How to Be Business Intelligence Developer - Job Description, Skills, and Interview Questions

Business intelligence developers are responsible for the design, development and maintenance of an organization's data-driven solutions. They create and implement data-driven strategies to improve business performance and decision-making. As a result, organizations are able to make better decisions, analyze trends, and identify new opportunities.

Furthermore, these professionals have expertise in data analysis, data modeling, data visualization, and reporting tools, enabling them to deliver meaningful insights to stakeholders. their efforts help organizations gain a competitive edge by leveraging their data and making informed decisions.

Steps How to Become

  1. Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. To become a business intelligence developer, you must first obtain a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field. This degree will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to work as a BI developer.
  2. Get Relevant Work Experience. Once you have obtained your degree, it is important to gain experience in the business intelligence field. This can be done through internships or by working on projects related to BI development.
  3. Learn Business Intelligence Concepts and Tools. To be successful as a BI developer, you must understand the concepts of data analysis, data warehousing, ETL (extract, transform, and load) processes, and other related topics. Additionally, you must be knowledgeable about the various BI tools and technologies that are used in the industry.
  4. Obtain Professional Certifications. Professional certifications can help demonstrate your knowledge and skills in the area of business intelligence development. Certifications from organizations such as Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM are available and can help demonstrate your expertise to potential employers.
  5. Become an Expert in Business Intelligence. To become an expert in the field of business intelligence development, you must stay up to date on the latest technologies and trends in the industry. This can be done through reading blogs and articles, attending conferences and seminars, and networking with other BI professionals.

Being a successful BI developer requires staying ahead of the competition and being efficient in order to deliver valuable insights. To do this, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest technologies and trends in the industry. This means continually learning new skills, such as coding languages like SQL, and having a good understanding of data warehousing and analytics tools.

having a strong understanding of business process and data analysis can help you quickly spot potential problems and devise solutions. Finally, having a well-organized workflow and good time management skills will help you to stay ahead and efficient. By following these best practices, a BI developer can ensure they remain competitive and productive in their field.

You may want to check Data Warehouse Developer, Front-End Developer, and PHP Developer for alternative.

Job Description

  1. Design, develop, test and deploy Business Intelligence solutions, including data warehouses, ETL processes and reporting.
  2. Analyze source systems to identify data sources and develop ETL processes.
  3. Design and develop OLAP cubes and other data models.
  4. Design and develop data visualizations and dashboards.
  5. Develop and maintain technical documentation including data mappings, data models, data dictionaries, system diagrams, reports and dashboards.
  6. Develop and maintain data quality metrics and ensure the integrity of the data.
  7. Utilize SQL to query databases and perform data analysis.
  8. Collaborate with stakeholders to define requirements and design solutions.
  9. Provide subject matter expertise to users and other stakeholders.
  10. Monitor system performance and troubleshoot any issues that arise.

Skills and Competencies to Have

  1. Expertise in SQL and relational databases
  2. Experience working with reporting tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik
  3. Knowledge of data warehousing concepts and principles
  4. Proficiency in data modeling techniques
  5. Ability to design data-rich dashboards with intuitive navigation
  6. Strong understanding of data architecture and ETL processes
  7. Skilled in data mining and analysis
  8. Ability to define and document reporting requirements
  9. Familiarity with predictive analytics and machine learning tools
  10. Expertise in coding languages such as Python, R, or JavaScript

Business intelligence developers play a crucial role in the success of any organization by providing data-driven insights that help to make informed decisions. They are responsible for collecting, storing, and analyzing data from multiple sources to develop useful information for decision-makers. To be successful at this job, having strong analytical and technical skills is essential.

A business intelligence developer must be able to develop and implement data analysis systems, create reports and dashboards, and present data in visually meaningful ways. they must have excellent problem-solving skills, communication skills, and the ability to work with various stakeholders in order to collect and store the right data. Having knowledge of programming languages such as SQL and Python is also beneficial for a business intelligence developer.

By utilizing these skills, a business intelligence developer can create meaningful and actionable insights that can have a positive effect on an organization's bottom line.

Big Data Developer, Azure DevOps Engineer, and Automation Developer are related jobs you may like.

