Introduction

In today's data-saturated business landscape, merely having data and tools is insufficient; organizations must develop a robust Business Intelligence (BI) Strategy and Governance framework to ensure that data assets are effectively leveraged, insights are trustworthy, and decision-making is consistently data-driven across all levels. A well-defined BI strategy aligns data initiatives with overarching business objectives, while strong governance ensures data quality, security, compliance, and ethical use, transforming BI from a collection of tools into a powerful strategic asset. This training course is meticulously designed to equip business leaders, IT managers, data architects, BI managers, data governance professionals, and project managers with cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills in understanding the strategic value of BI, mastering the development of a comprehensive BI roadmap, establishing effective data governance policies and frameworks, optimizing organizational structures for BI success, navigating data security and compliance challenges, and fostering a data-driven culture that maximizes the return on BI investments. Participants will gain a holistic understanding of how to plan, implement, and sustain a mature BI ecosystem that delivers consistent, reliable, and actionable insights to drive organizational performance and competitive advantage.

Duration

10 days

Target Audience

• Business Leaders & Executives
• IT Managers & Directors
• BI Managers & Leads
• Data Architects & Strategists
• Data Governance Professionals
• Project Managers (BI/Data Projects)
• Enterprise Architects
• Data Stewards & Custodians
• Consultants in BI & Data Management
• Anyone responsible for data strategy and implementation

Objectives

• Understand the strategic value and business case for Business Intelligence.
• Master the process of developing a comprehensive BI strategy and roadmap.
• Learn to establish effective data governance frameworks and policies.
• Develop proficiency in designing organizational structures and roles for BI success.
• Understand data quality management, master data management, and metadata management.
• Explore data security, privacy, and compliance regulations in a BI context.
• Learn about BI platform selection, architecture, and deployment models.
• Develop skills in managing BI projects and ensuring user adoption.
• Understand the role of change management in fostering a data-driven culture.
• Formulate strategies for measuring the ROI and value of BI initiatives.
• Apply governance principles to ensure trust, reliability, and ethical use of data.

Course Content

Module 1. Strategic Value and Business Case for Business Intelligence

• Defining BI Strategy: Aligning BI with organizational vision and goals
• The competitive advantage of data-driven decision making
• Building the Business Case for BI: Quantifying ROI, identifying pain points
• Stakeholder analysis and executive buy-in
• Common challenges and success factors in BI adoption

Module 2. Developing a BI Strategy and Roadmap

• Strategic Planning Process: Vision, mission, objectives for BI
• Current State Assessment: Identifying existing data assets, capabilities, gaps
• Future State Definition: Desired BI maturity level
• Roadmap Development: Phased approach, quick wins, long-term initiatives
• Prioritization of BI projects based on business value

Module 3. Data Governance Frameworks and Principles

• What is Data Governance?: Purpose, scope, and benefits
• Key Components: Policies, standards, processes, roles
• Data Governance Models: Centralized, decentralized, federated
• Establishing a Data Governance Council
• Principles of data ethics and responsible AI in BI

Module 4. Organizational Structure and Roles for BI Success

• BI Organizational Models: Centralized, decentralized, hybrid, COE (Center of Excellence)
• Key BI Roles: Data steward, data owner, data architect, BI developer, data analyst
• Defining responsibilities and accountabilities for data assets
• Building cross-functional BI teams
• Talent acquisition and development for BI capabilities

Module 5. Data Quality Management

• Importance of Data Quality: Impact on insights and decisions
• Data Quality Dimensions: Accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, validity
• Data Profiling and Assessment: Identifying data quality issues
• Data Cleansing and Enrichment techniques
• Implementing data quality rules and monitoring

Module 6. Master Data Management (MDM) and Metadata Management

• Master Data Management (MDM): Principles, domains (customer, product, vendor)
• Benefits of MDM for BI: Single source of truth, consistency
• Metadata Management: Technical, business, operational metadata
• Metadata repositories and data catalogs
• Role of MDM and metadata in data governance

Module 7. BI Platform Selection and Architecture

• Evaluating BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Qlik Sense, Looker, etc.
• BI Architecture: Data sources, ETL, data warehouse/lake, reporting layer
• On-premise vs. Cloud vs. Hybrid deployment models
• Scalability, performance, security considerations
• Integration with existing IT infrastructure

Module 8. Data Security, Privacy, and Compliance

• Data Security Best Practices: Encryption, access control, authentication
• Data Privacy Regulations: GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, etc.
• Implementing Row-Level Security (RLS) and object-level security
• Data masking and anonymization
• Auditing and logging for compliance

Module 9. Data Warehousing and Data Lake Strategy

• Data Warehousing Concepts: Kimball vs. Inmon approaches
• Data Lake Concepts: Storing raw, unstructured data
• When to use a data warehouse vs. a data lake
• Data modeling for BI: Dimensional modeling
• Cloud data warehousing solutions (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery, Azure Synapse)

Module 10. BI Project Management and Lifecycle

• Agile BI Development: Iterative approach, rapid prototyping
• BI Project Phases: Requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment
• Stakeholder engagement and communication in BI projects
• Risk management for BI initiatives
• Post-implementation review and continuous improvement

Module 11. User Adoption and Change Management for BI

• Fostering a Data-Driven Culture: Leadership buy-in, communication, training
• User Training Programs: Tailoring content to different user roles
• User Enablement: Self-service BI, user communities, support
• Addressing resistance to change
• Measuring user adoption and engagement

Module 12. Measuring BI ROI and Value

• Defining BI Metrics: Usage, performance, business impact
• Quantifying the value of BI: Cost savings, revenue growth, efficiency gains
• Developing a BI dashboard for BI itself
• Attributing business outcomes to BI initiatives
• Continuous evaluation and refinement of BI strategy

Module 13. Advanced Analytics and AI Integration in BI

• Predictive Analytics: Forecasting, regression
• Prescriptive Analytics: Optimization, recommendations
• Machine Learning (ML) Integration: Embedding ML models into BI tools
• Natural Language Processing (NLP) for conversational BI
• Ethical considerations of AI in BI

Module 14. Data Literacy and Training

• Importance of Data Literacy: For all organizational levels
• Developing data literacy programs for different audiences
• Training on BI tools and data interpretation
• Fostering critical thinking about data and insights
• Building a culture of continuous learning in data

Module 15. Future Trends in Business Intelligence and Data Governance

• Augmented Analytics: AI-powered insights, automated data preparation
• Data Fabric and Data Mesh: Decentralized data architectures
• Digital Twins: Real-time operational intelligence
• Real-time BI and streaming analytics
• The evolving role of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and data governance.

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.