TDWI World Conference

Prerequisite: This course assumes database and systems knowledge.

Stephen Brobst

It is well known that human understanding is more effective with pictures than with rows and columns of numbers. However, much of the output from business intelligence environments remains trapped in traditional reporting formats.

In this workshop, we explore best practices for deriving insight from vast amounts of data using visualization techniques. We will examine visualization for reporting with drill-downs and real-time business activity monitoring, and leverage data visualization in connection to data mining algorithms.

A key theme is exposing actionable decisions through the use of visualization techniques. Examples from a variety of industries will be employed. This workshop will describe advanced visualization algorithms, including the use of organic shapes to convey high-density information, how animation of data increases data density, and an experiment demonstrating the data absorption rate of the human mind. The workshop will also cover the relationship between data warehousing and data visualization, showing how metadata can be used to leverage the power of highly detailed data to create insightful data visualizations.

You Will Learn

• How visualization can be used to overcome information overload
• Best practices in the use of visualization for BI
• Common pitfalls in the use of visualization for BI
• Next-generation visualization techniques using mash-ups, geospatial data, and animation
• The differences in using visualization for strategic BI versus operational BI
• Critical success factors for implementation of scalable solutions

Geared To

• Business and IT leaders; managers; analysts; end users; BI application developers