Which course is more useful for BO users

[DrSmyth]

Hi,

I've been a BO user for a couple of years and I seem to be responsible for everything BO related in my department, from installation through to universe design and report building. I've picked most of it up as i've gone along (who says big companies train there staff) and I must admit that without this forum I would have been sunk a long time ago....

My question is quite a general one: My company have finally agreed to stump for a course of my choice and I'm trying to decide which one would be best suited to making me more effective with BO and would add most to my future employability if I leave.

The choices are an SQL course, a VBA course or a data access course (not sure of the details, but it's related to DB2).... The other option of course is to go on a dedicated BO designer course, but I don't know how much this would help my future employability as I'm thinking it's scope may be too narrow...

Does anybody have any ideas or pearls of wizdom that they would like to share....

Thanks Andy

 

[blom0344]

Hi Andy

Now, that's quite a question!

My two cents:

1. VBA

There is some use of VBA as combined with BO, but it is all at the surface. You won't be able to do things with VBA like you can with either Excel or Access. It will stay within the reach of creating some forms or possibly export-scripts.

2. SQL

My personal opinion is that one can never know quite enough SQL. It is still the basis of most tools and will give you additional options with regard to designing universes. IF your employer will grant you the rights to play around with such niceties as database-views (which are SQL statements waiting to be triggered in the database), it will open new territory to be excavated.

It will also allow you to create advanced Free-hand SQL reports that do things pretty much out of range from average universes (OLAP functions; temp-sets; recursive SQL) Though free-hand reports are not suited for general use, they can be REALLY nice for one-selves.

3. Data-access

Ever since I took DBA courses in DB2 I'm in awe with it. You can reckon that this is quite a challenge. Quite a rewarding platform, but it allows no quick approach like SQL server.

4. Advanced designer

Tricky one. From a user's point universes should be relatively simple. The need to dig deep design-wise is often with fixed OLTP schema's where you have no alternative but to follow the database structure. In most cases this will lead to multiple universes to avoid confusing the crowd. As you say, the scope is very narrow.

My line-up would be:

2-3-4-1



Ties Blom
Information analyst

 

[DrSmyth]

Thanks for the advice Ties.... Your reasoning looks very sound, SQL does appear to be the best option... Wonder if i can get them to fork out for two courses (unlikely)...

 

[skrandel]

I agree completely with Ties.

I know this forum has been helpful for you. Have you been to busobj.forumtopics.com? It's even better.

Steve Krandel
VERITAS Software

 

[DrSmyth]

I've not steve.... But I'll certainly give it a go..

 

[dbomrrsm]

Steve what is the full address for busobj.forumtopics.com

can'f find it.

cheers

[blue]DBomrrsm[/blue]

 

[PruSQLer]

I can answer that.

http://www.forumtopics.com/busobj/