In 2020, the Logical Operations titles that experienced the fastest growth include: Microsoft® Power BI®, Tableau®, Python®, Data Analysis and Visualization with Microsoft® Excel®, Cyber Secure Coder (CSC), and CyberSec First Responder (CFR). Why? They all deal with data in one way or another and data training is hot!  And we don’t see that trend slowing down anytime soon. In fact, we see it accelerating. 

While all different levels of Excel training continue to enjoy great popularity, we saw 2020 transition the Excel user into more advanced topics that show an elevation of job role. Tableau® and Power BI® training courses allow Data Analysts to go well beyond number crunching in Excel to create impactful visualizations that tell powerful stories, providing insights that enhance business decision-making. Our Data Analysis and Visualization with Microsoft® Excel® course exploded in popularity as it teaches individuals to stretch Excel to its limits while serving as a bridge to Power BI and Tableau. Coding courses like Python® and CSC provide skills that allow for data wrangling and manipulation, all under a secure coding umbrella that ensures the application employs principles of Security by Design. 

So, what can you expect from Logical Operations in 2021? Starting with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification training in Q1, we will provide you with the ability to train individuals on the CMMC principles in preparation for the Certified CMMC Professional exam, as well as how to become a Certified Assessor. We will continue to enhance the electives in our Data Science Learning Path and launch Certified Data Science Practitioner courseware. Ethical use of data is a growing area of interest, so be on the lookout for Logical Operations’ launch of ILT course materials that prepare students to sit for the Certified Ethical Emerging Technologist exam. We continue to focus on advanced data topics so expect campaigns driving interest in CertNexus Certified Artificial Intelligence Practitioner (CAIP) and CertNexus Certified Internet of Things Practitioner (CIoTP) preparation.  And that’s just what we have on the agenda to get the year started… 

What that all means is that 2021 will boil down to one word—data! However you choose to address the data training opportunity, we see it as the key to your success in 2021. And Logical Operations will provide you with the course materials you need to take advantage of the opportunities that will grow your business. 

We all have so much of it in our lives we tend to forget about the journey of data and what roles touch it along the way. Whether functional (marketing, sales, production, etc.) or industry specific (finance, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, etc.), data has a point of origin and once within systems most often is engineered, visualized, analyzed, shared, and potentially maintained. Along this route, it may be handled by data-specific roles such as Data Engineers, Data Scientists, and Data Analysts—but also a host of other non-traditional data roles such as Marketing Manager, Sales Operations, IT Analyst, and more. 

As a training provider, it is important to note that you are already engaged with companies that utilize data and in many cases the person you trained yesterday on Microsoft® Excel®, Linux®, or Product Management is also the person that may need to further develop their data skills. For example, is an organization using Excel today to visualize their data? If so, that candidate who came in for Excel training could benefit from Data Analysis and Visualization with Microsoft® Excel® (D.A.V.E.). Before that data gets to the analysis phase, it has to be wrangled, cleansed, and structured. That will be a Data Scientist who will need to understand R, Python®, and the objectives covered in the soon-to-be released CertNexus Certified Data Science Practitioner (CDSP). 

The decision maker or business stakeholder will inform what data is collected, how it is engineered, and how it may be consumed. Therefore, any businessperson, including project managers, can benefit from Data Science for Business Professionals (DSBIZ) where they learn the basic terminology, fundamental concepts, and business application of data science. And don’t forget, data is the new currency of business expected to generate millions of jobs and change that many more—so those who want to obtain or advance their careers will need data skills to do so. 

To keep new information accessible, I always like to break it down into three memorable components. So here they are: 

1. Data is used by every organization of every size in every industry. 

2. Both technical and non-technical roles produce, store, organize, and analyze data. 

3. Data skills are in demand today and will only grow as more organizations rely on data. 

New Horizons at Logical Operations provides a wide range of technical and business application classes to businesses and individuals across Western and Central NY. Courses are delivered in traditional classroom format as well as virtual classroom format by a group of six staff trainers spread across New York state, and are supported by local operations personnel in all cities.  

Information workers employed by organizations served by New Horizons at Logical Operations increasingly have core skills with Microsoft® Office, and as time goes on, need less and less training in order to be productive in their job roles. However, information workers are being asked to handle and decipher larger and larger amounts of data throughout their daily jobs, and frequently require tools beyond Microsoft® Excel® to do that work – which is leading to an increase in demand locally for training on Microsoft® Power BI®, Tableau®, and SAP® Crystal Reports® (among other programs).  

Heading into 2021, the goal of New Horizons at Logical Operations will be to position the Microsoft® Power BI®: Data Analysis Practitioner (Second Edition) course as a “starting point” for anyone using Microsoft Power BI. New Horizons will offer this course as an ILT/virtual class (blended class), with the goal of ensuring clients newer to this technology are still able to receive training in a traditional classroom setting if they feel they require it. For advanced Power BI users, or users who are familiar with SQL querying and even into SQL Server®, New Horizons will generally recommend Microsoft Learning’s new role-based course for Power BI, which is aligned with the Microsoft DA-100 exam. For non-Microsoft partners, Microsoft® Power BI®: Data Analysis Professional (Second Edition) is also a good choice for preparation for the Microsoft DA-100 exam.  

