Getting Started in Business Analytics & Data Science

Good business analysts are “bilingual” – able to speak fluently to both business managers and IT folks.   Here are a few next steps and concrete resources to dive into analytics and start building expertise:

1. Take a course on analytics, like this one from Loras College

2. Join the IIBA and get certified in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge

3. Read up on better practices, especially books from Stephen Few at http://www.perceptualedge.com and for the fundamentals of information design, I love Edward Tufte’s work

4. Play with some tools:

• IBM Watson free trial
• Tableau free trial
• Oracle’s new Data Visualization cloud service free trial

5. Join a community of like-minded people:

• All Analytics
• Your local chapter of the IIBA
• A LinkedIn group like this one (with over 150,000 members)