Course Methodology

This course uses Excel for analyzing complex datasets. Participants will collaborate on analyzing a real-world business case and will be expected to present their data-driven insights in a simulated board meeting.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate the role of data analytics in improving organizational decision making
• Formulate data-driven analytical questions tied to business objectives
• Identify suitable data sources and ensure the accuracy of collected information
• Analyze large datasets using advanced Excel techniques
• Create effective data visualizations and present data-driven insights to stakeholders

Target Audience

Analysts and professionals who are looking to build their data analysis skills as well as those who are interested in improving their decision making capabilities based on data-driven insights

Target Competencies

• Analytical thinking
• Sourcing data
• Validating data
• Structuring data
• Analyzing data
• Data visualization

Data Analytics and Organizational Decision Making 

• The objective of data analytics
• The role of the data analyst
• Data analytics as a set of activities
• Data analytics as a decision-making paradigm
• Data analytics as a set of practices and technologies

Framing the Data Analytics Approach

• Identifying the real issue
• Establishing key metrics
• Understanding the problem
• Using logic trees
• Using the prioritization matrix

Sourcing Data

• Data sources
• Gathering quantitative data
• Using qualitative data
• Benchmarking
• Conducting informational interviews
• Validating data

Analyzing Data

• Preprocessing data
• Exploratory data analysis
• Statistical data analysis
• Prescriptive analysis
• Predictive analysis
• Introduction to machine learning

Communicating Data-Driven Results

• Principles of data visualization
• Creating compelling data visualizations
• Understanding stakeholder needs
• Presenting data-driven insights
• Telling the story behind the data