A four-month-training program offers all data schoolers various opportunities to learn and experience the work as a data analyst. As a part of the program, we have 8 one-week-projects, so that each of us could take the role of being project manager once. This is a win-win project for everyone: the clients get their data analyzed and visualized according to their needs free of charge; the data schoolers collect experience working with customers under the instructions of a mentor from The Information Lab.
In our fourth project, I was the project manager. Our client works in the field of automotive industry in the USA. In this blogpost, I will go with you through one of our project week.
1. How does a week of customer project go?
Normally we have three meetings during a project week:
- Kick-off meeting on Monday
- Customer check-in on Wednesday
- Final presentation on Friday.
In the kick-off meeting the customer provides general information about their business, their detailed requirements for the project and the data. In the check-in in the middle of the week, the data schoolers show what they have done the last days and ask questions if they have any more. The aim is to check if we are on the right track of what the client wish for and whether there is any other wishes from them (which is doable until the end of the project). And on Friday there will be the final presentation. There will be more audience from both side, because the data schoolers will have the chance to receive feedbacks on their work as well as their presentation skills from other collegues at The Information Lab.
2. The work
For this project the client, who had never worked with Tableau before, looked for an embedded solution for their website. We have provided them what Tableau could do in order to transfer their ideas to several dashboards.
With the provided dataset, there is not much preparation needed. Thus we divided ourself into three groups: one group worked on a finance calculation that we need for the parameter on dashboards, and the other two worked on two main dashboards.
The main problem this week was time. Since the client is in the USA, the first meeting was at 15:00 on Monday our time instead of 9:00 (so basically there is 2 hours of work left after the meeting on Monday including dividing the works). Friday was also a bank holiday, hence we had to do move the presentation to Thursday.
3. Final result
The feedbacks from the client were very positive. They were satisfied about our work as we delivered what they wish to see from Tableau Dashboards. Some people could not be in the meeting, so they event recorded it to show the rest. For everyone from us, it was a successful project as well: we have managed our time and the working-together pretty well.
4. Personal experience as a project manager
Being a project manager was a great experience. Besides learning to become a data analyst, I have learned to plan and execute a project: from dividing the work to groups and check on them regularly, contact relevant parties, to monitor all the meetings. I am specially thankful for my great mentor, Moritz, who guided me in every small steps!
5. Some tips for a successful project
After several projects, we sat together and talked on what would have done better, here is some of them:
- At the kick-off meeting on Monday, define clearly the requirements, scope of the project and the data (basic descriptions of key fields).
- The data schoolers could ask for supports at any time from your mentor or our TIL communities.
- For an effective check-in on Wednesday, prepare what you want to show for feedbacks and your questions.
- Before the final presentation: do a rehearsal! We practiced once together within the group and gave each other feedbacks on what could be improved.
And after the projects in the training period, we are now excited and looking forwards to the upcoming placements!
