Course Overview

This course provides a high-level overview of the IBM Cognos Analytics Data Module tool and its underlying architecture to provide learners with the skills necessary to master data modeling using the web-based, self-service capabilities of IBM Cognos Analytics Data Modules. Learners will explore the essential steps in building data modules, from understanding the purpose and workflow of data modeling to creating, refining, and optimizing data structures. The course covers various topics, including relationship joins, data enrichment with calculations and filters, creating navigation paths, and managing data security.

Learners will gain hands-on experience through exercises that enhance their ability to create and customize data modules, ensuring consistency and usability for reporting, dashboarding, and exploration purposes.

By the end of this course, learners should be proficient in developing data modules that integrate multiple data sources, support business analysis, and facilitate informed decision[1]making within the IBM Cognos environment.

Virtual Learning

This interactive training can be taken from any location, your office or home and is delivered by a trainer. This training does not have any delegates in the class with the instructor, since all delegates are virtually connected. Virtual delegates do not travel to this course, Global Knowledge will send you all the information needed before the start of the course and you can test the logins.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, learners should be able to:

  • List several options for data modeling in Cognos Analytics
  • Explain the data modeling workflow
  • Explain how to use AI to discover related tables
  • Describe relationships and relationship joins
  • Create and manage custom tables
  • Describe how to create calculations and filters
  • Describe how to create Navigation Paths
  • Explain how to relink a Data Module
  • Create and use column dependencies

Course Content

Course Introduction

Unit 1. Data Modeling in Cognos Analytics

Unit 2. Create a Data Module

Unit 3. Modify and Refine a Data Module

Unit 4. Create Relationship Joins

Unit 5. Customize Data Modules using Filters and Calculations

Unit 6. Group Data and Create Navigation Paths

Unit 7. Share a Data Module

Unit 8. Advanced Functionality in Data Modules

Course Overview

This offering covers the fundamental concepts of installing and configuring IBM Cognos Analytics, and administering servers and content, in a distributed environment.

In the course, participants will identify requirements for the installation and configuration of a distributed IBM Cognos Analytics software environment, implement security in the environment, and manage the server components.

Students will also monitor and schedule tasks, create data sources, and manage and deploy content in the portal and IBM Cognos Administration.

Virtual Learning

This interactive training can be taken from any location, your office or home and is delivered by a trainer. This training does not have any delegates in the class with the instructor, since all delegates are virtually connected. Virtual delegates do not travel to this course, Global Knowledge will send you all the information needed before the start of the course and you can test the logins.

Course Objectives

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

  • Install and configure IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Implement security
  • Monitor and schedule tasks
  • Create data sources
  • Manage and deploy content in the IBM Cognos portal and administration.

Course Content

Introduction to IBM Cognos Analytics administration 

  • IBM Cognos Analytics components 
  • Administration workflow 
  • IBM Cognos Administration 
  • IBM Cognos Configuration  

Identify IBM Cognos Analytics architecture 

  • Features of the IBM Cognos Analytics architecture 
  • Examine the multi-tiered architecture, and identify logging types and files 
  • Examine IBM Cognos Analytics servlets 
  • Performance and installation planning 
  • Balance the request load 
  • Configure IBM Cognos Analytics  

Secure the IBM Cognos Analytics environment 

  • Identify the IBM Cognos Analytics security model 
  • Define authentication in IBM Cognos Analytics 
  • Define authorization in IBM Cognos Analytics 
  • Identify security policies 
  • Secure the IBM Cognos Analytics environment

Administer the IBM Cognos Analytics server environment 

  • Administer IBM Cognos Analytics servers 
  • Monitor system performance 
  • Manage dispatchers and services 
  • Tune system performance, and troubleshoot the server 
  • Audit logging 
  • Dynamic cube data source administration workflow  

Manage run activities 

  • View current, past, and upcoming activities 
  • Manage schedules  

Manage content in IBM Cognos Administration 

  • Data sources and packages 
  • Manage visualizations in the library 
  • Deployment 
  • Other content management tasks  

Examine departmental administration capabilities 

  • Create and manage team members 
  • Manage activities 
  • Create and manage content and data 
  • Manage system settings 
  • Manage Themes, Extensions, and Views 
  • Share services with multiple tenants

Course Overview

Students will explore IBM Cognos Analytics report authoring and different report object types (list, crosstab, chart, visualization, etc.). They will also create and format reports using grouping, headers, footers, and other formatting options. Also covered is the ability to focus reports by filtering data and using prompts. Students will learn to add value to reports using calculations and additional report-building techniques as well as how to enhance reports with advanced formatting and exceptional data highlighting.