Frequent Interview Questions

  • What experience do you have developing Business Intelligence solutions?
  • What challenges have you faced while working with Business Intelligence systems?
  • How do you ensure data accuracy when working with Business Intelligence systems?
  • What techniques do you use to secure sensitive data when developing Business Intelligence solutions?
  • How do you optimize performance when designing data models for Business Intelligence solutions?
  • What strategies do you use to ensure scalability of Business Intelligence projects?
  • What tools and technologies do you typically use when creating Business Intelligence solutions?
  • What processes do you follow to ensure the successful delivery of BI projects?
  • How do you go about troubleshooting issues with Business Intelligence systems?
  • What have you done to stay up-to-date on developments in the field of Business Intelligence?

Common Tools in Industry

  1. Tableau. Tableau is a business intelligence platform that helps to visualize and analyze data. It can easily convert data into interactive dashboards, charts, and graphs. (Example: Tableau can be used to create interactive dashboards that provide real-time insights into customer behavior. )
  2. QlikView. QlikView is an analytics platform that enables users to create data visualizations and explore data from any source. It enables users to quickly analyze data across multiple dimensions and uncover meaningful insights. (Example: QlikView can be used to create visualizations of customer buying patterns over time. )
  3. Microsoft Power BI. Microsoft Power BI is a suite of business intelligence tools that enable users to connect, analyze and visualize data from any source. It provides interactive visualizations, dashboards, and other analytical tools to help users uncover insights. (Example: Power BI can be used to create interactive dashboards that display customer demographics, product performance, and other data points. )
  4. IBM Cognos Analytics. IBM Cognos Analytics is a business intelligence and analytics platform that helps organizations access, analyze and visualize their data. It provides intuitive dashboards, reports and other analytical tools to uncover insights from data. (Example: Cognos Analytics can be used to create interactive reports that compare customer purchase history across different regions. )
  5. Oracle Business Intelligence. Oracle Business Intelligence is an integrated suite of analytics tools for enterprise data. It enables users to access, analyze and visualize data from any source. It provides interactive dashboards and other analytical tools to help users gain insights into their data. (Example: Oracle Business Intelligence can be used to create interactive reports that compare customer lifetime value across different product lines. )

Professional Organizations to Know

  1. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)
  2. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
  3. American Statistical Association (ASA)
  4. SAS Institute
  5. Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group (MSBIUG)
  6. Tableau User Group
  7. Oracle BI User Group
  8. Qlik User Group
  9. Pentaho User Group
  10. DAMA International (Data Management Association)

We also have Game Developer, GIS Developer, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) Developer jobs reports.

Common Important Terms

  1. Data Warehouse. A repository of data organized for query and analysis.
  2. Data Modeling. The process of designing, constructing, and managing data structures.
  3. ETL (Extract, Transform, Load). A process in which data is extracted from external sources, transformed to fit a particular data model, and then loaded into a target database.
  4. OLAP (Online Analytical Processing). A type of database technology used to deliver quick and accurate analysis of data from multiple dimensions.
  5. Data Mart. A subset of a data warehouse that contains data related to a specific business process.
  6. Data Mining. The process of uncovering patterns in large datasets using statistical techniques.
  7. Business Intelligence (BI). The set of tools and techniques used to gain insights from data and turn it into actionable information.
  8. Dashboards. Visual representation of data that provides an overview of the current state of the business.
  9. Reporting. The process of creating reports from data for decision-making purposes.
  10. Analytics. The process of examining data to gain insights and inform decision-making.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is a Business Intelligence Developer? A1: A Business Intelligence Developer is a professional who designs, develops, and implements systems that utilize Business Intelligence (BI) technologies to help organizations analyze data and make better business decisions. Q2: What skills are necessary for a Business Intelligence Developer? A2: A Business Intelligence Developer should have strong knowledge of database systems, data modeling, and query optimization, as well as an understanding of programming languages such as SQL, Python, and R. They should also be familiar with BI tools, such as Microsoft Power BI and Tableau. Q3: How does a Business Intelligence Developer help organizations? A3: A Business Intelligence Developer can help organizations understand their data and make better decisions by designing and developing BI systems to collect, store, analyze, and visualize data. Q4: What is the average salary of a Business Intelligence Developer? A4: According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a Business Intelligence Developer in the United States is $96,873 per year. Q5: What is the job outlook for Business Intelligence Developers? A5: The job outlook for Business Intelligence Developers is very positive. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of software developers is projected to grow by 22% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Web Resources

  • How to Become a Business Intelligence Developer www.wgu.edu
  • Certificate in Business Intelligence & Database Development www.pce.uw.edu
  • Business Intelligence Degree | DeVry University www.devry.edu
Author Photo
Reviewed & Published by Albert
Submitted by our contributor
Developer Category