyed the Show? Please leave us a review on iTunes.   For all links and resources mentioned visit: https://bibrainz.com/podcast/27