Virtual Learning

This interactive training can be taken from any location, your office or home and is delivered by a trainer. This training does not have any delegates in the class with the instructor, since all delegates are virtually connected. Virtual delegates do not travel to this course, Global Knowledge will send you all the information needed before the start of the course and you can test the logins.

Course Objectives

  • Introduction to IBM Cognos Analytics – Reporting
  • Examine data tables and list reports
  • Create crosstab reports
  • Create visualization reports
  • Focus reports using filters
  • Focus reports using prompts
  • Extend reports using calculations
  • Customize reports with conditional formatting
  • Drill-through definitions
  • Enhance report layout
  • Use additional report building techniques

Course Content

Introduction to IBM Cognos Analytics Reporting

  • Examine IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Reporting and its interface
  • Explore different report types
  • Create reports in preview or design mode
  • Create a simple, sorted, and formatted report
  • Examine dimensionally modeled and dimensional data sources
  • Explore how data items are added queries
  • Examine personal data sources and data modules


Examine data tables and list reports

  • Create a data table
  • Group, format, and sort list reports
  • Describe options for aggregating data
  • Create a multi-fact query
  • Create a report with repeated data
  • Create crosstab reports
  • Format and sort crosstab reports
  • Create complex crosstabs using drag and drop functionality
  • Create crosstabs using unrelated data items

Create visualization reports

  • Understand visualization categories
  • Create and customize visualizations
  • Understand client-side visualizations
  • Create enhanced map visualizations

Focus reports using filters

  • Create filters to narrow the focus of reports
  • Examine detail and summary filters
  • Determine when to apply filters on aggregate data

Focus reports using prompts -Identify various prompt types

  • Use parameters and prompts to focus data
  • Search for prompt types
  • Navigate between pages

Extend reports using calculations

  • Create calculations based on data in the data source
  • Add run-time information to the reports
  • Create expressions using functions

Customize reports with conditional formatting

  • Create multilingual reports
  • Highlight exceptional data
  • Show and hide data
  • Conditionally render objects in reports

Drill-through definitions

  • Introduction to drill-through definitions
  • Navigating to related data
  • Introduction to bookmark references

Enhance report layout

  • Force page breaks in reports
  • Format data and report objects
  • Modify existing report structures

Use additional report building techniques

  • Enhance report design with report objects
  • Add objects to reports
  • Convert a list to a crosstab
  • Reuse objects within the same report
  • Share layout components among separate reports
  • Choose options to handle reports with no available data

Course Overview

This course teaches Professional Report Authors about advanced report building techniques using relational data models, and ways of enhancing, customizing, and managing professional reports. The course builds on topics presented in the Fundamentals course. Attendees will participate in interactive demonstrations and exercises that illustrate key concepts while learning how to use advanced features in the product builds on topics learned in the Fundamentals course.

Virtual Learning

This interactive training can be taken from any location, your office or home and is delivered by a trainer. This training does not have any delegates in the class with the instructor, since all delegates are virtually connected. Virtual delegates do not travel to this course, Global Knowledge will send you all the information needed before the start of the course and you can test the logins.

Course Objectives

  • Create advanced queries
  • Create reports based on query relationships 
  • Examine dimensional concepts 
  • Create advanced dynamic reports
  • Design effective Prompts
  • Create additional advanced reports
  • Examine the report specification 
  • Distribute reports through bursting 
  • Enhance user interaction with HTML 
  • Examine custom controls

Course Content

Unit 1: Create query models

  • build query models and then connect them to the report layout
  • edit an SQL statement to author custom queries
  • add filters and prompts to a report using the query models 

Unit 2: Create reports based on query relationships

  • create reports by joining queries
  • combine data containers based on relationships from different queries

Unit 3: Introduction to dimensional reporting concepts and dimensional data in reports 

  • List and describe the data model types 
  • Describe the OLAP data structure and elements 
  • Differentiate between report authoring styles 
  • use members to build reports 
  • identify and use sets and tuples in reports 

