What is business intelligence?

<text variant="body1">Organizations of all types and sizes have business processes that generate massive volumes of data. Information is constantly created by computers, the internet, phones, texts, streaming video, photographs, sensors, and more. In the global digital landscape, data is increasingly imprecise, chaotic, and unstructured. As the speed and variety of data increase exponentially, organizations are struggling to keep pace. <text variant="body1">Business intelligence is the work involved in gathering, structuring, interpreting, monitoring, and reporting this data in accessible formats that enable stakeholders to understand and use it effectively. Organizations rely on this information to make better strategic and operational business decisions. As a result, there is high demand in the marketplace for business intelligence professionals with the skills and expertise to achieve these goals.

What do business intelligence professionals do?

Business intelligence professionals are critical to many organizations today. They use data to help solve business problems, performing a variety of tasks that enable decision makers to understand and use data effectively. Some common responsibilities of BI professionals include gathering project requirements from stakeholders, retrieving and organizing large datasets, and creating visualizations and dashboards to report insights to others. Organizations use the intelligence they share to make decisions, develop new processes, create business strategies, and conduct deeper analyses.

Why start a career in business intelligence?

As businesses generate more and more data, there is increased demand for BI professionals to transform this data into meaningful business insights. BI skills are transferable to jobs across multiple industries, including financial services, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The Google Business Intelligence Certificate will help you prepare for a job in the BI field.

Which jobs will this certificate help me prepare for?

After completing all three courses in this certificate program, you’ll have the skills required for jobs like BI analyst, BI engineer, and BI developer.

What tools and platforms are taught in the curriculum?

Business intelligence and data analytics share many of the same tools. During this certificate program, you’ll gain knowledge of tools and platforms including BigQuery, Dataflow, Python, Sheets, SQL, and Tableau.

Why enroll in the Google Business Intelligence Certificate?

<text variant="body1">You’ll learn job-ready skills through interactive content — like activities, quizzes, and discussion prompts — in under two months, with less than 10 hours of flexible study a week. Along the way, you’ll work through a curriculum designed by Google employees who work in the field, with input from top employers and industry leaders. You’ll even have the opportunity to complete end-of-course projects that you can share with potential employers to showcase your business intelligence skills. After you’ve graduated from the program, you’ll have access to career resources and be connected directly with employers hiring for open entry-level roles in business intelligence.

Do I need to take the course in a certain order?

We highly recommend completing the three courses in the order presented because the content in each course builds on information covered in earlier courses.

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Decisions, Decisions: Dashboards and Reports

This course is part of Google Business Intelligence Professional Certificate

Instructor: Google Career Certificates

58,666 already enrolled

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6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,353 reviews

Advanced level

Designed for those already in the industry

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

99%

Most learners liked this course

6 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,353 reviews

Advanced level

Designed for those already in the industry

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

99%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Design BI visualizations
Practice using BI reporting and dashboard tools
Create presentations to share key BI insights with stakeholders
Develop professional materials for your job search

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Dashboard

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

19 assignments

Taught in English

Build your Data Analysis expertise

This course is part of the Google Business Intelligence Professional Certificate

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Professional Certificate.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate from Google

There are 6 modules in this course

You’re almost there! This is the third course in the Google Business Intelligence Certificate. In this course, you’ll apply your understanding of stakeholder needs, plan and create BI visuals, and design reporting tools, including dashboards. You’ll also explore how to answer business questions with flexible and interactive dashboards that can monitor data over long periods of time.

Google employees who currently work in BI will guide you through this course by providing hands-on activities that simulate job tasks, sharing examples from their day-to-day work, and helping you build business intelligence skills to prepare for a career in the field. Learners who complete the four courses in this certificate program will have the skills needed to apply for business intelligence jobs. This certificate program assumes prior knowledge of foundational analytical principles, skills, and tools covered in the Google Data Analytics Certificate. By the end of this course, you will: -Explain how BI visualizations answer business questions -Identify complications that may arise during the creation of BI visualizations -Produce charts that represent BI data monitored over time -Use dashboard and reporting tools -Build dashboards using best practices to meet stakeholder needs -Iterate on a dashboard to meet changing project requirements -Design BI presentations to share insights with stakeholders -Create or update a resume and prepare for BI interviews

Module details

You’ll learn about the foundations of BI dashboards, including how they differ from other data analytics dashboards. You’ll also explore how to use dynamic visualizations to answer business questions. Finally, you’ll develop an understanding of how a dashboard’s interactivity empowers stakeholders.

