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Success in any field depends on the level of possession of certain knowledge and skills. Business Intelligence is no exception and requires professionals with technical and non-technical skills, as well as experience and knowledge from various fields. For example, knowledge and understanding of business processes, basic SQL queries, skills in processing large amounts of data, skills in working with various programs, the ability to build diagrams, etc. Analytical skills, communication skills, technical skills, business knowledge is not a complete list of skills. Below is a list of the core skills you need to master in business analytics.

1. Statistics and Probability

One of the main technical requirements is knowledge of statistics and probability. This is because the purpose of business analytics is to find the answer in statistical data and probabilistic approaches. This will help to find relationships in the data and find the right solution. Also, statistics and probability allow to better understand the data and build more accurate forecasts.

2. Data visualization

Visualization is required to transform raw data into analytics-ready data. This tool allows business analysts to understand data and make strategic decisions to achieve goals and satisfy requests. To do this, they use scatter plots, time series sequences, polar area charts, timelines, line charts, and other visualization options.

3. Programming skills

Basically, business analysts deal with data and related code, which implies knowledge of a computer language. Programs such as Python make it possible to work with large amounts of data. Ability to work with database management systems will help to extract, generate and modify data from databases.

4. Negotiation skills

The link between the technical team and management is the business analyst team. The implementation of any business solution and vision involves negotiating multiple requirements with decision makers. A business analyst must be able to communicate and hear both parties and their conditions.

5. Communication skills

Another important skill is communication. The main task of a business analyst is to create a solution for business development. To do this, it is necessary to be able to clearly express your thoughts and points of view to the team members. Also, business analysts often attend meetings with clients and stakeholders, which also requires good communication skills.

6. Decision making

Offering solutions that will be beneficial for the business and its development is the task of a business analyst. The insights gained from the data can have a significant impact on the company’s decision-making process. This in turn will help to beat the competition and take the company to the next level. The ability to analyze a situation from different angles and predict likely outcomes helps business analysts make informed decisions.

7. Critical thinking

The critical thinking of business analysts helps to meet customer expectations by analyzing data based on various factors and business requirements. Also, business analysts must clearly understand the data they collect and the processes and procedures they use to obtain the data. Only high-quality data can guarantee an excellent result.

8. Problem Solving

Experience in problem solving helps in the future to solve new problems and challenges. The activity of a business analyst is quite complex at each stage, which implies the ability to solve problems from him. Understanding the source and cause of a problem speeds up the troubleshooting process.

9. Documentation

The business analyst must use documentation to present analysis and reports. This will allow business analysts to express their thoughts and decisions more easily and clearly in meetings with clients and other stakeholders. There are many simple documentation tools that business analysts can use in their work.

10. Excel

Excel is a popular tool for analytics and reporting. Business analysts use this tool for a variety of calculations, reporting, and exploring various metrics. This allows them to identify patterns. Excel spreadsheets also allow to calculate dimensions and metrics using formulas, allowing analysts to analyze, draw conclusions, and prepare documentation.