Unit 4: Dimensional report context

  • understand report context
  • root members 
  • default members 
  • current members
  • default measures 
  • current measures 

Unit 5: Focus your dimensional data 

  • understand how relational data sources behave 
  • understand how dimensional data sources behave 
  • create efficient queries 
  • understand filtering techniques 
  • use dimensional objects and functions 
  • create slicers and prompts 

Unit 6: Calculations and dimensional functions 

  • understand the different types of dimensional functions within Cognos Analytics 
  • create reports utilizing dimensional functions 
  • use calculations within reports 

Unit 7: Create advanced dynamic reports

  • filter reports on session parameter values 
  • create dynamic headers and titles that reflect report data
  • create a customer invoice report 

Unit 8: Design effective prompts

  • control report displays using prompts 
  • specify conditional formatting values using prompts 
  • create sorted and filtered reports based on prompt selection

Unit 9: Examine the report specification and distribute reports 

  • work with the report specification 
  • report specification flow 
  • considerations when modifying a report specification 
  • Create custom toolbox and template objects 
  • distribute reports using bursting
  • create burst keys
  • identify report recipients and data items using burst tables
  • distribute reports using email and the IBM Cognos Analytics portal 

Unit 10: Enhance user experience with HTML and Custom Controls 

  • create interactive reports by using HTML 
  • Include additional information with tooltips 
  • Send emails by using links in a report
  • understand custom controls 
  • AMD models
  • adding a custom control
  • using JavaScript files 

Unit 11: Advanced techniques

  • understand advanced features 
  • booklet and reference reports 
  • table of contents 
  • tabbed reports
  • classes and class extensions 
  • global parameters
  • create a report binder

Course Overview

This course provides a high-level overview of the IBM Cognos Analytics v12 Data Module tool and its underlying architecture to provide learners with the skills necessary to master data modeling using the web-based, self-service capabilities of IBM Cognos Analytics v12 Data Modules.

Learners will explore the essential steps in building data modules, from understanding the purpose and workflow of data modeling to creating, refining, and optimizing data structures. The course covers various topics, including managing relationships, advanced features and performance optimization, data enrichment with calculations and filters, creating groups and navigation paths, and managing data security.

Learners will gain hands-on experience through exercises that enhance their ability to create and customize data modules, review and modify column properties, creating calculations, filters and data groups, and adding column dependencies. These hands on activities ensure learners practice consistency and usability for reporting, dashboarding, and exploration purposes.

By the end of this course, learners should be proficient in developing data modules that integrate multiple data sources, support business analysis, and facilitate informed decision-making within the IBM Cognos v12 environment.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, learners should be able to:

  • Describe the data modeling workflow, including identifying sources, enriching the module, and testing it.
  • Navigate the Cognos Analytics v12 Data Modules user interface and upload a source file.
  • Demonstrate how to create, edit, and optimize relationships in Cognos Analytics v12, including utilizing the Null Safe option and configuring cardinality for accurate data integration.
  • Organize data modules by hiding, renaming, or removing fields.
  • Use SQL to create a new table by writing and validating a custom query.
  • Configure custom sorting for a specified column and validate its application in reports or dashboards.
  • Utilize the Enhanced Expression Editor to create a custom calculation combining fields from two tables.
  • Design a navigation path and validate functionality in dashboards.
  • Configure row-level security filters, assign permissions, and utilize security definitions.
  • Configure advanced data module functionalities, including column dependencies, bridge tables, and summary tables.
  • And more

Course Content

  • Course Introduction
  • Unit 1: Data Modeling in Cognos Analytics v12
  • Unit 2: Creating Data Modules
  • Unit 3: Managing Relationships
  • Unit 4: Reviewing and Organizing Data Modules
  • Unit 5: Advanced Features and Performance Optimization
  • Unit 6: Customizing Data Modules with Filters and Calculations
  • Unit 7: Grouping Data and Creating Navigation Paths
  • Unit 8: Organizing and Sharing Data Modules
  • Unit 9: Advanced Functionality in Data Modules

Course Overview

Acquire the facilitation skills necessary to effectively manage requirements meetings and workshops.

