Decisions, Decisions: Dashboards and Reports

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/decisions-decisions-dashboards-and-reports

Introduction

### Course Review: Decisions, Decisions: Dashboards and Reports Are you ready to take your business intelligence skills to the next level? If so, the **“Decisions, Decisions: Dashboards and Reports”** course on Coursera is the perfect opportunity for you to enhance your expertise in building impactful business intelligence (BI) visualizations. As the final segment of the Google Business Intelligence Certificate, this course not only synthesizes the skills acquired in the previous two courses but also deepens your understanding of the crucial role of BI dashboards in decision-making processes. #### Course Overview In this course, you will gain essential insights and hands-on experience in addressing stakeholder needs, planning and creating effective BI visuals, and designing dynamic reporting tools, including dashboards. Additionally, you will learn how to formulate answers to complex business questions using interactive dashboards that can track and analyze data over extended periods. The guidance from Google employees who specialize in BI enriches the learning experience and provides practical insights into the industry. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Business Intelligence Visualizations** You will start by understanding the fundamentals of BI dashboards and how they set themselves apart from traditional data analytics dashboards. This section emphasizes the role of dynamic visualizations in addressing business inquiries and illustrates how interactivity within dashboards can empower stakeholders to make informed decisions. 2. **Visualize Results** Here, the course delves into the trade-offs involved in building effective BI visualizations. You will practice creating various types of charts and learn the importance of organizing elements on a dashboard to enhance readability and engagement. The lessons also cover factors that influence processing speed, ensuring that your dashboards run efficiently. 3. **Automate and Monitor** You’ll step into the shoes of a BI professional by engaging with a hypothetical client—practicing your communication skills and understanding their requirements. This real-world scenario will teach you how to automate data monitoring and organize your dashboard elements to ensure they provide long-term insights. 4. **Present Business Intelligence Insights** This section focuses on how to present your dashboards effectively to stakeholders. You'll learn strategies for sharing BI insights, refining your portfolio, updating your resume, and preparing for the BI job interview process. This is an invaluable addition for those who are looking to transition into or advance in a BI career. 5. **Course 3 End-of-Course Project** As you conclude your learning experience, you will work on a portfolio project, building a functional BI dashboard from scratch. You will reference key BI documents to create a low-fidelity mockup, design relevant charts, and finally organize your dashboard for presentation. This project will be a tangible representation of your newfound skills, ready to showcase to potential employers. 6. **Put Your Google Business Intelligence Certificate to Work** In the final module, the course reviews key learnings and opens doors to additional career resources, helping you to step confidently into the BI professional arena. #### Recommendation Overall, “Decisions, Decisions: Dashboards and Reports” is an outstanding course for anyone serious about pursuing a career in business intelligence. The comprehensive curriculum, combined with direct insights from Google professionals, arms you with vital skills in a high-demand field. Whether you are a beginner or someone looking to polish your existing skills, this course is a valuable investment in your professional growth. If you are aim at transforming data into actionable insights and wish to enhance your BI portfolio, I highly recommend enrolling in this course. You will not only acquire practical skills but also gain the confidence needed to engage with stakeholders and contribute meaningfully to your organization’s decision-making processes. Don’t miss this opportunity to build a strong foundation in business intelligence through the guidance of industry experts!

Syllabus

Business intelligence visualizations

You’ll learn about the foundations of BI dashboards, including how they differ from other data analytics dashboards. You’ll also explore how to use dynamic visualizations to answer business questions. Finally, you’ll develop an understanding of how a dashboard’s interactivity empowers stakeholders.

You’ll consider the tradeoffs involved with building a BI visualization, and you’ll practice creating charts and visualizations. You’ll also explore effective ways to organize elements within a dashboard. Finally, you’ll identify factors that contribute to processing speed and how to maximize dashboard performance.

You’ll build charts and organize them to create dashboards that effectively monitor data for the long term. In addition, you’ll put yourself in the role of a BI professional by meeting with a client, practicing question-asking and communication skills, and using the information the client provides to inform your project.

You’ll explore stakeholder presentations and strategies for sharing dashboards with clients. Then, you’ll focus on preparing for the BI interview process by refining your portfolio, updating your resume, practicing interview techniques that demonstrate your skills to recruiters and hiring managers, and more.

You’ll finish working on your portfolio project by building a BI dashboard. You’ll refer to key BI documents to create a low-fidelity mockup, design charts, and organize your dashboard. Your portfolio artifacts will include a mockup and a working dashboard, which will be ready to present to stakeholders.

You’ll review what you’ve learned throughout the Google Business Intelligence Certificate and explore additional career resources to establish yourself as a BI professional.