COURSE 3: DECISIONS, DECISIONS: DASHBOARDS AND REPORTS

Module 1: Business Intelligence Visualizations

GOOGLE BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE

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INTRODUCTION – Business Intelligence Visualizations


In this comprehensive course, participants will delve into the foundational elements of Business Intelligence (BI) dashboards, gaining a nuanced understanding of their unique characteristics compared to other data analytics dashboards. The curriculum begins by demystifying the core components that distinguish BI dashboards, offering insights into their purpose, structure, and how they function within the broader context of data analysis. Learners will acquire a solid foundation, enabling them to discern the specific attributes that make BI dashboards powerful tools for extracting actionable insights.

A significant focus of the course is on the utilization of dynamic visualizations to address pertinent business questions. Participants will explore the art and science of creating visual representations that not only convey complex data in an accessible manner but also possess the agility to adapt to changing business needs. By delving into dynamic visualizations, learners will gain proficiency in crafting dashboards that go beyond static representations, offering a responsive and intuitive platform for data interpretation.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand how BI visualizations answer a business question.
  • Understand how BI visualizations rely on trade-offs among various design approaches.
  • Create low-fidelity mockups to plan BI visualizations.
  • Explore and use different dashboard tools.
  • Explain how a dashboard answers business questions.
  • Describe messaging and interpretations based on a dashboard.
  • Create a mockup and plan for building a dashboard.
  • Explore dashboarding tools for dynamic visualizations.

PRACTICE QUIZ: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: DATA VISUALIZATIONS AND DASHBOARDS

1. A business intelligence professional wants to answer ongoing business questions, and these answers are likely to change over time. Therefore, they choose to use dynamic visualizations in their dashboard. In this situation, what is the primary benefit of dynamic visualizations?

  • They are interactive. (CORRECT)
  • They are printed.
  • They are constant.
  • They are static.

Correct: A dynamic visualization is interactive or changes over time. This allows BI professionals to track and monitor the data relevant to answering ongoing business questions.

2. What is the primary goal of the stories told by dashboards?

  • To provide important information about what’s currently happening (CORRECT)
  • To display raw data as comprehensively as possible
  • To gather and present all available data about a single metric
  • To provide important information about what previously happened

Correct: The primary goal of the stories told by dashboards is to provide important information about what’s currently happening.

3. Who typically uses business intelligence tools in order to make informed decisions?

  • Customers
  • Business intelligence professionals
  • Stakeholders (CORRECT)
  • Data governance professionals

Correct: Stakeholders use business intelligence tools in order to make informed decisions.

PRACTICE QUIZ: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: PLANNING A DASHBOARD

1. What is the term for a simple draft of a visualization that is used when planning a dashboard?

  • Summary table
  • Low-fidelity mockup (CORRECT)
  • Gauge chart
  • Data model

Correct: A low-fidelity mockup is a simple draft of a visualization that is used when planning a dashboard.

2. Fill in the blank: If a business intelligence professional creates a dashboard without considering the _____, there is likely to be an audience problem.

  • Time period
  • Users (CORRECT)
  • Hardware
  • Software

Correct: If a business intelligence professional creates a dashboard without considering the users, there is likely to be an audience problem.

3. A business intelligence team collects and prepares data for a presentation to stakeholders. Then, they consider available visualization tools, as well as the team’s user interfaces and workstreams. In this situation, what is the primary purpose of the visualization tools?

  • To represent and communicate data insights (CORRECT)
  • To critique business needs
  • To confirm that the data is compatible
  • To evaluate dashboard progress

Correct: The primary purpose of business intelligence visualization tools is to represent data for a dashboard.

QUIZ: MODULE 1 CHALLENGE

1. Which of the following statements correctly describes business intelligence visualizations? Select all that apply.

  • The data used in business intelligence visualizations is static.
  • The data used in business intelligence visualizations continuously updates in order to lend new insights. (CORRECT)
  • Business intelligence visualizations are built, designed, and maintained over time. (CORRECT)
  • Business intelligence visualizations are dynamic. (CORRECT)

2. Fill in the blank: Business intelligence professionals constantly improve their dashboards in order to enable users to _____ on their own.

  • Maintain datasets
  • Build dashboards
  • Troubleshoot data transfer
  • Interpret data (CORRECT)

3. What are some key benefits of sharing a low-fidelity mockup with dashboard users? Select all that apply.

  • Create better static reports
  • Avoid potential errors (CORRECT)
  • Find and rectify incorrect assumptions (CORRECT)
  • Enhance collaboration and get feedback (CORRECT)

4. A dashboard is running slowly because it tracks and features more data than necessary. What type of problem is occurring?

  • Data problem (CORRECT)
  • Visualization problem
  • Tool problem
  • Audience problem

5. A company’s server keeps crashing because too many people are editing the same visualization. What type of problem is this company experiencing?

  • Visualization problem
  • Tool problem (CORRECT)
  • Data problem
  • Audience problem

6. A dashboard includes metrics that are irrelevant to users. What type of problem needs to be fixed?

  • Visualization problem
  • Tool problem
  • Data problem
  • Audience problem (CORRECT)

7. Fill in the blank: One strategy to avoid _____ problems involves considering the needs of different team members when building a single dashboard for multiple users.

  • Audience (CORRECT)
  • Maturity
  • Data
  • Tool

8. What steps do business intelligence professionals take when empowering users to interpret dashboard data on their own? Select all that apply.