Business analysts have the responsibility to gather, analyze, and validate business and technical requirements for their projects, thus they need facilitation skills to manage requirements meetings and workshops.

In this highly interactive two-day course, you’ll gain the skills to be an effective facilitator – one who can help stakeholders define their needs and form quantifiable requirements. You’ll learn tested techniques for meeting planning and preparation, brainstorming, analysis, and decision-making. You will have the opportunity to practice these techniques in a safe environment with a trained facilitator who will give you relevant, timely feedback. Advanced topics will also be covered, including virtual facilitation, conflict management, and root cause analysis. You will leave class with the confidence to facilitate a meeting from the planning stages, motivating group participation, building consensus, maintaining session focus, and evaluating results for lessons learned.

Students pursuing a university-recognized and/or accredited certificate in Canada or continuing education units in the US must attend at least 90% of class time, participate in class exercises and section-knowledge checks, and score at least 70% on an end-of-class, multiple-choice assessment.

Course Objectives

  • The role of facilitation in business analysis
  • Plan a facilitated meeting
  • Create an agenda and risk analysis
  • Use the appropriate facilitation techniques in a meeting
  • Plan for and facilitate in a virtual meeting environment
  • Use advanced brainstorming, analysis, and decision-making techniques
  • Manage conflict in a facilitated meeting

Course Content

  • Facilitation Basics:
  • What Facilitation Is
  • The Role of the Facilitator
  • To Facilitate or Not to Facilitate?
  • Benefits of Facilitation
  • Facilitation in Business Analysis
  • Planning a Facilitated Meeting:
  • Why Planning is Critical
  • Defining the Purpose
  • The Facilitated Meeting Planning Worksheet
  • Key Characteristics of Participants
  • Meeting Risks and Responses
  • Facilitation Techniques:
  • Building an Agenda
  • Techniques for Facilitated Meetings
  • Brainstorming
  • Gap Analysis
  • T-Charts (or Force Field Analysis)
  • Model Types
  • Impact/Effort Grid
  • Multi-Voting
  • Conducting a Meeting:
  • Facilitation Actions
  • Facilitation Behaviors
  • Virtual Meetings:
  • Challenge of Teleconferences and Web-Conferences
  • Meeting with Dispersed Participants
  • Best Practices for Virtual Meetings
  • More Techniques for Facilitation:
  • Brainwriting (Anonymous Brainstorming)
  • Root Cause Analysis
  • Criteria-Based Grid
  • How Various Models Can be Used with Groups
  • Managing Conflict:
  • Understanding Conflict
  • Good vs. Bad Conflict
  • Resolving Conflict between Participants
  • Resolving Conflict between Participant and Facilitator
  • Exercises:
  • Complete a Facilitation Meeting Plan
  • Create Meeting Agenda
  • Practice Facilitating Multiple Meetings
  • Practice Root Cause Analysis
  • Complete a Criteria-Based Grid

Course Overview

A Dynamics 365 Business Central developer develops apps that extend Business Central. This can include creating new modules and modifying existing modules.

The developer can add new business logic or change existing business logic by using events. A developer also makes it possible to integrate Business Central with other applications, including Microsoft Power Platform products.

Business Central developers are responsible for troubleshooting and debugging issues in the system. This may involve identifying the root cause of a problem, fixing bugs, and testing the solution to ensure it works as expected. Business Central developers may be required to optimize the performance of the system by identifying bottlenecks and improving code quality. Business Central developers are responsible for upgrading the system, migrating data, and maintaining the system to ensure it remains up to date and secure.

Course Objectives

Students will learn to,

  • Start your free Dynamics 365 Business Central trial
  • Introduction to the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Customize Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Prepare for an easy application upgrade experience in Business Central
  • Administer Dynamics 365 Business Central online
  • Manage users and implement security in Business Central
  • Introduction to the development environment for Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Debug and deploy your extension in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Work with pages in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Design the data model of a report in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Work with codeunits in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Work with XMLports in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Work with entitlements and permission sets in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Work with queries in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Build control add-in objects in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Customize the UI experience in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Identify functional table types and characteristics in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Introduction to the basics of AL programming in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Learn about application performance and monitoring in Business Central
  • Work with source control using Git in Visual Studio Code for Business Central
  • Use Application Lifecycle Management for Business Central
  • Introduction to test automation in Business Central
  • Use Power Automate with Business Central
  • Access REST services from within Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Use Azure Functions with Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Work with web services in Dynamics 365 Business Central
  • Work with the API in Dynamics 365 Business Central

Course Content

Module 1 : Start your free Dynamics 365 Business Central trial

  • Create a Business Central account.
  • Sign in to Business Central.
  • Use a demo database.
  • Start a trial with your own data.
  • Extend your trial and subscribe or unsubscribe your organization from Business Central.