“If we had to pick one product to grow our business on, that product would be Microsoft Power BI. Our traditional customers are migrating to that product in large quantities, and there is demand amongst both standard information workers charged with more and more data work (the people who would traditionally take Excel) as well as data analysts and people in IT who are specifically tasked with managing/wrangling large datasets and summarizing that data for others to cleanly review. We generated more revenue from Power BI this year than Excel, and we expect the disparity between those two products to continue to grow in 2021,” said Joe Mignano, President, New Horizons at Logical Operations. To learn more, visit https://www.newhorizonsatlo.com.

Logical Operations has recently refreshed its popular Data Science learning path.  You can see our most up-to-date list of curriculum offerings and suggested instructional flow on our website.   

The Microsoft® Excel® training that you already have in place is your students’ first step on the path to a Data Science program. Learners who take first- and second-level Excel courses can progress naturally into LO’s successful “DAVE” course (Data Analysis and Visualization in Microsoft® Excel®).  From there, they’ll continue straight down the road to studying other data analysis platforms. Those skills build the bridge to the ultimate Data Science destination.   

In addition to the core Excel classes, the Data Science path now includes new or updated content in areas like: 

• ​​VBA for Excel 

• Tableau® 

• Microsoft® Power BI® 

• Python® programming 

• Python Data Science tools 

• Data Science for the Business Professional 

• AI for the Business Professional 

• …and more. 

Check it out today, and help your students take their first steps on the journey from Excel competence to Data Science expertise.   

• Data Analysis and Visualization with Microsoft® Excel® (D.A.V.E.)
• Data Science for Business Professionals (DSBIZ)
• Microsoft® Power BI®: Data Analysis Practitioner (Second Edition)
• Microsoft® Power BI®: Data Analysis Professional (Second Edition)
• AI for Business Professionals (AIBIZ)
• Tableau® Desktop: Part 2 (Second Edition)
• Microsoft® Power BI®: Data Analysis Professional (Second Edition)
• SAP® Crystal Reports® 2020: Part 2
• ITIL 4 Leader: Digital & IT Strategy (DITS)
• Introduction to Programming with Python®

Logical Operations revises student and instructor materials based on technical changes, customer feedback, and our own assessment of necessary changes. The revision notes for the most recent updates are below as well as posted on the new Content Revisions page. Use this page as a resource to quickly access and view all revision details for any of our recent course updates. 

Reminder: When viewing a product on the store, check the Revision Information tab to see the summary description of the most recent revision for that product at any time.

Exciting news for all our trainer friends out there. 2021 will see the implementation of a brand new CertNexus Ambassador program. This program is designed to reward trainers who hold CertNexus certifications and want to help grow their own personal brands by offering the latest emerging technology training.  

Here is a sneak peek of what trainers can expect from becoming a CertNexus Ambassador: 

1. Listing on CertNexus and LO websites as a CertNexus Ambassador 

2. Inclusion in CertNexus' Trainer Referral list - promoted in Logically Speaking each month: 40,000 recipients, 3,500 training organizations 

3. Complimentary access to all CertNexus e-learning products for personal use 

4. Opportunities to participate in paid content and exam development 

5. Discounts on self-study and courseware for students 

6. And many more benefits… 

This is a limited opportunity, and we will only be working with approximately 100 select candidates as we roll this program out. We are looking for trainers who have an active social media following and are interested in offering the best emerging technology certifications. If you are interested in learning more about how you can become a CertNexus Ambassador in 2021, please contact me at JediJon@Logicaloperations.com and I can get you all the information you need.   

Data Science was a career that barely existed a decade ago. Now, in this era of big data, companies and individuals are looking towards Data Science programs as the future. This means that your students and clients will increasingly be looking beyond basic Microsoft® Excel® training for more meaningful Data Analysis and Data Science classes. 

So what are your action items to get ready to teach more Data Science and Analytics? Let’s get you set up to teach some classes that your clients will be looking for. 

1. DSBIZ and AIBIZ – Entry-level courses that inform individuals and companies about the basics around Data Science and AI. Great for getting anyone excited about taking the next steps with these technologies. You can take these courses for free here and then offer them to your students/clients.

2. Data Analysis and Visualization with Microsoft® Excel® – This goes beyond basic Excel training and focuses on the thing everyone wants to use Excel for: extracting maximum value out of the data they have by visualizing it. We offer a discounted Train the Trainer video series for you to get prepped to offer this class, which is increasingly in demand! You can find the Train the Trainer kit here.

3. Python® programming – Logical Operations offers live, virtual training on our Python curriculum.  Python is the fastest growing programming language in the world, and is a staple of any Data Science training program. If you are interested in learning more about Python classes, please contact sales@logicaloperations.com and we can assist you! 

Logical Operations is your go-to Data Science courseware provider. Along with the programs listed above, we have courseware on Tableau®, Power BI®, VBA, and other powerful Data Science tools. Partner with us to offer the latest training materials on this in-demand topic, and you’ll never be looking for clients again.   

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• You can customize the cover with your own logo. 

• You can choose your own book title with subtext and footers. 

• You can choose the lessons and topics you want your students to learn in “your” customized course material. 

• You can even provide your students a powerful experience with your own Custom Choice Platform. 

Contact Custom today to review your choices and receive a quote! 

You can reach us at cprint@logicaloperations.com.  

Andrea Montanarella
Manager, Custom Production
cprint@logicaloperations.com
1-800-456-4677—Option 4 | Direct: 585-350-7014