Business Intelligence Analyst Jobs

A business intelligence analyst’s role is quite similar to that of a business analyst. Indeed, both are tasked with identifying problems or opportunities for improvement in order to optimize a company’s processes. They also create a link between business and IT, allowing better communication between the two sides. However, the main difference between them arises from the scope of their work, as business analysts may focus on a particular department, whereas BI analysts focus on a company’s output as a whole.

In more detail

BI analysts analyze their company’s financial and marketing data, business processes and requirements. It is common for BI analysts to be tasked with developing procedures for data collection, processing, and analysis. They frequently use various business intelligence tools to understand trends and gain insights from the available data. In turn, this helps them identify areas for improvement. Some common BI tools include SAP Business Intelligence, Microsoft Power BI, Oracle BI, and more. Using these, they can draw comparisons with other companies in order to evaluate their performance and competitiveness, and how they can be improved. Additionally, they can gain insights about the most and least effective products and services of their organization. BI analysts should also be aware of technology trends in order to make suggestions about new products that can help meet their company’s goals. Finally, they are responsible for presenting their findings to stakeholders and proposing solutions.

In order to work in Business Intelligence, data analysis skills are paramount. It is also important to be proficient in data mining, modeling, and visualization. As such, a degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Finance, or related field is required. In-depth knowledge of statistics is a further plus, as is the possession of SQL server skills. Experience with technologies such as C#, Python, Hadoop, SharePoint, and one or more BI tools is an asset. Furthermore, soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving are essential.