Module 2 : Introduction to the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Why Business Central is a cloud end-to-end business solution.
  • The core Business Central functionalities by browsing application areas.

Module 3 : Customize Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Understand the high-level technical architecture of Business Central.
  • Know the available options to tailor Business Central to specific needs.

Module 4 : Prepare for an easy application upgrade experience in Business Central

  • Understand upgrade responsibilities and best practices
  • Create proper installation and upgrade codeunits

Module 5 : Administer Dynamics 365 Business Central online

  • Know how to sign up for the Cloud Solution Provider program.
  • Use the administration center to manage environments.
  • Set up tenant notifications and inspect environment telemetry.
  • Manage support requests for customers.
  • Export a database.
  • Enable features ahead of time

Module 6 : Manage users and implement security in Business Central

  • Manage users and user groups
  • Implement and configure security
  • Setup profiles, and role centers
  • Audit changes to data

Module 7 : Introduction to the development environment for Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Use the Microsoft Visual Studio Code development environment.
  • Create a basic new AL Language extension.
  • Design the different configuration files in an AL extension.
  • Manage multiple AL extensions in one workspace.

Module 8 : Debug and deploy your extension in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn how to work with the Visual Studio Code debugger.
  • Use Debug and Attach configuration files.
  • Work with the Rapid Application Development (RAD) feature.
  • Deploy your extensions to a production tenant.

Module 9 : Work with pages in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Identify the different page types.
  • Discover the different page properties.
  • Learn how to build the layout of new pages.
  • Link pages with page parts.
  • Use snippets to create pages in Visual Studio Code.
  • Enable end users to search for a page.
  • Define actions on a page and set its properties.

Module 10 : Design the data model of a report in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn about the different report components.
  • Create the data items for a report.
  • Add columns to the dataset of a report.
  • Order, link, and indent data items.

Module 11 : Work with codeunits in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn about codeunits.
  • Create new codeunits.
  • Access functions within a codeunit.

Module 12 : Work with XMLports in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Create new XMLports.
  • Configure the important XMLport properties.
  • Define nodes in an XMLport.
  • Work with the different formats.
  • Use an XMLport in AL code.

Module 13 : Work with entitlements and permission sets in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn about entitlements and how to use them in Business Central.
  • Learn about permission sets and how they are used.
  • Create or extend entitlement and permission set objects by using AL.

Module 14 : Work with queries in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Create a new Query object.
  • Join, filter, and aggregate data in a Query object.
  • Access queries from AL.
  • Publish queries as a web service.

Module 15 : Build control add-in objects in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn about control add-ins.
  • Build a control add-in.
  • Send data from Business Central to JavaScript.
  • Send data from JavaScript to Business Central.
  • Connect a control add-in with an Azure function.

Module 16 : Customize the UI experience in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Add objects to the search dialog.
  • Create page customizations.
  • Define profiles that are linked to a Role Center and page customizations.
  • Create custom views.
  • Extend the application areas in Business Central.

Module 17 : Identify functional table types and characteristics in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn the difference between all available table types.
  • Discover the correct primary key for each table type.
  • Use the correct naming for tables.
  • Create the associated pages.

Module 18 : Introduction to the basics of AL programming in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Work with variables and define them in AL code.
  • Use the different data types.
  • Use options and enums.
  • Work with collections.
  • Use the different types of expressions.