What's included

10 videos8 readings4 assignments1 plugin

10 videosTotal 33 minutes

Introduction to Course 34 minutes
Terrence: A day in the life as a BI analyst2 minutes
Welcome to module 11 minute
Data visualization in business intelligence3 minutes
Empower stakeholders3 minutes
Plan a dashboard using mockups4 minutes
Dashboard missteps and how to avoid them4 minutes
Refresh your Tableau skills4 minutes
Wrap-up1 minute
[Optional] Review Google Data Analytics Certificate content about data visualization7 minutes

8 readingsTotal 44 minutes

Helpful resources and tips4 minutes
Course 3 overview4 minutes
Dashboard examples4 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Design a data visualization mockup8 minutes
Visualization tool resources8 minutes
Balance tool limitations and user expectations4 minutes
Take a tour of Tableau8 minutes
Glossary terms from course 3, module 14 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 95 minutes

Module 1 challenge35 minutes
Test your knowledge: Data visualizations and dashboards15 minutes
Activity: Design a data visualization mockup30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Planning a dashboard15 minutes

1 pluginTotal 15 minutes

Emphasize: Effective charts for visualization15 minutes

You’ll consider the tradeoffs involved with building a BI visualization, and you’ll practice creating charts and visualizations. You’ll also explore effective ways to organize elements within a dashboard. Finally, you’ll identify factors that contribute to processing speed and how to maximize dashboard performance.

What's included

11 videos12 readings5 assignments2 plugins

11 videosTotal 37 minutes

Welcome to module 22 minutes
Design trade-offs when building a dashboard4 minutes
DeAndrea: Business intelligence in action3 minutes
Start a chart4 minutes
Organize dashboard elements4 minutes
Processing speeds and privacy settings5 minutes
Wrap-up2 minutes
[Optional] Review Google Data Analytics Certificate content about aggregation3 minutes
[Optional] Review Google Data Analytics Certificate content about data types5 minutes
[Optional] Review Google Data Analytics Certificate content about Tableau2 minutes
[Optional] Review Google Data Analytics Certificate content about dashboards5 minutes

12 readingsTotal 84 minutes

Compare scope in different contexts4 minutes
Case study: Allegis Group - Visualizing key data to understand and advance employee performance8 minutes
Design resource guide8 minutes
How to choose the right chart type for your data8 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Create a chart in Tableau8 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Lay out dashboard elements in Tableau8 minutes
Reduce processing load and maintain dashboard effectiveness8 minutes
Case study: FeatureBase: Exploring the trends with visualizations8 minutes
Privacy settings in business intelligence tools8 minutes
Glossary terms from course 3, module 24 minutes
[Optional] Effective data visualizations4 minutes
[Optional] Design thinking for visualization improvement8 minutes

5 assignmentsTotal 130 minutes

Module 2 challenge 40 minutes
Activity: Create a chart in Tableau 30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Communicate clearly with visuals15 minutes
Activity: Lay out dashboard elements in Tableau30 minutes
Test your knowledge: Considerations when laying out out a dashboard15 minutes

2 pluginsTotal 30 minutes

Organize: Insightful dashboards15 minutes
Protect: Data sources and privacy settings15 minutes

You’ll build charts and organize them to create dashboards that effectively monitor data for the long term. In addition, you’ll put yourself in the role of a BI professional by meeting with a client, practicing question-asking and communication skills, and using the information the client provides to inform your project.

What's included

9 videos9 readings4 assignments

9 videosTotal 18 minutes

Welcome to module 31 minute
Complete a dashboard project2 minutes
Andrea: Power of a BI specialist2 minutes
Role-play with a stakeholder1 minute
Data-driven charts3 minutes
Erica: How BI tools are put to work3 minutes
Well-organized dashboards2 minutes
Dashboard iteration2 minutes
Wrap-up1 minute

9 readingsTotal 52 minutes

Potential pain points when long-term monitoring4 minutes
Prepare your project4 minutes
Email from your supervisor: Chart design4 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Create your charts8 minutes
Email from your supervisor: Dashboard organization8 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Create your dashboard8 minutes
Email from your supervisor: Redirections and shifts in scope4 minutes
Email from your coworker: Iteration tips4 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Iterate on your dashboard8 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 120 minutes

Module 3 challenge30 minutes
Activity: Create your charts30 minutes
Activity: Create your dashboard30 minutes
Activity: Iterate on your dashboard30 minutes

You’ll explore stakeholder presentations and strategies for sharing dashboards with clients. Then, you’ll focus on preparing for the BI interview process by refining your portfolio, updating your resume, practicing interview techniques that demonstrate your skills to recruiters and hiring managers, and more.

