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Michael McDonald, President
Michael is an associate with TRI Corporation, a training firm focused on cross functional and financial training doing work for Fortune 500 firms and holds a PhD in finance from the University of Tennessee.
This instructor has 32 courses »To Access This Course:
In this case study reading about how a firm has used big data to improve operations, participants read outside material and then watch a brief presentation highlighting the most important parts of the case.
***Please download and open all supporting materials before starting the course videos.***
The goal is to get participants thinking on their own about how Big Data can be used in practice.
Learning Objectives
Last updated/reviewed: June 25, 2021
Included In Certifications
This course is included in the following Certification Programs:
15 CoursesCertified Data Analytics Professional (CDAP)
- The Fundamentals of Business Intelligence (BI): What it Does and Why it's so Essential
- How is Industry Using Big Data? – A Case Study Reading
- Business Intelligence - Data Collection and Cleaning
- Business Intelligence - Structuring Data for Analysis
- Business Intelligence - Fundamentals of Data Analysis
- Business Intelligence - Using Big Data Analytics
- Doing Data Analytics In Excel (Hands-on module)
- Regressions in Excel (Hands-on module)
- Financial Forecasting
- Advanced Analytics – Omitted Variables
- Advanced Analytics – Fixed Effects
- Case Study in Data Analytics
- Using Regressions for Forecasting
- Financial Forecasting in Excel (Hands-on module)
- Blockchain for Business
116 Reviews (656 ratings)Reviews
Lisa Neuwirth
(Sr. Dir Strategic Readiness Office at Charter Communications)
This course provided a nice explanation of what big data is, the types of analytics and key data analytics tools.
Anonymous
(Not Provided)
In my opinion, some notions about prescriptive analytics (like, "most basic kind of analytics") are misleading. You will need results from descriptive and predictive stage to be able to propose decision options. Possibly in the next courses the trainer will explain, but as of now I believe that some concepts and use of terms here are wrong, possiby outdated.
Luis Lucchini
(Sr. Associate at Grant Thornton Public Sector)
Now we start going a little deeper with the information. Looking forward to learning more and more! Thank you for helping set up the stage for this! Only recommendation is to upgrade the slides and video a bit. They seem really old, design-wise. At one point we couldn't read one of the boxes because of the poor choice of colors.
Neil Hewko
(Tax Director at Grant Thornton)
The course was very helpful in defining certain terms that I hear a lot about but don't understand. I really don't desire to become an expert in Big Data but would like to be able to discuss with client and identify opportunities. This course was helpful in moving my understanding forward.
Stephanie Bommarito
(Sr. Associate at Grant Thornton)
I liked that the course gave us the big picture of softwares but also said we should focus on learning & understanding Big Data Analytics (not a particular software). This allows us to put the knowledge towards using any software that may be chosen in whichever company you work for.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
This course provided detail training of data analytics tools, data visualization, case takeaways and conclusion on how the industry using big data. I think this course is helpful for us to learn how data is relevant to our day to day work.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
While the course does give an interesting look at the processes behind big data, I think it focuses too much on specific tools instead of general concepts. Also I am not sure the case study was used in the most effective way.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
Michael was clear and concise in his delivery in regards to Big Data. It was very interesting to hear about how important Big Data is, and how businesses are able to thrive off of every individual they come in contact with.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
Although shorter and more applicable than the last course I completed (Business Intelligence), the case study seemed to be more a repeat of the slides, as opposed to a case study under the academic definition.
Alejandra Chacon
(Snr.Assistant Controller at Oracle + NetSuite)
I findvthe course very good forvthe continuation of the series, it gives a good understanding at a glance on Big Data, and even though we are in 2021 what is mentiined in the course remains true.
Anonymous
(Accountant)
Still very generalized - I am looking forward to the more specifics of future classes. I like the exposure that it provided to some of the concepts and software available in the marketplace.
Anonymous
(Managing Director)
Interesting overview of Big Data presented at right level of information and pace. Interesting description of players in this industry and what they do and with whom they do business.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
What surprised me was the data analytics was mostly backward looking. Executives at large companies would get a lot from this because it would better help them make decisions
Anonymous
()
I work at a mid-market company & we would struggle with the resources required to implement big data analytics. But still interesting to have an overview of what's out there.
tom kenison
(director at Grant Thornton)
this course was my first introduction into data analytics. I liked the material, organization of the program and Mike's insight as a person who actually works in the field.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
I appreciated the instructor's summary at the end of the presentation about the case study. It gave the course a well-rounded balance of self-study and group conclusion.
