BI Business Analysts Needed

January 31, 2012 by  
Filed under All, Recruiting

Dataspace is looking for 2 business intelligence analysts for positions at clients in New York State.  These are true analyst, not developer-level, roles.  So, while a knowledge of BI technologies is necessary, the role will not entail actual BI development.

We will consider applicants for either contract or permanent employment.

  • BI Analyst: 2 needed -need analysts with understanding of SQL/Cognos/SAS but they need to understand the tools conceptually, don’t need to be hands-on programmers
  • This is truly a higher-level analyst role, not a developer role. Consultants will be responsible for tasks such as:

Gathering requirements from end users
Understanding the data flows between systems
Designing business processes & reworking data flows

  • Required qualifications include:

Perfect verbal ability
Strong writing skills
Business analysis / user interview skills
Technical analysis & design skills

  • Desired qualifications include:

Ideally understand healthcare and financial data
Knowledge of healthcare / health insurance industry
Knowledge of financial systems is a plus

  • Duration: 6 months + likely extensions
  • CONTRACTOR CANDIDATES MUST BE DIRECT EMPLOYEES OF THE CONTRACTING FIRM – NO SUBCONTRACTS

Detailed Role Description: Business Analyst Role Description

The Myth of Self Service BI

An ATM for data

Most business intelligence efforts start with a statement like the following, “Let’s build a BI system so our employees can get whatever data they need, when they need it.”  While well intentioned, statements like these are misguided.

The truth:

  • If folks do their jobs today without using a shiny, new BI tool, why are they going to put extra effort into learning your snappy new tool?
  • Most folks don’t get a big thrill out of accessing data - BI is like a dishwasher, a tool for getting a job done.  Do you want to go to classes and learn a panoply of new things just to use your dishwasher?
  • Most folks’ data needs are limited to a relatively narrow range of topics (e.g. sales folks typically don’t need to access HR data).
  • Even with data warehouses and strong metadata, BI tool vendors have not yet produced a tool that gives anyone simple access to every piece of data in an organization.

The implications:

  • A few folks do have the need, desire & technical skills to get and analyze their own data.  These folks are called data analysts.
  • While it’s not sexy in terms of BI (is anything sexy in terms of BI?), the vast majority of folks have structured jobs that require access to a limited range of data and they usually need it in some set format (e.g. this week’s accounts receivable aging report).  Assume that these folks need BI tools that provide predefined reports into which they can enter a few parameters - tools like WebFocus, Crystal Reports, and SQL Server Reporting Services.  Also assume that these folks will NOT create these reports on their own - you will need technical experts to create and maintain these reports.
  • You are far more likely to see wide usage of your BI systems if your business processes are designed to be data driven.  Business process design, along with a culture change towards being data-focused is a prerequisite to widespread BI adoption.  It is also hard, time consuming work.
  • Widespread BI adoption isn’t always the correct measure of success.  A $2 million BI system that serves just one user could be a major success if that one person makes or feeds input into multi-million dollar decisions. 

So, if you want a clear path to ROI, rather than starting out to build a BI system, start out to change your organization.  Then, figure out how and where BI is necessary to enable that change.

Ben

Dataspace

Business Intelligence is ALCHEMY

BenWhat does a well-designed BI system really do?  It takes bits of data, the byproducts of running an organization, and turns them into nuggets of gold - into valuable insights.

So, if alchemy was the study of turning less valuable objects into gold, is BI really any different?  Well, I guess it is different in one way… BI works.

— Ben

Click here to see how CFOs think about business intelligence

Click here to see how CFOs think about business intelligence:

Really interesting article recommended by Dan Abell, an old buddy and customer, on how CFOs really view business intelligence and data warehousing

Click here to see how CFOs think about business intelligence

Click here to see how CFOs think about business intelligence:

Really interesting article recommended by Dan Abell, an old buddy and customer, on how CFOs really view business intelligence and data warehousing

BI Turns Expenses into Assets

As a recovering CPA I know that accountants think of the cost of running IT as a big, hairy, recurring expense.  I spend the money today and it’s gone.

