Is data analytics in your organization struggling to make an impact on decision making and lead the road for better results? You are not alone. Only 26.5% of responding companies in the 2022 Big Data and AI Executive survey reported themselves as having successfully transformed into data-driven organizations. Over 90% of executives saw the greatest barrier against being data-driven is the organization’s culture and employees’ skills.

The set of skills that is crucial for data-driven transformation lies under the umbrella of data literacy, which 82% of managers expect all employees to have, according to another survey by Forrester. Yet, only 40% of employees say they are provided with the data skills they are expected to have.

One of the main ways of cutting through this data literacy gap and initiating its development within an organization is to implement good data visualization practices. To inform, persuade and engage employees and managers at different levels, nothing is better than transforming cold numbers into well-crafted visuals presented in the proper context.

Implementing good data visualization practices is the main goal of the Certified Data Visualization Professional course of The KPI Institute. 

Course overview

This course will improve communication within your company through visual displays. Through practical applications, you will learn how to communicate visually in an effective way and how to increase reporting efficiency, leading to a better understanding of the presented data, and thus, to smarter and quicker strategic decisions.

The course approaches its goal of helping organizations implement optimal data visualization practices through ensuring that participants are able to:

• Identify data visualization fundamentals and best practices
• Apply data reporting principles in business settings
• Generate optimal graphs, data presentations, dashboards and BSCs, using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and PowerBI
• Acquire the ability to critique data visualizations based on well-established concepts and assessments

Benefits and importance

By becoming a Certified Data Visualization Professional, you will gain a wide range of benefits that include:

• Receiving relevant guidance for developing visual representations in order to discover, understand and communicate information
• Creating better and more relevant reports by understanding the fundamental concepts in data visualization
• Offering intelligible data sets to decision-making parties through creating excellent graphical representations
• Improving your performance in presenting data and enhance viewer experience
• Gaining access to a wide variety of templates, toolkits and resources developed by The KPI Institute
• Obtaining 40 CPD credits to include in your CPD records for your professional body, institute, regulator or employer

Course structure and methodology

The course encompasses a three-stage educational process with an expected duration of 40 hours:

1. Pre-course stage: This stage ensures a seamless transition into the training program. You will evaluate your current skills, join an interactive online forum, and understand the groundwork for a collaborative learning journey.
2. Core-course stage: Participants can choose between attending live online sessions or engaging in face-to-face interactions. They will engage in experiential learning and a high level of interactivity, complete their Individual Learning Maps, and take the certification exam.
3. After-course stage: You will be a part of thought-provoking forum discussions and explore additional readings. You will be able to create an actionable plan based on your organization’s needs.

Course syllabus

The core course comprises 11 learning modules:

1. Data visualization parameters
2. Data collection and preparation
3. Visual communication channels
4. Visualization structure
5. Visualization format
6. Visualization expression
7. Pivot charts in Excel
8. Data presentations in PowerPoint and Excel
9. Dashboards in Excel and PowerBI
10. Scorecards in Excel
11. Visualization assessment

Flexible learning options

The KPI Institute offers this course in both face-to-face and live training formats, scheduled around the year to accommodate different format and time preferences.

Certification and recognition

Upon completion, participants will receive the following certificates (soft copy):

• Certificate of Attendance: for course sessions participation
• Certificate of Completion: after fulfilling pre-course activities and passing the Certification Exam
• Certified Professional Diploma: upon successfully completing all three stages of the learning experience and once the full payment has been received by the contractor
• CPD Certificate of Attendance: provided once you achieve Professional Status

Don’t you think it’s time for your organization to leverage its data insights for greater impact? Become a Certified Data Visualization Professional. Enroll today and invite your colleagues!

Editor’s Note: This excerpt was originally published in the Ask Our Experts section of PERFORMANCE Magazine Issue No. 26, 2023 – Data Analytics Edition. Islam Salahuddin, a business research analyst and data expert at The KPI Institute, answers, “How can organizations bridge the knowledge gap between data analysts and non-technical stakeholders and decision-makers?”

Bridging the gap between data teams and non-technical stakeholders should be a multi-way effort. 

From the technical side, data analysts first have to be aware of business needs and then adopt communication best practices. Insights should be delivered in the plain language of stakeholders, eliminating technical jargon and providing business context. Data storytelling techniques should be leveraged to ensure communication is engaging and persuasive.

From the side of stakeholders, having a high level of data literacy is key to avoiding communication gaps and insight misinterpretations that can lead to distorted decision-making.

Moreover, as hierarchical organizational gaps widen in larger businesses, having mediator roles can also be beneficial. These roles can be performed by experienced business analysts or specialized positions like data translators. Making room at the management tables for data-experienced managers and chief officers will bridge the gap more easily.

From a big-picture perspective, developing a wider data culture environment within an organization can eliminate such gaps on different levels. Business data maturity can only be achieved if business objectives are aligned with and then enabled by data uses, which highlights the importance of crafting a data strategy in alignment with the overall business strategy.

Ready to bridge the gap between data teams and non-technical stakeholders? Elevate your data skills through The KPI Institute’s Certified Data Analysis and Certified Data Visualization Professional courses.

The global data visualization market size hit USD 9.48 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 20.16 Billion by 2028. What is data visualization, and why is it so important?

Emergen Research attributes its optimistic forecast to the “generation of large data volumes and the rising need for multi-device access facilities.” It added that cloud computing and the need for fast decision-making, particularly during volatile times, are also accelerating the adoption of data visualization.

The rise of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) that help companies process data in 3D formats pushes the demand for cloud computing in data visualization, according to Emergen Research. These are further driving the market revenue growth.

The KPI Institute defines data visualization as “the visual representation of data, in order to better understand information and present it in a clear and effective manner.” Data visualization can help detect and analyze patterns, trends, and correlations.

According to the report “TDWI best practices report: Data visualization and discovery for better business decisions,” some of the benefits of data visualization are the improvement of operational efficiency, better response to business changes, identification of new business opportunities, and higher employee and partner productivity. 

Based on Emergen Research’s findings, the software segment revenue would increase steadily during the firm’s forecast period. Moreover, the standalone visualization software segment revenue is soaring due to the need to produce useful information from huge volumes of data. Such data usually comes nowadays from social media and other online platforms. “Use of data visualization software such as Oracle, tableau, and SAP made this approach feasible,” the forecast report states.

Developing and designing a visual representation is not a walk in the park. To communicate data visually and effectively, you need the right tools, knowledge, and expert guidance. 

The KPI Institute’s Certified Data Visualization Professional course teaches participants how to create better and more relevant reports and present intelligible data sets to decision-makers. If you would like to improve the visual communication within your organization, secure your slot on 21 – 25 February 2022 (EMEA: 09:00 – 13:00 GST and ASEAN: 13:00 – 17:00 GMT +8) by signing up here.