This season was created with the beginner in mind. We introduce the core concepts, assuming no prior professional training. Experienced professionals may be tempted to skip this season, but I would encourage you not to – a complete understanding of the foundations will help you grow in the field, much like the deep roots of a tree will help it… grow in the field. Similes aside, the author highly recommends Season 1.
1.1 The Post that Started it All: What is Business Intelligence?
In this article we introduce the field of business intelligence, including one way of understanding it as a combination of four broad disciplines. We also introduce the authors and this article series.
1.2 What is a Data Model?
In this article we cover how data fits into tables, and how those tables evolve into data models. We introduce the simplest model: a single denormalized table. These single-table models could be all you need to answer your questions, but they can also face certain limitations.
1.3 The Challenges of a Single Table, or: A Star is Born
In this article we address the challenges of a single table, introducing the concepts of columnar storage and cardinality. We propose a solution to the challenges: a star schema.
1.4 A Key is Key: Making Relationships Between Data
In this article we talk about how relationships connect tables and allow users to filter data. We cover the most common kinds of relationships and how relationships require keys to connect.
1.5 Upstream Solutions to Downstream Problems
In this article we cover one of the most fundamentally important concepts in business intelligence. We also introduce the practices of analysis and synthesis, and how they’re used in the field.
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