Module 19 : Learn about application performance and monitoring in Business Central

  • Prepare your application for optimal performance
  • Get essential application insights

Module 20 : Work with source control using Git in Visual Studio Code for Business Central

  • Configure Git
  • Know the structure of Git repositories
  • Create a new local Git repository
  • Add and remove files from Git
  • Link and clone a remote Git Repository
  • Work with the .gitignore file

Module 21 : Use Application Lifecycle Management for Business Central

  • Create an Azure DevOps organization
  • Create an Azure DevOps project
  • Know about the different services in Azure DevOps
  • Connect via a Personal Access Token
  • Know the difference between GitHub and Azure DevOps

Module 22 : Introduction to test automation in Business Central

  • Learn how to write test code in AL with Test Codeunits
  • Install and run the Test Toolkit in Docker containers
  • Run standard Business Central tests

Module 23 : Use Power Automate with Business Central

  • Identify what Power Automate is and how it can be used with Business Central.
  • Identify existing Business Central actions and triggers available in Power Automate.
  • See how to create an independent flow in Business Central that automates business processes.
  • Create a flow that runs on a schedule or to create a button flow to send a reminder.

Module 24 : Access REST services from within Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Use HTTP data types.
  • Connect to external REST services and read data.
  • Connect to external REST services and post data.
  • Read JSON data in Business Central.
  • Get JSON from an external REST service.

Module 25 : Use Azure Functions with Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn about Azure Functions.
  • Create a basic Azure function.
  • Use an existing .NET DLL in an Azure function.
  • Use an Azure function in Business Central.

Module 26 : Work with web services in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Learn about the differences between SOAP and OData.
  • Enable access to the different web services.
  • Create your own SOAP and OData web services.
  • Use OData and SOAP to read and update records.
  • Handle UI interaction.

Module 27 : Work with the API in Dynamics 365 Business Central

  • Define the difference between regular OData web services and the API.
  • Work around API limits.
  • Create new APIs.
  • Read, update, and create through the API.
  • Implement OData bound actions.

Course Overview

The amount of data we collect today is endless. To make this data useful for management and other decision makers, we have to process or visualise it first, so that it’s readable. Our human brain is visually oriented, which means that data visualisation is a powerful tool to analyze, interpret and share data more quickly. It enables your organisation to quickly identify and respond to changes in customer behaviour, business processes or markets.

In this training course, you will learn how to visualise data effectively, so that important results don’t escape your notice. You will work with visualisations yourself and learn to apply design principles directly.

Course Objectives

  • This course is also practical, so you will work with data hands-on. You will learn to choose the most appropriate visualisation form, so your organization can easily read the data and draw the right conclusions.
  • This training course is given software-independently and is suitable for any tool you work with (e.g. Cognos, PowerBI, SAS, Tableau or Excel)
  • This course teaches the insight into what makes a user-friendly dashboard and the skills to make it readable and comprehensible, so that the right decisions can be made by leaders and management.

Course Content

The training is divided into four parts. Each consists of both theory and practical assignments.

Part 1: Visual and Quantitative Thinking

  • What is data visualisation and where does it come from?
  • How does our brain process visual information?
  • What type of data do we have and how can we best visualize it?

Part 2: Visualising data effectively

  • How do you make data easy and understandable to read?
  • What are the basic principles and guidelines?
  • What are the main pitfalls in data visualisation?

Part 3: Building blocks of data visualizations

  • Which basic blocks do data visualisations consist of?
  • When is it better to use a table and when a graph?
  • What type of table/graph works best in a given situation?
  • How do you create a composite visualisation, the management dashboard?

Part 4:

  • What is the data visualisation process like?
  • Arguing with data, data storytelling.
  • Making agreements within your organisation, the data visualization style guide.

Course Overview

In this 3-day Data Modeling training you’ll get hands-on practice modeling requirements through entity relationship diagrams, supertypes and subtypes, and attributive and associative entities. You will learn to use logical data modeling to work directly with business users to accurately define requirements.

Since a business analyst needs to accurately elicit, define, and document user requirements, understanding the users’ needs is key to an analyst’s success. By using logical data modeling, a business analyst can convey requirements in a way that can easily be validated, and doing so allows stakeholders to understand the requirements, business rules, and data management methods for any given project.