David Murdock
(Managing Director at Grant Thornton LLP)
This course was easy to follow and practical. I like the examples of providers that are out there. I don't know if the case study provided as much value as I had hoped.
Tom Connolly
(Director at Grant Thornton LLP)
Learning about the current state of analytics in Big Data was interesting. Most businesses make some use, but there is considerably more that can be done with Big Data.
Anonymous
(Tax Director)
The article by PWC was way to long to have to read - maybe you could have highlighted the points that were not already covered in the video that were important to read.
Anonymous
(Senior Business Consultant)
The case study was very detailed and some parts were a little dry. However, the instructor summarized the key concepts in a very concise and illustrative manner.
Aaron Walters
(Associate at Grant Thornton)
I thought the discussion on theory v. implementation drove a key point as to why this is difficult for firms to gain significant advantages from its use.
Devery Adair
(CFO at PLI Industries LLC)
Great overview of the use of Data analytics. Just the right level of detail to introduce the subject, applications and tools for implementing Big Data.
Julie Bates
(NTSS Experienced Manager at Grant Thornton LLP)
The instructor and material were both great. The PWC case study was a bit long, however. It seemed to repeat a lot of the same key ideas several times.
Anonymous
(Director of SEC Reporting)
The video presentation provides a good overview and the instructor has paced the training well. However, the case study from PWC is a bit too long.
Anonymous
(SALT- Income/Franchise Tax Senior Associ..)
Another great course. This course utilizes a case study to really give you deep insight into real world evaluations of the big data revolution.
Spencer Anderson
(Senior Tax Associate at Grant Thornton)
The course touched on a lot of names of difference programs and programming languages. I would like to know more about how the languages work.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
The instructor broke down the programming jargon very well. I also liked how he stressed how big data can be used for companies of all sizes.
Anonymous
(Senior Tax Associate)
I thought the course provided good detail on a number of the tools available to use for analytics. The time allotted was also very reasonable.
Anonymous
(Senior Internal Auditor)
Provided a solid foundation of data analytics and how it can be applied. I found the explanations of data analytics tools to be most helpful.
Josh Ling
(Associate at Grant Thornton)
I feel as though I could apply these lessons to my job. While I feel like I knew most of the material beforehand, this was a good refresher.
Anonymous
(SALT Manager)
This one was a little trickier! I have a hard time understanding what these tools do (SAS, R, Tableau) but probably just have to use them.
Tom Winson
(Supervisor at RSM)
Good intro to data analytics with a survey of tools commonly used. Case study is more of a marketing presentation than a case study though.
Anonymous
(International Tax Sr. Associate)
It was nice to learn about how data is using big data, some of the tools they are using and how we can use big data better going forward.
Anonymous
(Tax Senior Associate)
Great course that takes you through some of the more popular data analytics tools used in industry today. Informative case study by PWC.
Anonymous
(Tax Manager)
There are many tools out there and it seems hard to gain an understanding of these without proper training, but interesting information.
Anonymous
(Associate)
As someone who does not know much about big data, this is very insightful and gives us a chance to learn about more on a simple level.
Anonymous
(Accounting Manager)
Please provide more examples (ie: how to apply big data when analyzing parent/sub companies with thousands of lines of transactions
Anonymous
(Senior Manager)
Good overview of data analytics and its associated language, as well as the types of tools that can be utilized to do the analysis.
Anonymous
(Managing Director)
Good course, I learned a lot. The case study was a bit lengthy and the format made it a little difficult to read and stay engaged.
Josh Schmitt
(Tax Intern at Grant Thornton)
An effective course at describing the different trends of big data and the nuances of analytics in the current business landscape.
Anonymous
(Senior Manager)
Very concise in providing a high level overview of tools being used in the marketplace so that one can be conversant on the topic
Wayne Burns
(CFO at Steve's Livestock Transport)
Good overview and case study. questions on exam are subject to interpretation, however, the course is full of innovative ideas.
