The insights shared here are the result of seven years of observation and practical application. Drawn from real-world experiences, initially unconnected, these observations have converged to reveal a clear and compelling narrative.
To fully grasp the depth of these insights, readers are encouraged to explore the referenced stories within this article. These stories provide concrete examples and evidence supporting the ideas and claims presented here.
These stories were written organically as events unfolded, driven by personal initiative, not by any pre-set agenda. This article aims to synthesize my learnings as an Alteryx user, a professional manager, and an instructor in the field of Alteryx.
Professional Background
My name is Ken Black, and I have dedicated my career to advanced analytics. For over three and a half decades, my professional journey has centered on computational activities and data-centric domains.
My expertise spans across environmental simulation modeling, statistical process improvement methodologies, advanced analytical studies, machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) applications, and data visualization.
For the past six years, I have been immersed in the automotive industry, focusing on data-driven studies related to autonomous driving development, streaming vehicle data processing, financial optimization, and various other areas.
In my process improvement and automotive projects, Alteryx has been my primary software for computation, custom data source creation, and proof-of-concept studies. During this time, managing new college graduate employees has allowed me to witness firsthand the significant skill enhancement resulting from Alteryx adoption.
Furthermore, I have documented the long-term impact of Alteryx on my son, Colton, who now thrives as a full-time analyst leveraging Alteryx for data-driven projects.
Real-World Examples: Alteryx Driving Employee Performance and Data Understanding
My exploration of Alteryx with young professionals began in 2013. I collaborated with a newly graduated analyst holding an M.S. in Business Analytics.
Over two years, we tackled complex process improvement projects involving large datasets and tight deadlines. As I transitioned from the company in early 2015, my advice to him was clear: “Continue mastering Alteryx. It will be foundational to your future career.”
Today, that analyst continues to excel with Alteryx, advancing his career through these skills and his inherent talents. This initial experience highlighted Alteryx’s ability to empower individuals with strong mathematical and statistical aptitudes. This success spurred me to further explore its potential.
In 2015, a second Alteryx experiment arose unexpectedly. Two recent college hires were assigned to me, eager to learn about travel data processing. One weekend, I guided one of these employees through my Alteryx approach to data processing and visualization.
This experience underscored the ease with which Alteryx’s tool suite streamlines data processing workflows and accelerates development times for intricate data tasks. This learning journey was documented in a series of articles and video blogs (1, 2, and 3), capturing the Alteryx learning process as it unfolded.
The key takeaway from this experience was realizing how quickly talented young professionals could achieve impactful problem-solving results by leveraging Alteryx’s powerful capabilities.
Around 2016, I managed four recent college graduates. During initial project work, I decided to conduct another Alteryx experiment. Again, Alteryx rapidly transformed their capabilities, enabling them to effectively process a challenging, large dataset (1), much to the satisfaction of business stakeholders.
Simultaneously, a multi-year experiment began as I taught my son Alteryx. As he navigated a demanding business analytics program, I complemented his academic learning by demonstrating how Alteryx could perform tasks he was executing in SQL, JMP, Excel, and R.
Our shared experiences were chronicled in a series of articles (1, 2, 3, 4). These interactions demonstrated Alteryx’s effectiveness in data comprehension and manipulation. I am proud to report that my son now utilizes his Alteryx skills as a full-time analyst on advanced analytics projects.
The Empowering Nature of Alteryx for Young Professionals
Based on years of training and observation, I believe I have identified why Alteryx significantly enhances the capabilities and efficiency of young professionals in data-driven roles. Here, I refer to the employees I trained as Alteryx students.
Firstly, all trainees were recent college graduates with backgrounds in computer programming, mathematics, and diverse analytical techniques. This strong foundation ideally positioned them to quickly learn and understand Alteryx’s role in data analysis.
Being early in their careers, these students were still developing their analytical toolsets. Alteryx, with its diverse range of tools, proved to be an invaluable asset, providing easy access to powerful problem-solving techniques.
These young professionals, accustomed to more time-intensive analytical methods, were consistently impressed by Alteryx’s ease of use in tackling complex problems. One effective training method I employed was “Solving the problem the hard way.”
By initially having them solve problems using traditional analytical techniques learned in college (like SQL or R), I created a powerful context for Alteryx learning. Experiencing the challenges of conventional tools made the students appreciate Alteryx’s efficiency and user-friendliness even more.
Secondly, I accelerated their learning by using familiar examples and demonstrating Alteryx’s application to their current project work. This focus on relevant problems shortened the Alteryx learning curve. The immediate satisfaction of solving their own challenges motivated them to explore Alteryx further independently, further accelerating their skill development.
Finally, the true measure of training success was the consistent, continued use of Alteryx by nearly every student, even after formal training concluded.
Many students requested extensions for their trial licenses. Some even sought full-time positions specifically to leverage Alteryx development opportunities.
This sustained engagement signifies a crucial understanding: Alteryx skills enhance career prospects and job satisfaction. This is the most compelling reason why I believe Alteryx empowers and accelerates the careers of aspiring data analysts.
A Call to Educators: Integrate Alteryx into Analytics Curricula
If you are a college or university educator in analytics, I strongly encourage you to conduct your own exploration of Alteryx by incorporating it into your curriculum.
I am confident that your findings will mirror mine: students will enthusiastically embrace Alteryx, achieve deeper data comprehension, and become self-driven in applying Alteryx to advanced studies, including predictive analytics and forecasting.