On the other hand, they think of building a new building or buying a new machine as an investment.  I may pay the cash today but this thing is going to more than pay off over the next 5, 10, 20 … years.

How does business intelligence, and data warehousing, fit in?  Well, BI turns that big, hairy, recurring expense into an investment.  The act of running IT, of collecting data becomes an act of building, and constantly enhancing, an extremely valuable asset.

So, what is IT in your company, an expense… or an investment in building a data asset?

Consulting Sales Position

August 16, 2011 by  
Filed under All, Recruiting

CAN YOU SELL AND RECRUIT? Do you have the skills, experience and discipline to take a great company and get it the sales exposure it deserves?  Can you also apply that background to helping us find and snag the best consulting talent?

Founded in 1994 by one of the leading experts in the field of business intelligence and executive reporting systems, Dataspace has developed a reputation as a leader in helping organizations capitalize on the data they gather every day. Our clients represent some of the most recognizable brands in the world and include top automobile manufacturers, hospitals, insurance companies, distributors, and other industries.

This position represents an opportunity to work in one of the hottest areas of information technology for a company with a long track record of success. The candidate we’re looking for will have the following:

  • Experience in B to B sales
  • Extremely strong work ethic
  • Goal focus
  • Structured approach to selling

Interested? Send your resume and cover letter to careers@dataspace.com.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Quiz – July 2011: Hunh?

Whaa? Er, Eh, mmmmmmmm, hunh?

This month's quiz tests your knowledge of various, somewhat-data-related topics. Answer correctly and win an amazing Dataspace coffee mug. Winner will be selected at random from all entries received by 30 July 2011. Good luck!
  • Crow's foot
  • No, not a crow's foot
  • Entrant Info

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

Quiz – January 2011: Name the BI Vendor or Candy Company

January 17, 2011 by  
Filed under All, business intelligence, data warehousing, Quizzes

 

 

 

Confection... or BI Technology? Can you tell the difference?

This month’s question tests your knowledge of BI bragging rights and of candy manufacturers. Certain people, vendors or corporate divisions are traditionally associated with particular technologies. For this month’s quiz, match the BI / DW technology or confection with the person or organization most closely associated with it.

Depending on the question, multiple answers may be required.
  • Entrant Info

  • ---------------------------------------------------------

    ANSWER KEY

    It took a while for our official auditors to verify the results, but here is the official answer key to January's quiz:

    Associative database: QlikTech QlikView

    Relational OLAP: MicroStrategy

    Column oriented database: Infobright AND Vertica

    Snickers: M&M Mars

    Data warehouse appliance: Netezza

    Data modeling tools: CA ERWin and Embarcadero ER Studio

    Krackel: Hershey

    Star schema: Ralph Kimball

    Data warehousing as a formal construct: Bill Inmon

    ETL Tools: IBM DataStage, Informatica, Microsoft SSIS, AND Oracle Warehouse Builder

    Open source relational database: MySQL

    Luxe Milk: Ghirardelli

 

Quiz – November 2010: BI Industry Consolidation

October 30, 2010 by  
Filed under All, business intelligence, Quizzes

Submit the right answer and win this month’s grand prize – an amazing Dataspace coffee mug (well, our field testing has shown it to be somewhat microwave safe). The winner will be chosen at random from all correct answers submitted by November 20.

This month’s question tests your knowledge of the current BI playing field. Over the past few years we’ve seen a lot of consolidation in the BI / DW and general database space. For this month’s quiz, match the ‘legacy’ BI / DW technology or company with its current (or soon to be) owner.

HINT: Dataspace has not been acquired.

Hey, thanks to everyone who submitted answers.  Here is the answer key:

Business Objects – SAP

Crystal Reports- SAP

Sybase – SAP

DataStage – IBM

Netezza – IBM

Red Brick – IBM

Informix – IBM

TM1 – IBM

VMark – IBM

Cognos – IBM

Essbase- Oracle

Arbor Software – Oracle

Siebel Analytics – Oracle

DATAllegro – Microsoft

Panorama (OLAP DB Technology) – Microsoft

MicroStrategy – MicroStrategy

Dataspace – Dataspace

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