Myles Wilson
(Tax Associate at Grant Thornton)
Course explained why data is gathered and the need for the tools to analyze and interpret the data to be useful for businesses.
Anonymous
(Associate)
Good course with good information. I liked the speed of the course, the information that was conveyed, and the length of it.
Liza Rothhammer
(Sr. Manager at Grant Thornton)
good presentation and level of detail. additional examples of application to perhaps different industries would be helpful.
Anonymous
(Managing Director)
A comprehensive approach to providing an overview of Big Data and the current state verses future state. excellent course.
Anonymous
(Managing Tax Director)
Very basic course - didn't offer much by way of new information. I felt like i could have used my time better on this one.
Anonymous
(Tax Manager)
I loved the overall review of key concepts, especially covering the descriptive/prescriptive/predictive types of analytics.
Anonymous
(Senior Associate)
While the presentation was informative, it would be more useful to have more analysis on the case study within the course.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
Great course. Good high level overview of some of the key components of big data and which software tools are available.
Anonymous
(Senior Associate)
like the software and application use of this course. enables the student to understand the logic and practical purposes
Anonymous
(Associate)
The case study was very helpful to see what big data is in the accounting industry and how it is currently being used.
Anonymous
(Partner)
This is a relevant topic today, but it is surprising that the data in this presentation on Data is more than 5 year old
Anonymous
(Director)
This training is a good intro to show how industry is using big data and the major software players in the industry.
Anonymous
(Assistant Internal Audit Manager)
The course was very helpful in defining certain terms and also helpful in making the understanding for beginners.
Nick Zuzula
(Senior Associate at Grant Thornton)
Very useful for understanding data analytics from a high level perspective. Raises thought provoking questions.
Anonymous
(Manager)
Nice to learn about DA. It is truly changing the industry and how the businesses strategize in the marketplace
Anonymous
(Senior Accountant)
It was great to get to know different programming languages and available tools. Looking forward to next ones.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
I learned a lot form this course and highly recommend it to the others. This CDAP is going great. Thank you :)
Nicholas Ross
(Tax Associate at Grant Thornton)
The content of the material was good. The presentation was a bit dry. But the course was enjoyable overall.
Anonymous
(Tax Associae)
the course was clear and very informative, i look forward to implementing this in my every day work life.
Anonymous
(Tax Partner)
the case study was a great way to read at your own pace and understand the direction everything is headed
Nick Merrill
(Associate at Grant Thornton)
Useful overview of what is big data and how can it be used. Case study material seemed outdated (~2013)
Anonymous
(Manager)
Great course - the case study was very informative. I wish they would go more into the software aspect.
Grant Brannum
(Agent at Treasury)
The course contained some insightful information on the subject of big data and was presented well.
Nicole Goodwin
(Director of Chemistry, Stress & Repa.. at GSK)
So many companies have huge data and most people struggle in how to handle it. Very informative.
Apexa Mamtora
(Consultant at Grant Thornton Public Sector)
Easy to understand! I liked the real life examples that were unconventional and not intuitive.
Philip Wilson
(Data Scientist at Grant Thornton)
good intro to big data uses in the industry and how to determine the feasibility of a project
Anonymous
(Accountant)
Really great introduction to data analytics and the role it plays/will play in big business.
Dominic Nguyen
(Senior Tax Associate at Grant Thornton LLP)
Great and concise information. He put everything in simple terms so it is easy to remember.
Anonymous
(Associate)
This review was worthwhile. I was surprised that most data analytics is backwards looking.
Anonymous
(Experienced Manager)
Descriptive but not useful, just like making us use at least 50 characters for this review.
James Kelley
(Senior Associate at Grant Thornton)
I liked this course's description of BI tools like Tableau and data analytic tools like R.
Anonymous
(Senior Associate)
This course helped me understand the common areas of opportunity for using data analytics.
Alex Tran
(Tax Senior at Grant Thornton)
This course helped me prepare for a training. I really feel like I got a good foundation.
Lindsay Cowell
(Tax Associate at Grant Thornton LLP)
I liked the course because of its length but thought the slides could have been briefer
SAMUEL BARNETT
(SENIOR ASSOCIATE at GRANT THORNTON LLP)
Great course - I felt that it gave a quality overview of how industry is using big data!