  • Analyze the data and present findings
  • Determine what the dashboard needs to do (CORRECT)
  • Maintain and improve the dashboard (CORRECT)
  • Build the appropriate tool (CORRECT)

9. A business intelligence professional is collaborating with dashboard users in order to find and rectify incorrect assumptions. What tool will enable them to improve this process?

  • Data visualization
  • Data storytelling
  • Low-fidelity mockup (CORRECT)
  • Hypothesis testing

10. Which of the following issues are examples of tool problems? Select all that apply.

  • A dashboard is ineffective because it includes incorrect datasets.
  • A server crashes because too many people are editing the same visualization. (CORRECT)
  • Systems are overwhelmed because of the volume of metrics being tracked. (CORRECT)
  • The wrong software or hardware was selected for the project. (CORRECT)

11. Which of the following statements correctly describe data analytics and business intelligence visualizations? Select all that apply.

  • Data analytics visualizations are used to monitor data that is relevant to an ongoing business question.
  • Business intelligence visualizations are used to represent data that is relevant to a single business decision.
  • Business intelligence visualizations are used to monitor data that is relevant to an ongoing business question. (CORRECT)
  • Data analytics visualizations are used to represent data that is relevant to a single business question. (CORRECT)

12. A business intelligence professional discovers that the dashboard they created is missing critical information that stakeholders need. What type of problem is occurring?

  • Audience problem
  • Visualization problem
  • Data problem (CORRECT)
  • Tool problem

13. Which of the following issues are examples of audience problems? Select all that apply.

  • The business intelligence team selected a software that is not approved by their company.
  • Necessary dashboard data is inaccessible and therefore cannot be imported.
  • A dashboard includes private information that users are not permitted to access. (CORRECT)
  • A dashboard includes metrics that are irrelevant to users. (CORRECT)

14. Fill in the blank: One strategy to avoid data problems involves planning how dashboard data will be _____ and accessed.

  • Cleaned
  • Analyzed
  • Imported (CORRECT)
  • Filtered

15. Which of the following statements correctly describe data analytics and business intelligence visualizations? Select all that apply.

  • Stakeholders use the insights from business intelligence visualizations to make a single business decision.
  • Stakeholders use the insights from data analytics visualizations to make decisions both now and in the future.
  • Stakeholders use the insights from data analytics visualizations to make a single business decision. (CORRECT)
  • Stakeholders use the insights from business intelligence visualizations to make decisions both now and in the future. (CORRECT)

16. In order to empower stakeholders, a business intelligence professional determines what their dashboard needs to do. What other steps are taken to help dashboard users interpret data on their own? Select all that apply.

  • Analyze dashboard data and present findings
  • Maintain the dashboard (CORRECT)
  • Improve the dashboard (CORRECT)
  • Build the appropriate dashboard tool (CORRECT)

17. At what point in the dashboard-iteration process do business intelligence professionals create low-fidelity mockups?

  • During the visualization design process
  • During the planning and evaluation stages (CORRECT)
  • During data analysis
  • During data transfer

18. A company’s systems are overwhelmed because of the volume of metrics being tracked by their dashboards. What type of problem is this company experiencing?

  • Data problem
  • Audience problem
  • Tool problem (CORRECT)
  • Visualization problem

19. Which of the following statements correctly describe data analytics and business intelligence visualizations? Select all that apply.

  • Data analytics visualizations are used to monitor data that is relevant to an ongoing business question.
  • Business intelligence visualizations are used to represent data that is relevant to a single business decision.
  • Business intelligence visualizations are used to monitor data that is relevant to an ongoing business question. (CORRECT)
  • Data analytics visualizations are used to represent data that is relevant to a single business question. (CORRECT)

20. Why might a business intelligence professional choose to use a dynamic visualization in a dashboard?

  • They want data in the visualization to remain constant.
  • They want the visualization to shift from general to more specific information.
  • They want the visualization to be interactive or change over time. (CORRECT)
  • They want the visualization to be annotated.

Correct: A business intelligence professional might choose to use a dynamic visualization if they want it to be interactive or change over time.

21. A company’s servers are overwhelmed because they are being used to track too many key performance indicators. What type of problem is this company experiencing?

  • Tool problem (CORRECT)
  • Data problem
  • Security problem
  • Audience problem

Correct: This company is experiencing a tool problem, which is a dashboard issue involving its hardware or software.

CONCLUSION – Business Intelligence Visualizations

In conclusion, this comprehensive course serves as an illuminating journey into the foundational principles and practical applications of Business Intelligence (BI) dashboards. Participants have acquired a thorough understanding of how BI dashboards distinguish themselves within the realm of data analytics, laying the groundwork for leveraging these tools effectively. The exploration of dynamic visualizations has equipped learners with the skills to craft dashboards that transcend static representations, providing a dynamic and responsive interface for interpreting complex data.

A key takeaway from this course is the recognition of a dashboard’s interactivity as a strategic enabler for stakeholders. The understanding developed around interactive elements empowers users to engage with data on a deeper level, fostering a collaborative environment where insights can be uncovered, hypotheses tested, and decisions informed. As participants conclude this learning journey, they are poised to not only construct visually compelling BI dashboards but also to harness the full potential of interactivity in driving impactful and data-driven decision-making processes within their respective organizations.

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