Data Analysis with Python, SQL and Dashboards

Data work often breaks down before any analysis starts. Data sits in several systems, extracts are copied by hand into spreadsheets, cleaning steps are not recorded, the same report is rebuilt every month, and charts show everything except the answer to the business question. Analysts spend most of their time preparing data, and managers receive numbers they cannot easily trust or explain.

This programme follows the full analysis workflow. It moves through five stages: framing the business question and understanding the data, querying databases with SQL, cleaning and analysing data with Python, applying basic statistics to draw sound conclusions, and building dashboards and data stories that support decisions.

Built on recognised practice. The programme references the CRISP-DM process model for analytics projects, standard SQL, the widely used Python data libraries pandas, NumPy and Matplotlib, established principles of data visualisation and dashboard design, and the data quality and personal data protection principles that apply to organisational data. Examples use open tools and a common business intelligence platform.

What this changes in practice. How participants turn a manager's request into a clear analysis question; how they extract only the data they need; how they document and repeat cleaning steps instead of redoing them; which statistical tests or summaries are appropriate; and which chart and dashboard layout helps a manager make a decision.

How it is delivered. Twenty hours across five sessions of hands-on work on laptops, built around one running case: an organisation's service and sales data held in a relational database. Participants write SQL queries, clean and analyse the data in Python notebooks, test a simple hypothesis and build a dashboard to answer a management question.

In-house option. For organisations, the programme can be tailored to your own data sources, database platforms and reporting tools, and delivered using anonymised samples of your own data so that participants leave with reusable queries and notebooks.

Who Should Attend

Business and reporting analysts who want to move from spreadsheets to SQL and Python

Professionals in finance, HR, operations, sales and planning who prepare regular reports and analyses

IT and database staff moving into data analysis roles

Business intelligence staff who build dashboards and management reports

Junior data team members building a practical foundation in analytics

Objectives

Translate a business question into an analysis plan following the CRISP-DM stages

Write SQL queries to select, filter, join, group and aggregate data from relational databases

Use Python and pandas to import, clean, transform and combine datasets

Identify and treat missing values, duplicates, outliers and inconsistent formats

Perform exploratory data analysis using descriptive statistics and visualisations

Apply basic statistical methods, such as correlation, simple regression and hypothesis tests, and interpret the results correctly

Design dashboards that follow sound visual design principles and answer specific questions

Present findings as a clear data story with recommendations

Document and automate repeatable analysis steps

Apply data quality, privacy and responsible use principles when handling organisational data

Course Outline

From Business Question to Data: The Analysis Workflow

The role of the data analyst and the CRISP-DM process
Framing business questions and defining measures
Types of data, data sources and data structures
Data quality dimensions and common data problems
Data protection, confidentiality and responsible data use
Setting up the working environment: databases, Python notebooks and BI tools

Getting the Right Data With SQL

Relational databases, tables, keys and relationships
SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY and basic functions
Joining tables: inner, left and other joins
GROUP BY, aggregation and HAVING
Subqueries, common table expressions and introduction to window functions
Writing readable, reusable queries

Cleaning and Analysing Data With Python

Python essentials for analysts: variables, data types, functions and libraries
pandas DataFrames: importing from files and databases
Cleaning: missing values, duplicates, data types and text fields
Transforming, merging, reshaping and grouping data
Working with dates and time series
Using AI coding assistants carefully: checking and understanding generated code

Drawing Sound Conclusions: Exploratory Analysis and Statistics

Descriptive statistics and distributions
Visual exploration with Matplotlib and related libraries
Correlation, simple linear regression and their limits
Sampling, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing basics
Common analysis errors and misleading results
Introduction to forecasting and predictive analysis

Dashboards and Data Storytelling

Choosing the right chart for the message
Dashboard design principles: purpose, layout, filters and clarity
Building an interactive dashboard in a business intelligence tool
KPIs, targets and drill-down for management users
Presenting insights: structure, narrative and recommendations
Automating refreshes and documenting the analysis for reuse

Competencies

Business question framing for analytics

SQL querying and data extraction

Data cleaning and transformation in Python

Exploratory data analysis

Applied statistics for business decisions

Data visualisation and dashboard design

Data storytelling and presentation

Reproducible and automated analysis

Data quality and responsible data handling

Muscat

Elite Academy can deliver its complete portfolio of professional training programs in Muscat. With a key Gulf government and business center with a calm and professional international setting, the destination suits both scheduled learning and tailored arrangements for organizations or individual professionals. As an Elite Academy training destination, Muscat provides access to our full portfolio rather than a city-specific set of specializations. The city is a key Gulf government and business center with a calm and professional international setting, creating a suitable environment for organizations developing their teams and for professionals attending independently. Upcoming scheduled courses are listed on this page, while any other Elite Academy program can also be requested for delivery in Muscat, subject to scheduling and delivery requirements. Explore the schedule or browse our training areas to find the right option.