Introduction

In today's fast-paced business environment, the ability for business users to independently access, analyze, and visualize data without heavy reliance on IT departments is transforming decision-making, driving agility, and fostering a truly data-driven culture. Self-Service BI and Data Discovery empowers individuals across an organization to explore data, uncover insights, and create their own reports and dashboards, accelerating the path from raw data to actionable intelligence. This training course is meticulously designed to equip business analysts, department managers, data enthusiasts, marketing and sales professionals, and executives with cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills in understanding the principles of self-service BI, mastering data preparation techniques for user-friendliness, leveraging intuitive data discovery tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Qlik Sense), designing effective visualizations and interactive dashboards, and understanding the governance frameworks necessary to ensure data quality and trust in a self-service environment. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to confidently navigate data landscapes, generate their own insights, and contribute significantly to an organization's analytical capabilities.

Duration

10 days

Target Audience

• Business Analysts
• Department Managers & Team Leaders
• Marketing & Sales Professionals
• Financial Analysts
• Operations Managers
• Aspiring Data Analysts
• Decision-Makers in various departments
• Anyone seeking to perform independent data analysis
• IT professionals supporting self-service BI initiatives

Objectives

• Understand the core concepts and benefits of Self-Service BI and Data Discovery.
• Master data preparation and modeling techniques for user-friendly analysis.
• Develop proficiency in using leading self-service BI tools for data exploration.
• Learn to design and create effective data visualizations and interactive dashboards.
• Understand how to connect to various data sources and integrate disparate datasets.
• Explore basic analytical techniques for uncovering business insights.
• Develop skills in publishing, sharing, and collaborating on self-service content.
• Learn about the importance of data governance and data literacy in a self-service context.
• Understand best practices for dashboard design and data storytelling.
• Formulate strategies for promoting and managing self-service BI adoption.
• Apply self-service BI principles to solve real-world business challenges.

Course Content

Module 1. Introduction to Self-Service BI and Data Discovery

• Defining Self-Service BI: Its evolution, benefits, and challenges
• Data Discovery: What it is and how it differs from traditional BI
• The role of business users in the data ecosystem
• Key characteristics of effective self-service BI tools
• Case studies of successful self-service BI implementations

Module 2. Understanding Your Data: Fundamentals for Self-Service

• Data Types: Structured, semi-structured, unstructured data
• Data Sources: Databases, spreadsheets, cloud apps, web services
• Data Granularity: Understanding the level of detail in data
• Basic data profiling: Identifying data characteristics and potential issues
• The importance of clean and well-structured data

Module 3. Data Preparation for Self-Service Users (Low-Code/No-Code Tools)

• Overview of Data Preparation Tools: Power Query (Excel/Power BI), Tableau Prep, Alteryx (conceptual)
• Connecting to and importing data
• Basic data transformations: Renaming, reordering, changing data types
• Cleaning data: Handling nulls, duplicates, errors
• Merging and appending datasets for comprehensive views

Module 4. Introduction to Power BI for Self-Service

• Power BI Desktop Interface: Report, Data, Model views
• Connecting to common data sources (Excel, CSV)
• Basic data transformations in Power Query Editor
• Creating simple relationships in the Data Model
• Building basic visuals and interacting with them

Module 5. Building Interactive Dashboards in Power BI

• Designing Power BI Reports: Layout, visual selection, formatting
• Using Slicers and Filters for interactivity
• Drill-down and Drill-through functionalities
• Creating simple calculated columns and measures with DAX basics
• Publishing and sharing reports to Power BI Service

Module 6. Introduction to Tableau for Self-Service

• Tableau Desktop Interface: Worksheets, Dashboards, Stories
• Connecting to common data sources (Excel, CSV)
• Understanding Dimensions and Measures
• Creating basic charts: Bar, Line, Pie, Scatter Plots
• Filtering, Sorting, and Grouping data

Module 7. Crafting Visualizations and Dashboards in Tableau

• Designing Tableau Dashboards: Layout, objects, actions
• Using Filters and Parameters for dynamic views
• Building interactive dashboards: Filter Actions, Highlight Actions
• Creating calculated fields with basic Tableau formulas
• Publishing and sharing workbooks to Tableau Public/Server/Online

Module 8. Introduction to Qlik Sense for Self-Service

• Qlik Sense Hub and App Overview: Creating new apps
• Data Load Editor: Simple scripting for data loading
• Associative Data Model: Understanding its unique search capabilities
• Smart Search for quick data exploration
• Creating basic visualizations and exploring data through selections

Module 9. Exploring Data and Creating Stories in Qlik Sense

• Designing Qlik Sense Sheets: Layout, master items
• Using filters, list boxes, and selection tools for data discovery
• Crafting data stories from your insights
• Collaboration and sharing apps in Qlik Sense
• Understanding the impact of the associative model on analysis

Module 10. Principles of Effective Data Visualization for Business Users

• Choosing the Right Chart: Matching chart type to data and message
• Principles of visual design: Clarity, simplicity, consistency
• Using color, size, and shape effectively
• Avoiding common visualization pitfalls and misleading charts
• Designing for different types of data (e.g., categorical, temporal, geographical)

Module 11. Data Storytelling for Business Impact

• What is Data Storytelling?: Beyond charts to narrative
• Identifying your audience and their needs
• Structuring your data narrative: Problem, insights, recommendations
• Using annotations, callouts, and text to guide understanding
• Presenting insights to drive action

Module 12. Data Literacy for Self-Service BI

• Importance of Data Literacy: Reading, working with, analyzing, and arguing with data
• Understanding data definitions and business rules
• Critical thinking about data: Bias, correlation vs. causation
• Basic statistical concepts for data interpretation
• Fostering a culture of data curiosity

Module 13. Data Governance for Self-Service BI

• Balancing Agility with Control: Centralized vs. decentralized data
• Data quality standards and monitoring for self-service
• Metadata management: Data dictionaries, data catalogs
• Data security and privacy awareness for business users
• Establishing clear roles and responsibilities in a self-service environment

Module 14. Best Practices for Self-Service BI Adoption

• User Training and Support: Empowering users through education
• Creating a Center of Excellence (CoE) for self-service BI
• Fostering a community of practice
• Providing curated data sources and templates
• Measuring the success of self-service initiatives

Module 15. Advanced Concepts and Future Trends in Self-Service BI

• Introduction to AI/ML in Self-Service Tools: Augmented analytics, natural language query
• Real-time data and streaming analytics
• Data apps and low-code/no-code platforms
• Ethical considerations in self-service data analysis
• The evolving role of the citizen data scientist.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 7 working days before commencement of the training.