Amy Benson
(Tax Director at Grant Thornton LLP)
This course was very helpful on data analytics. The instructor was very knowledgeable.
Anonymous
(Senior Tax Associate)
Good course that explains what Big Data is and the types of analytics businesses use.
Anonymous
(Associate I)
Gave a really good in-depth look of Big Data and the different tools used with it.
Ricardo De Alba
(Controller at Harvest Church)
Good introduction to the topic of big data especially for those who are unfamiliar.
Anonymous
(State Report)
Great course, I enjoyed the reding and the instructor explanations as well the case
Anonymous
(Associate)
Course was informative and easy to navigate. I would recommend it to a colleague.
Anonymous
(Managing Director)
I liked the case study as the PwC pdf was concise and easy to read and understand
Anonymous
(Innovation Manager)
The case study could have been shorten as I felt like it was pretty repetitive.
Barry Hartzberg
(Director of Finance and Administration at Tech Impact)
Great overview of Big Data, now understand the foundation to continue learning.
K Harper
( at JLL)
GREAT- CONNECTS DOTS IN ORGANIZATIONS - WHT IS BI AND WHAT I S VALUE AND FUTURE
Russ Daniel
(Partner at Grant Thornton LLP)
Dated - everything is 5 years old or more. Good information otherwise though.
Anonymous
(Tax associate)
Great course that taught the differences between different types of analytics
Anonymous
(Finance)
His session never disappoints me. Fun, well organized and clear information.
Eric Oosta
(Senior Associate at Grant Thornton LLP)
Very informative course. Really appreciate the tutorial in big data tools.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
I think this course was a great learning experience for tax profesisonals.
Anonymous
(Associate)
Very good background on Big Data and its application in our market today.
Anonymous
(Managing Director)
I like learning which programs were out there and how they may be applied.
Nick Newhouse
(Senior Associate at Grant Thornton)
It says that theory is easy but applying is hard. We are doing theory....
Meghan Wied
(Associate, Mergers & Acquisitions Ta.. at Grant Thornton LLP)
Very interesting and insightful course on new data analytics techniques.
Peter Poulos
(Managing Director at Grant Thornton LLP)
I was surprised by how broad the potential uses are for data analytics.
Anonymous
(Audit Services Manager)
Great information presented to better understand how big data is used
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
The course was somewhat repetitive about importance of data analytics
Anonymous
(Senior Tax Associate)
This course was easy to follow and very informative, great job!!!!!!!
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
It was short and sweet which made it easy to digest the information
Anonymous
(Senior Associate)
Interesting that we have a PwC case for a mandatory GT training.
Laura Michael Hughes
(Tax Senior Associate at Grant Thornton LLP)
The case study was helpful to see how current firms are using BI.
Anonymous
(Chair)
interesting and informative course which introduces new ideas.
Kris Weigand
(Tax Associate at Grant Thornton)
this was a great learning experience. the videos were engaging.
Anonymous
(Program Management)
I wish there are more questions. The choices are very tricky.
Stephen Webster
(Manager at Grant Thornton LLP)
Thanks for putting the course together. It was very helpful.
Anonymous
(Associate)
There are many different types of tools that can be used.
Eric Coombs
(Partner at Grant Thornton)
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Anonymous
(Senior Associate)
Good course work and interesting analysis. Recommended.
Corey Masters
(Accountant, Internal Auditor, Risk Speci.. at Self)
Another good course for the data analytics certificate
Paul Gallagher
(Tax Associate at Grant Thornton)
Everything about this course was absolutely fantastic.
Anonymous
(Lumen Audit Associate)
Provides good examples and information at a high level
Jake Grubbs
(Senior Associate at Grant Thornton)
Good case study on how industries are using big data.
Anonymous
(Tax Associate)
liked the overview of big data tools in the industry
Anonymous
(Senior Tax Associate)
Big data is a big deal and I am well-informed now.
Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Intermediate
Viewers should be familiar with basic financial and accounting concepts. In addition, viewers should be familiar with Big Data and Business Intelligence, or review my existing courses on the topic.
Viewers should be familiar with basic financial and accounting concepts. In addition, viewers should be familiar with Big Data and Business Intelligence, or review my existing courses on the topic.
Education Provider Information
Company:
Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact:
For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .