Business Intelligence (BI) Tools

INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ON BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE (BI) TOOLS

COURSE BACKGROUND

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations are inundated with data from multiple sources: sales, marketing, operations, and customer service. Without the right tools, this data remains an untapped resource. Business Intelligence (BI) tools are the technology that transforms raw data into actionable insights, enabling companies to monitor performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. BI moves beyond simple reporting to provide interactive dashboards, visualizations, and analytics that empower every part of the business to understand what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what to do next.

The adoption of BI tools is a key driver of competitive advantage, and this is no different in the vibrant Kenyan market. As businesses of all sizes embrace digital transformation, they need professionals who can not only collect data but also effectively use tools to analyze it and communicate insights. The ability to build a dynamic dashboard or a powerful report is a critical skill for making strategic decisions, and it is a skill that is highly sought after by employers across all sectors.

ECAS Institute offers this “Business Intelligence (BI) Tools” course to equip business professionals, data analysts, managers, and aspiring strategists with the practical skills to leverage BI platforms. This program is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the BI ecosystem and give participants hands-on experience with industry-leading tools, empowering them to transform their data into a strategic asset.

COURSE OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Understand the foundational concepts of Business Intelligence and the modern BI workflow.
Master the process of connecting to, cleaning, and modeling data from various sources.
Design and build professional-grade dashboards and reports using a leading BI tool.
Apply advanced techniques for data visualization and data storytelling.
Utilize BI tools to conduct ad-hoc analysis and gain actionable insights.
Understand the principles of BI project management and deployment within an organization.
Translate business questions into data-driven solutions.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

This course will provide you with the practical skills and strategic understanding to leverage BI tools for informed decision-making. You will learn to:

Differentiate between various BI tools and understand their capabilities.
Connect to different data sources (e.g., Excel files, databases, web services).
Clean and prepare raw data for analysis, a crucial step in the BI process.
Build a data model that relates different datasets together.
Create a variety of charts and graphs to visualize data effectively.
Design interactive dashboards that allow users to explore data dynamically.
Write calculated fields and measures to derive new insights from your data.
Develop a narrative with data to present compelling stories and recommendations.
Share and collaborate on reports with team members and stakeholders.
Understand best practices for BI project planning and implementation.

DURATION AND PROGRAM

This is a highly practical, hands-on, and project-based training course. The program will feature expert-led demonstrations, interactive workshops using a popular BI tool (e.g., Microsoft Power BI or Tableau), and real-world case studies to illustrate how BI is used in different industries. Participants will work on a capstone project where they will build a complete dashboard from scratch, from data connection to final report. This project will serve as a portfolio piece, demonstrating their ability to apply the skills learned in the course. The specific duration of the course will be communicated upon registration, tailored to ensure comprehensive coverage and the mastery of actionable BI skills.

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

This course is essential for any professional who needs to analyze data, create reports, or make data-driven decisions. It will particularly benefit:

Business Analysts and Data Analysts
Marketing and Sales Professionals
Managers and Team Leaders
IT Professionals
Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
Financial Analysts
Anyone who works with data and wants to gain a competitive advantage through BI.

TRAINING MODULES

Based on a holistic approach to BI, here are some of the most critical modules for this course, along with their key topics:

No	Module	Details
1.	Introduction to Business Intelligence	This module introduces the core concepts of BI, its strategic importance in modern business, and an overview of the tools and technologies involved. Topics: What is Business Intelligence? The BI workflow (ETL, modeling, visualization, sharing). The difference between BI, Data Analytics, and Data Science. Key BI platforms in the market (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Qlik Sense). The role of BI in data-driven decision-making.
2.	Data Connection and Preparation	This module focuses on the crucial initial steps of any BI project: connecting to data sources and preparing the data for effective analysis. Topics: Connecting to various data sources (Excel, SQL, CSV). Data cleaning and transformation techniques. Handling missing values and data inconsistencies. The importance of data quality. Introduction to data modeling and relationships.
3.	Data Visualization and Dashboard Design	This module teaches participants how to translate data into clear, compelling, and interactive visuals that communicate insights to a non-technical audience. Topics: Principles of effective data visualization. Choosing the right chart type. Designing interactive and intuitive dashboards. Building effective filters, slicers, and dynamic reports. Dashboard best practices and common pitfalls.
4.	Practical Application with a BI Tool (e.g., Power BI)	This module is a hands-on, deep dive into a specific BI tool, giving participants the practical skills to build their own reports and dashboards. Topics: Using the BI tool interface and features. Creating calculated columns and measures. Building relationships between tables. Publishing and sharing reports. Security and access controls.
5.	Advanced BI Concepts and Data Storytelling	This module moves beyond basic report building to explore more sophisticated BI techniques and the art of turning insights into a persuasive narrative. Topics: Introduction to advanced analytics and forecasting. Data storytelling: turning data into a compelling narrative. Drill-down and drill-through functionality. The role of AI and machine learning in modern BI. BI project management and implementation strategies.

TRAINING STYLE

The modules will be taught through PowerPoint presentations, and lectures and will include a case study/field visit, breakout sessions, case studies and other interactive discussion components.

The course will also include a few guest speakers, both in person and via Zoom and other online learning platforms for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.

The conference faculty shall consist of experienced decision makers, as well as practitioners and representatives from established educational and research institutions active around climate change, engineering and international development. Throughout the course, theoretical presentation of concepts will be moderated and more group discussions and plenary engagements will be optimized. PowerPoint presentations will be made by facilitators and resource persons, to highlight key concepts before embarking on group work.

GENERAL NOTES

Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.
We can also do this as a tailor-made course to meet organization-wide needs. Contact us to find out more: info@ecasiafrica.org.
Payment should be sent to our bank account before the start of training and proof of payment sent to: info@ecasiafrica.org.

ABOUT ECAS INSTITUTE

The ECAS Institute designs and delivers independent and targeted training, research, and consulting services. Our work focusses on climate change and resilience building, carbon markets, renewable energy, nature-based solution, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and food systems, We are located in Nairobi Kenya and work across the African region. We have implemented training and research assignments in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Somalia, Malawi, Rwanda, Congo, and South Africa. Globally, we have supported our partners from the UK, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and USA.