Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | This spring semester at the University of Texas at Dallas, I had the opportunity to take Foundations of Business Intelligence & Analytics with Professor Gaurav Shekhar. This class is one of the most valuable courses I have taken throughout my Information Technology & Systems degree. In this class, I was able to learn how to use different analytical and software tools. Professor Shekhar offered us great support with hands-on experience with BI concepts and Analytics tools which greatly expanded my knowledge. With the knowledge base, it would be pretty easy to implement the obtained analytical tools in future workplaces.
Concepts Learned
- MS SQL Server 2014
- SQL Server Management Studio
- Microsoft Visual Studio
- SQL Server Data Tools
- Tableau 10.4
What I did
Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | The concepts learned were an eye-opener and opened a new form of discovery. The concept that was very practical to me was the use of Tableau, which is an interactive data visualization tool. Tableau helped me to perceive data in an easy, organized manner, allowing easy data interpretation. During the class, we were able to learn how to build a number of graphs as well as visualizations to come up with a dashboard that would help showcase the data being interpreted. Also, software such as MS SQL Server 2014, SQL Server Management Studio, and SQL Server Data Tools 2015 was very easy to work with. For instance, I used SQL Server 2014 to extract, and transform data into a data warehouse. Oracle was also essential as I used it to create database scripts.
Data in the current world
Data in the current world has become very vital. Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | Data allows different organizations to understand and predict trends and come up with suitable solutions. For example, with the COVID-19 data that we analyzed, it is very possible to offer solutions using the current trends and avoid worsening of the situations. The use of Business Intelligence (BI) is substantially helping organizations to come up with suitable decisions with the help of data. Furthermore, tools such as Tableau, SQL Server, and Visual Studio allow businesses access to new information.
Group Project
During this course, we were given a final group project which consisted of choosing a dataset and creating a storyboard from that dataset. Our group decided to analyze the COVID-19 Global dataset found on Kaggle. Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | The dataset was very pertinent considering the impact COVID-19 had on the world. Our groups particularly had this set of data as most of the world’s nations are still trying to find a suitable solution for its medication.
Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | After looking at the daily data set on the past coronavirus pandemic, the data was narrowed down to focus on the effects of Covid-19 on the world’s economy, the steps being taken to prevent the virus, and the countries with the highest confirmed cases and deaths. Finally, the analysis of the three factors helped us to highlight a Tableau story through the use of lollipop charts, world maps, and bubble charts. The project ended with our group presenting it to the class and a group of judges.
Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | I would like to thank Professor Gaurav Shekar for being an incredible amount of help during class and outside of class. I would also like to thank my group members Pooja, Caleb, Aleena, and Sukhmani as well for being a wonderful group and working hard to collaborate during our semester project.
Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | What if a course not only taught you the fundamentals, but gave you the tools to thrive in the real world? That’s how I felt when I took “Foundations of Business Intelligence”, a course that covered theoretical concepts like many other college courses, while also integrating classroom-learning with industry-ready skills.
This course introduced business tools that are widely used today: Tableau, Microsoft Visual Studio, SAP, and Alteryx, each meticulously chosen by Professor for its ability to resemble real-world applications.
As one of the most popular data visualization tools, Tableau was the centerpiece of this course. Apart from creating basic bar and line charts, I had the chance to explore advanced charts like Sunburst Charts by leveraging dual axes and dummy variables. Charts like these help tell compelling stories with data, which are essential for Data Oriented roles like Business analysts or Data Scientists.
Microsoft Visual Studio & SAP
Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | Unlike traditional SQL servers, Visual Studio offers multidimensional capabilities such as cubes, shared data sources, and reports. Through the remote desktop, I learned to construct cubes that visualize KPIs and build analyze-ready data structures. Visual Studio also incorporates SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services), which simplifies report creation. With SSRS, I could drag files into a table format, add headings, create parameters, and instantly view detailed reports. Its simplicity makes it highly user-friendly. In contrast, SAP is more adaptable in terms of formatting and customization, making it suitable for enterprise resource planning (ERP) processes. Together, SSRS and SAP provided a dual perspective on report building. SSR simplifies report creation and ease of use, whereas SAP offers a more advanced customization for complex workflows.
Alteryx
Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | Alteryx was the final tool, known for its data building and workflow automation. By generating workflows and streamlining processes, I saw how this tool speeds up ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes and simplifies the path of transforming raw data into actionable insights. This tool will soon be a game-changer for industries that value precision and efficiency, such as finance or marketing.
On a broader note, these tools cover the critical aspects of business intelligence:
- Tableau – data visualization
- Microsoft Visual Studio – multidimensional analytics
- SAP – report generation
- Alteryx – workflow automation
Key Takeaways
What truly sets this course apart is how the theoretical framework ties into the applications. Business inteligence Course in Visakhapatnam | Concepts such as ETL, OLAP vs. OLTP, and the Five Process Dimensional Framework were brought up when using these platforms. Understanding these fundamentals is essential for transforming raw data into predictive insights and building robust analytics pipelines.
In summary, “Foundations of Business Intelligence” has been a highly valuable course, thanks to Professor Gaurav Shekhar‘s guidance and technical expertise. His approach to seamlessly integrating theory with practical exercises has equipped me with industry-ready skills that will resonate beyond the classroom. Whether it’s creating insightful dashboards in Tableau or analyzing multidimensional cubes in Visual Studio, this course has enabled me to confidently step into roles where data drives decisions.
