Business Intelligence Fundamentals: Reporting and Dashboards

Data Analytics and Business Intelligence October 25, 2025
Enquire About This Course

Introduction

This course delivers essential knowledge and skills for creating effective business intelligence solutions, focusing on reporting and dashboard development. Participants will learn to transform raw data into meaningful business information that supports organizational decision-making. The curriculum covers BI tools, data modeling for reporting, and visualization best practices. Through hands-on exercises, learners will design and build interactive dashboards that provide actionable insights to stakeholders across various business functions.

Objectives

Key learning objectives include:

  • Understand BI concepts and architecture
  • Design effective data models for reporting
  • Create interactive and user-friendly dashboards
  • Implement best practices in data visualization
  • Develop automated reporting solutions
  • Apply KPI selection and tracking methods
  • Manage BI project lifecycle
  • Optimize reports for performance and usability

Target Audience

  • BI developers and analysts
  • Business analysts transitioning to BI roles
  • IT professionals involved in reporting systems
  • Data analysts expanding into BI
  • Managers overseeing reporting functions
  • Finance and operations reporting staff

Methodology

The course combines theoretical knowledge with extensive practical application using popular BI tools. Participants work on real-world scenarios designing reports and dashboards for different business functions. Case studies from various industries provide context for BI implementation challenges. Group activities focus on requirement gathering and design collaboration, while individual exercises build technical proficiency. Mini-case studies address specific reporting challenges, and syndicate discussions explore best practices and solution approaches.

Personal Impact

  • Enhanced ability to design and build effective BI solutions
  • Improved data visualization and presentation skills
  • Stronger understanding of user requirements gathering
  • Increased proficiency with BI tools and technologies
  • Better project management skills for BI initiatives
  • Developed critical thinking for data presentation

Organizational Impact

  • Standardized reporting across organization
  • Improved decision-making through better data access
  • Reduced dependency on IT for routine reporting
  • Enhanced data consistency and accuracy
  • Better monitoring of business performance
  • Increased efficiency in information distribution

Course Outline

Unit 1: BI Foundations and Concepts

BI Architecture and Components
  • BI system components and architecture
  • Data warehouses and data marts
  • ETL processes in BI
  • BI tools and platforms overview

Unit 2: Data Modeling for Reporting

Dimensional Modeling
  • Star and snowflake schemas
  • Fact and dimension tables
  • Relationship design and management
  • Data aggregation strategies
Data Preparation for BI
  • Data cleaning for reporting
  • Data transformation techniques
  • Performance optimization
  • Data refresh strategies

Unit 3: Report Design and Development

Reporting Fundamentals
  • Report types and purposes
  • Layout and design principles
  • Parameter and filter implementation
  • Subscription and distribution methods
Advanced Reporting Features
  • Interactive report elements
  • Drill-through and drill-down capabilities
  • Mobile reporting considerations
  • Report security and access control

Unit 4: Dashboard Design Principles

Effective Dashboard Design
  • Dashboard layout and organization
  • Visual hierarchy and information density
  • Color theory and application
  • User experience principles
Dashboard Interactivity
  • Navigation and filtering controls
  • Dynamic content display
  • Cross-filtering implementation
  • User personalization features

Unit 5: KPI and Metric Management

Performance Measurement
  • KPI selection and definition
  • Target setting and benchmarking
  • Trend analysis and performance tracking
  • Alert and notification setup

Unit 6: BI Implementation and Management

BI Project Management
  • Requirements gathering for BI
  • Development methodologies
  • Testing and quality assurance
  • Deployment and maintenance
BI Best Practices
  • Performance optimization techniques
  • Security implementation
  • Version control and change management
  • User training and support

Ready to Learn More?

Have questions about this course? Get in touch with our training consultants.

Submit Your Enquiry