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What does a Business Intelligence do?

Learn all about Business Intelligence duties, skills and much more. Get expert advice on how to become a Business Intelligence.

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Brenna Goyette
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert

Published 4 min read

A business intelligence system gathers and analyzes data to help executives make better business decisions. The system may use data from internal sources, such as financial reports and customer records, or external data, such as economic indicators and demographic trends.

Business Intelligence job duties include:

  • Design and develop data models to support business processes
  • Identify opportunities for business process improvement through data analysis
  • Develop and maintain ETL processes to load data into the data warehouse
  • Write SQL queries to extract data for reporting and analysis
  • Design and create reports and dashboards in Business Intelligence tools
  • Conduct user training on Business Intelligence tools and reporting
  • Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues
  • Manage security settings and user access permissions
  • Stay up-to-date on new Business Intelligence features and functionality

Business Intelligence Job Requirements

A business intelligence analyst is responsible for turning data into insights that help businesses make better decisions. To do this, they must be able to understand and work with complex data sets. They must also be able to communicate their findings to non-technical staff in a way that is easy to understand.

Education: A business intelligence analyst typically has a bachelor's degree in a field such as computer science, statistics, or mathematics.

Certification: While not required, some business intelligence analysts choose to pursue certification through organizations such as the Institute for Business Intelligence or the International Association of Business Analytics.

Experience: Many business intelligence analysts have previous experience working with data in roles such as data analyst or data scientist.

Business Intelligence Skills

  • Analytical skills
  • Communication and presentation skills
  • Data mining
  • Database management
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Creativity
  • Critical thinking
  • Organizational skills
  • Time management skills
  • Programming skills

Related: Top Business Intelligence Skills: Definition and Examples

How to become a Business Intelligence

The job of a business intelligence analyst is to help organizations make better decisions by providing them with accurate and timely information. In order to become a business intelligence analyst, you will need to have strong analytical and problem-solving skills. You will also need to be able to effectively communicate your findings to those who may not be familiar with data analysis.

While there is no specific educational path that you must follow in order to become a business intelligence analyst, most analysts have at least a bachelor’s degree in a field such as computer science, mathematics, or statistics. In addition, many employers prefer candidates who have experience working with data and analytics software programs.

If you are interested in becoming a business intelligence analyst, start by honing your analytical skills and building up your knowledge of data analysis software programs. Then, look for opportunities to put your skills to use in the workplace. With hard work and dedication, you can develop the skills necessary to succeed in this exciting field.

Related: Business Intelligence Resume Example

Related: Business Intelligence Interview Questions (With Example Answers)

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