Buffalo Business Intelligence (BI) Work Group - WINTER 2024

#BuffaloBusinessIntelligence / Buffalo BI

TOGETHER WE CREATE

YOU BELONG HERE

The Buffalo Business Intelligence Work Group formed in December 2017 to unite all “boots on the ground” data analytics, business intelligence, and data scientists of Buffalo regardless of the skill level or industry in an inclusive, vendor neutral, cost-effective setting. Data is data no matter the industry or tool and it takes a wide range of skill sets in order to leverage technology to achieve favorable outcomes in WNY. The peers you meet here will “tell you like it is”, celebrate your failures, inspire future wins, and will be there to support you throughout your analytics journey, no matter your skill level, industry, or employer.

If you have a curiosity that cannot be quenched, a passion for problem solving, a love of learning, enjoy tinkering with tools, are thrilled to share skills, or are eager to connect with your local tech-community, you belong at our events.

GATHER

We gather together 2x a year. The first Wednesday of June and December. Our December work group is where we meet to discuss the skills, tools, and problems and solutions we have identified over the past year. Our June work group is focused on delivering the needs identified in our December work group. Next meeting: Wednesday June 4th, 2025 Location: ZOOM. 5:30-7:30 PM.

CONNECT

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8796018/

https://www.facebook.com/BusinessIntelligenceBuffalo/

What is BI?

Business intelligence (BI) is a set of methodologies, processes, architectures, and technologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information. (Forrester, 2008)

Why should I attend?

• Vendor Nuetral
• Non-Industry Specific. Data is data, no matter the industry.
• Opportunity to connect with other BI & Data Scientist Specialists in the area
• Open to ALL learning levels
• Safe Place to Discuss Barriers
• No Fee to Attend
• Snacks Generously Provided by YOU (it's virtual- BYOS!)
• Chance to develop vendor specific OR industry specific workgroups
• Only those who attend in person gain access to materials developed during the workshop

What is on the Agenda*?

5:30pm-5:45pm

Welcome & Networking

5:45pm-6:00pm

Trend Spotting: A brief discussion of hot trends emerging in BI & beyond.

6:00pm-7:00pm

Roundtable discussion with some of Western New York & Beyond's brightest BI enthusiasts(YOU!). Together, we'll all discuss:

Q1. What Business Intelligence / Data Science tools or languages are you using? What do you want to learn how to use? Examples: SQL, Python, R, KNIME, PowerBI, Tableau, Dundas BI, Informatica, MS Visio, Excel

Q2. What Business Intelligence / Data Science skills do you have, or want to develop? Examples: Data Storytelling, Content Creation, SEO, Statistics, Data Viz, Change Control Management, Data Literacy, Data Governance, Data Mapping, AI/ML

Q3. What barriers exist to prevent you from achieving your Business Intelligence / Data Science goals?

Q4. What does a successful Business Intelligence Workgroup meeting look like?

7:00pm-7:25pm

Open Discussion - Share local & national news, inform others of job postings or other opportunities. Share a project you are working on!

7:30pm

Wrap up, and Invitation for June 2024!

*Agenda subject to change.

What would I leave with?

• Connections to the Buffalo BI & Data Scientist community
• Understanding of BI & Data Science’s role and value in all industries
• Fresh perspective on Business Analytics & various Data Science Toolkits available
• Valuable insights you did not know prior to this workgroup
• Resources to help you enhance your career

REGISTER NOW!

FAQ:

Why is a vendor neutral environment important?

In a world where many different data sources must come together to aggregate information in a way that is accurate, timely, and efficient, it is important for groups like this to keep an open mind when evaluating various types of software. The best BI software for one company may be completely different than what is needed for another organization. Buffalo BI is thankful to our host to ensure the main group maintains its vendor-neutral status.

Why is this event non-industry specific?

