Summary of "Data Analyst Portfolio Project - Business Request - Power BI & SQL"

This video, presented by Ali, a data analytics manager based in Oslo, Norway, is the second installment in a series focused on building a data analyst portfolio from scratch. The main focus of this video is how to handle a business request for a new report by extracting relevant information and structuring it into a Business Demand Overview and User Stories. These deliverables help clarify requirements and guide subsequent data preparation and dashboard development.

Main Ideas and Concepts

Understanding the Business Request Ali starts by reviewing a business request received from Steven, a sales manager. The request involves improving internet sales reports by moving from static reports to interactive visual dashboards. Key points identified include:
- Focus on sales volume by product and client over time.
- Ability to filter data by salesperson, product, and customer.
- Comparison of sales against budget data (budget available only for 2021, sales data spans two years).
- Use of new data sources such as a budget spreadsheet.
Business Demand Overview This is a structured summary of the business request, capturing:
- Who made the demand (stakeholder).
- The value or benefit expected from the change.
- Necessary systems or tools involved (Power BI, CRM).
- Any other relevant information (e.g., budget data specifics).
User Stories User Stories are written from the perspective of end users to specify what the solution should enable them to do. They help ensure the delivery aligns with business value. Ali explains:
- User Stories follow an agile methodology style.
- Each story includes a role, goal, and reason.
- Acceptance criteria are defined to specify what the solution must fulfill.
Examples of User Stories Created
- As a sales manager, I want a dashboard overview of internet sales so I can track which customers and products perform best.
- As a sales representative, I want detailed customer-level sales data with filtering options to identify sales opportunities.
- As a sales manager, I want to track sales over time against budget with KPIs and graphs.
Next Steps The Business Demand Overview and User Stories will be used to:
- Identify which data tables need cleaning and transformation.
- Guide the actual dashboard creation.
- Provide acceptance criteria to validate the final reports.

Methodology / Instructions (Bullet Points)

Receive and read the business request carefully.
Highlight and extract key information:
- Stakeholders involved.
- Business goals and value of change.
- Data dimensions (products, customers, time).
- Filters needed (salesperson, product, customer).
- Data sources (CRM, budget spreadsheets).
Create a Business Demand Overview form including:
- Reporter/stakeholder.
- Value of change.
- Necessary systems.
- Other relevant info.
Write User Stories based on the business request:
- Define the user role.
- Define what the user wants to do.
- Define why the user wants it.
Specify acceptance criteria for each user story to clarify what the solution must deliver.
Use these documents to guide data cleaning, transformation, and dashboard development.
Use acceptance criteria as a checklist to validate the final deliverables.

Speakers / Sources Featured

Ali – Data Analytics Manager and presenter of the video.
Steven – Sales Manager who provided the business request (mentioned but not directly speaking).

This video provides a practical example of translating a business request into actionable analytics requirements through structured documentation and agile User Stories, setting a foundation for data preparation and dashboard development in Power BI.