What's included

8 videos5 readings2 assignments1 plugin

8 videosTotal 28 minutes

Welcome to module 42 minutes
Present your insights4 minutes
The business intelligence professional hiring process4 minutes
Heather: Personal career journey into BI3 minutes
Incorporate business intelligence work in your portfolio2 minutes
Wrap-up1 minute
[Optional] Review Google Data Analytics Certificate content about presentations3 minutes
[Optional] Review Google Data Analytics Certificate content about creating a resume9 minutes

5 readingsTotal 32 minutes

Business intelligence presentation examples8 minutes
Case study: Ipsos - Informing stakeholders with compelling data visualizations8 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Design a slide deck for a business intelligence presentation8 minutes
Use prediction for better collaboration4 minutes
Glossary terms from module 44 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 4 challenge30 minutes
Activity: Design a slide deck for a business intelligence presentation 30 minutes

1 pluginTotal 15 minutes

Practice: Presentation structures15 minutes

You’ll finish working on your portfolio project by building a BI dashboard. You’ll refer to key BI documents to create a low-fidelity mockup, design charts, and organize your dashboard. Your portfolio artifacts will include a mockup and a working dashboard, which will be ready to present to stakeholders.

What's included

12 videos11 readings4 assignments

12 videosTotal 33 minutes

Welcome to module 52 minutes
Complete your end-of-course project2 minutes
Course wrap-up1 minute
Tony: Career-building strategies3 minutes
Myles: Driving impact with AI in the workplace 2 minutes
Boost your data analytics skills with AI6 minutes
Clean and prepare data with help from AI 3 minutes
Organize data and build formulas using AI5 minutes
Use AI to help you ask more effective questions2 minutes
Create engaging data visualizations with AI3 minutes
Improve your R code with help from AI 3 minutes
Introducing Google AI Essentials1 minute

11 readingsTotal 52 minutes

Explore Course 3 end-of-course workplace scenarios4 minutes
Course 3 end-of-course project overview: Cyclistic4 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Build a dashboard for Cyclistic4 minutes
Course 3 End-of-course project overview: Google Fiber4 minutes
Activity Exemplar: Build a dashboard for Google Fiber4 minutes
Incorporate your project into your portfolio4 minutes
Create your online portfolio4 minutes
Introduction to AI for business intelligence4 minutes
Use generative AI to help you work smarter and faster8 minutes
Key takeaways from AI in business intelligence8 minutes
Take the next step with Google AI Essentials4 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 155 minutes

Assess your Course 3 end-of-course project50 minutes
Activity: Build a dashboard for Cyclistic30 minutes
Activity: Build a dashboard for Google Fiber30 minutes
Activity: Use AI to write a project requirements document45 minutes

You’ll review what you’ve learned throughout the Google Business Intelligence Certificate and explore additional career resources to establish yourself as a BI professional.

What's included

2 videos4 readings1 plugin

2 videosTotal 3 minutes

Congratulations on completing the Google Business Intelligence Certificate! 1 minute
Program recap2 minutes

4 readingsTotal 19 minutes

Business Intelligence Certificate glossary3 minutes
Showcase your work8 minutes
Claim your Google Business Intelligence Certificate badge4 minutes
Resources for Google Business Intelligence Certificate graduates4 minutes

1 pluginTotal 15 minutes

End-of-program survey15 minutes

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Google Career Certificates

Google

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Reviewed on Oct 5, 2023

Its a great addition to the foundation of the Google Data Analytics. I loved it.

Reviewed on Oct 8, 2023

It is a curated and holistic course to understand business intelligence even for a BI professional with years of real workplace experience.

Reviewed on Oct 2, 2025

This course was helpful in understanding how to create effective dashboards and reports. The lessons were clear and practical, and the activities gave good hands-on experience.”

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