If you are looking at this event and asking yourself, why would a healthcare provider want to attend a meeting with professionals in another industry such as finance or banking? A few reasons. First and foremost, data is data no matter the industry. We all have or have had issues with identity management, fuzzy matching, or other data preparation pitfalls. Many industries such as sales or finance have been using BI software for longer than others industries (like healthcare). Second, As healthcare strives to move more into Value Based Purchasing, we could probably use a few tips from those in the finance and sales industries to select Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will help our companies succeed in the future. This same logic can be applied to other industries as well.

Why do I need to connect with other industry professionals?

Networking is not about selling. It’s about creating a safety net of individuals who will support you in the event that you fall. Of course, falling fast and cheap is always preferable, but having a network of connections can help you from falling in the first place when you have others to “bounce ideas off of”. Talking with others from other industries can inspire you to build new dashboards or evaluate data in a way you’ve never thought possible.

This event is open to ALL learning levels. Should I attend if I’m just a beginner?

YES. Anyone who recognizes the impact data will have on organizations in the future is welcome to attend. This is a great place to learn about BI and its potential impact on WNY.

This event is open to ALL learning levels. Should I attend if I’m a BI or Data Scientist Expert?

YES. We need you to attend to help others, and help yourself. This is an opportunity to encourage those who might otherwise be afraid of stepping up into the STEAM community to use data to better WNY. Who knows, you might just find that perfect intern that reminds you of yourself. Or you might meet a colleague that inspires you to rethink the way you look at your dashboards. Data and software are constantly changing. Do you think you can afford NOT to keep a pulse on what your local BI community is doing?

How is this a safe place to discuss BI barriers?

No matter how “easy” a BI vendor promises it is to create your first graph, those in the know understand nothing is “as simple as that” when it comes to accurate data analysis and visualization. I promise you, everyone present will have failed to some degree when it comes to creating a SQL query, to making a bar chart in Excel. We all have to start somewhere. This BI workgroup is a place where we can start together.

Is there really No Fee to attend? What’s the catch? What’s being sold?

There is no fee, other than parking depending on the venue. The intent of this workgroup was to connect the fragmented BI users in the WNY area, so we could all help each other. Your only true fee is your time you choose to spend with us. Buffalo BI workgroup choose to work with sponsors who are aware we don't "SELL" so you would NOT be pitched or sold anything. The purpose of this group is merely to facilitate the exchange of ideas, contacts, and information. We work hard to make this as low cost/no cost to attendees as much as possible.

You say you are vendor neutral and industry neutral, why is this an opportunity to form other subgroups?

This is our 15th group meeting. We are bringing everyone together to determine how we can meet the needs identified at the first meetings to keep moving forward. Since our work group has started, 3 other subgroups have formed between Buffalo, NY and Niagara Falls, Canada! We can’t cater to everyone’s highly specific needs, but by coming to this group you can learn about other members from other groups we’ve collaborated with including: Buffalo Tableau User Group, Code for Buffalo, Health 2.0, Python Buffalo, Buffalo State Data and Analytics across Disciplines (DAAD), D'Youville College, Buffalo Info Sharing Collective (BISC), InfoTechWNY.

What are these Group Discussions / Breakout Sessions?

Group Discussions or Breakout Sessions serve a dual purpose. The first is to get you talking with your peers, to form connections and have meaningful discussions around a suggested topic. The second function of the group discussions is to find out what the Buffalo BI community is interested in learning about, or what barriers collectively we have encountered.

Where will the event be held?

This event will be an onlie Zoom event. Registration is required on Eventbrite to attend.

Specific Event Directions and Information will be emailed to those who registered via Eventbright 48 hours prior to the event.

What time is the event?

The event is 2 hours long from 5:30pm-7:30pm. If you get out of work at 6pm, please still plan on attending so you can participate in group discussions and enjoy networking after the event.

Where do I park?

Park yourself wherever is comfortable for you! It's an online event, so get cozy!

I want to attend but can’t go because of blah, blah, blah.

Our time is something we actively choose to give to others. We make time for those things that are truly important to us. When we are too busy to learn, we are too busy to advance our careers and grow as individuals.

Host or Publisher Kimberly Herrington, MHA