Business Intelligence Analyst is a job that plays a major role is a certain business or enterprise using tools and techniques with the aid of technology in transforming data into meaningful information use by management and down to business operations need.
I am thankful to God for the gift of being analytical as it gives me joy and freedom to calculate and analyze data. It took me years before I discover that I have the ability to analyze business operations and provide solutions to a problem.Without realizing that I am a problem solver. This is how I enjoy this work. Here is the history how I became a Business Intelligence Analyst.
Way back 2012, I was an IT Head of a Thrift bank in the Philippines. I normally manage the whole IT Infrastructure in my hometown. Doing the technical stuff such as database and network maintenance, data back-up and recovery, data analysis, doing data center batch process, minor programming using Visual Basic Application (VBA), help desk support, and creating and revising IT Policies and Procedures of the bank. Added to that are attending seminars and meetings outside the bank and supporting the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) operations with my two staff. Those days would be quite fun and exciting!
Then, due to my goal to enroll and pursue my Master’s degree in Information Systems (MIS), I left the company. I finished the whole course for 2.5 years from University of the Philippines Open University.
Since, I am a Masters graduate already and I need to pay my debt in the bank, I taught Computer subjects in Lyceum of the Philippines Batangas (LPU-Batangas) for one year.
With my dream to work overseas and be globally competitive, I am now working as Sales Operations Analyst Business Intelligence Analyst in one of the well-known distribution company in Canada and the whole world. But I am not working in Canada, I am working here in Singapore.
My job as an Analyst is a quite tough at first. I do programming using VBA and doing SQL coding. I also creating macros and doing adhoc reports based on the Management needs.
Normally, my day started at 8:30 in the morning. I just eat my breakfast on my table to save time. What I did is I just open a scheduler which all the update is being run in our database (fully automation).
After that, I will look on my email to check any request or amendments for automation. If there is, I need to update the project management template to track the changes. Normally if it is new template, it takes 1 to 2 weeks to finish. It depends on how complex is the user requirement.
After the creation of the template is the maintenance. If ever there is a new requirement we need to improve the template. Then passed it the user for testing then deploy if there is no bug or issue.
For monthly report, I consolidate the report and run the macro to distribute it to all head of the departments across South Asia Managements.
Challenges
- When user and the analyst does not meet a proper understanding for a certain process. User and technical perspective.
- Database Crashed
- Lost connectivity from the Canada Server
- Task Scheduler does not run
- Part of the manager reports is wrong
- Complexity of the logic
- If there is a new project; you need to use your brain to work more in coming up the best solution.
Rewards
- Salary is more competitive
- Work is not measured using Key Performance Indicator
- Time is manageable unless Month End or Quarter End
- You can learn more other stuff while running the report
- Management has a key trust on what you are doing. Integrity!
This is how my life now as an analyst and I really enjoy playing with data and make it as valuable and perfect as possible to make a better view of information for the top management. Because those information is one of the key factor on how they decide for the company growth.