Course Objectives

How logical data models relate to requirements

Identifying entities and attributes

Determining relationships and business rules

Data integrity through normalization

Course Content

1. Introduction to Logical Data Modeling

  • Importance of logical data modeling in requirements
  • When to use logical data models
  • Relationship between logical and physical data model
  • Elements of a logical data model
  • Read a high-level data model
  • Data model prerequisites
  • Data model sources of information
  • Developing a logical data model

2. Project Context and Drivers

  • Importance of well-defined solution scope
  • Functional decomposition diagram
  • Context-level data flow diagram
  • Sources of requirements
    • Functional decomposition diagrams
    • Data flow diagrams
    • Use case models
    • Workflow models
    • Business rules
    • State diagrams
    • Class diagrams
    • Other documentation
  • Types of modeling projects
    • Transactional business systems
    • Business intelligence and data warehousing systems
    • Integration and consolidation of existing systems
    • Maintenance of existing systems
    • Enterprise analysis
    • Commercial off-the-shelf application

3. Conceptual Data Modeling

  • Discovering entities
  • Defining entities
  • Documenting an entity
  • Identifying attributes
  • Distinguishing between entities and attributes

4. Conceptual Data Modeling-Identifying Relationships and Business Rules

  • Model fundamental relationships
  • Cardinality of relationships
    • One-to-one
    • One-to-many
    • Many-to-many
  • Is the relationship mandatory or optional?
  • Naming the relationships

5. Identifying Attributes

  • Discover attributes for the subject area
  • Assign attributes to the appropriate entity
  • Name attributes using established naming conventions
  • Documenting attributes

6. Advanced Relationships

  • Modeling many-to-many relationships
  • Model multiple relationships between the same two entities
  • Model self-referencing relationships
  • Model ternary relationships
  • Identify redundant relationships

7. Completing the Logical Data Model

  • Use supertypes and subtypes to manage complexity
  • Use supertypes and subtypes to represent rules and constraints

8. Data Integrity Through Normalization

  • Normalize a logical data model
    • First normal form
    • Second normal form
    • Third normal form
  • Reasons for denormalization
  • Transactional vs. business intelligence applications

9. Verification and Validation

  • Verify the technical accuracy of a logical data model
  • Use CASE tools to assist in verification
  • Verify the logical data model using other models
    • Data flow diagram
    • CRUD matrix

Course Overview

Get to know the power and pitfalls of data.

Clear insight into a data-driven world.

We are overloaded with data every day. One of the main challenges organisations face nowadays is a lack of data literacy. Do your employees have enough knowledge to read data properly, interpret it and turn it into valuable insights? This is crucial to be able to make the right decisions. Only then will your organisation be able to respond to the needs of your customers and opportunities in the market.

Are you curious enough?

Data literacy is the most important competence for people who work with data. It enables you to constantly look for new or existing data, question it and ask critical questions. It is therefore the skill that allows us to draw the right conclusions in today’s data-driven reality. This will not only lead to faster decisions, but also to better results for your organisation.

From manipulation to information

In this training you will learn, on the basis of practical examples and exercises, not only about the power of data, but also about its pitfalls. You will get an answer to the question of how to read and interpret information correctly and which steps you should take to thoroughly analyse data. After completing this training Data Literacy, you will have several tools at your disposal to distinguish information from manipulation, based on your curiosity.

Course Objectives

In this training you will learn:

  • How to get more value out of your data;
  • interpret data correctly;
  • recognise the pitfalls of data;
  • Improve and maintain the quality of your data;
  • the most important steps to take in order to analyse data in depth;
  • convince others with data-based arguments.

Course Content

Block 1: Reading data

  • Reading data presented to us in the media, company reports, political claims and advertisements
  • How to distinguish information from manipulation
  • Preventing misinterpretation

Practical assignment: applying the data checklist to a number of practical situations to promote our Data Literacy.

Block 2: Working with data

  • Improving the quality of your data
  • How do you ensure that you retain this quality?
  • Discussing the most important data processing steps.
  • Identifying the consequences of data processing

Practical assignment: estimating the consequences of the different processing steps on the results on the basis of a number of cases.

Block 3: Analysing data

  • What are the most important steps to analyse data thoroughly?
  • How do you prevent deception?
  • What can we learn from the “scientific method” when it comes to data analysis?

Practical assignment: performing the most important analytical steps on a practical example.

Block 4: Arguing with and communicating data

  • Being right is one thing, but being right is quite another.
  • Transition and difference from analysis to explanation of data
  • How do you convince others with data-based arguments?
  • What can we learn from storytelling to better communicate our data?
  • The 7 essential principles of good data storytelling

Practical assignment: Applying the 7 principles to a real-life example