Three months ago I attended the Domo Partner Certification Training at Domo University in beautiful American Fork, Utah. Domo is a business intelligence platform that allows users to visualize their data and reports as actionable dashboards. What makes Domo so special is its ability to easily connect to several data sources, manipulate big data, and update data in real-time to surface answers to key business questions. At Red Door Interactive, our Domo dashboards have helped us reduce the time we spend creating reports and have allowed us more time for analyzing our clients’ data, as well as optimizing their email marketing campaigns, ecommerce strategies, and social media advertising.
The 5-day course is the first step in getting Domo certified and covers everything from selling and deploying Domo to best practices and how-to instruction. This isn’t your run of the mill, pay-to-pass certification. You are expected to learn, practice, and demonstrate your ability to apply the consulting techniques and technical tools that are taught in order to pass the test and capstone project. That’s right – there will be a comprehensive test and final project that you are expected to pass with a score of 80% or above. Don’t worry though, if you follow these tips you will be well on your way to completing the first step in becoming a Domo Certified Partner.
Tip 1: Keep your mind out of the office and focused on training
Make sure that your clients and everyone back at the office are aware of your limited availability while you are at Domo University. Your Domo training is valuable to you, your employer, and your clients because what you learn over the course of the week will directly impact the success of your first Domo implementation. To ensure your time at Domo is well spent and uninterrupted, set up the proper coverage at work in case a client request lands in your inbox. Set your out of office reply and answer emails and phone calls during breaks or after work.
Tip 2: Don’t underestimate day 1 and day 2
The first couple of days are packed with theory, best practices, and “soft skills” development. This might seem like common sense to you, or you might even think “this client facing stuff” doesn’t apply to you. However, Domo offers a unique approach to diagnosing business problems and finding solutions that even the most seasoned consultant could learn from. As eager as you technical consultants might be to dive right into Domo, don’t underestimate how important these lessons and tools are to building a solid foundation for your dashboard. Here are a few topics to really hone in on while studying for the test and preparing your capstone:
- Dataset Best Practices
- Kaizen EVO
- Actionable Business Questions (KBRs and KBQs)
- Business Value Framework
*HINT* These will all be on the test
Tip 3: The Capstone - Create an actionable dashboard and sell Domo
The Domo capstone is a simulated client implementation in which you are expected to use data to build an actionable dashboard to help solve the client's current needs. What makes this a great project is that the simulation is based off of a real company with real data. For example, we were tasked to help Bay Area Bike Share with their operational needs. Before you get started, read the grading rubric. You will notice that your grade relies on your ability to showcase Domo’s many features equally as much as your ability to build the actual dashboard. As you begin creating your dashboard, take note of key areas where features like Domo Buzz, Analyzer, and Drill Paths might come in handy and work to incorporate them into your final product. Last, but certainly not least, make your dashboard actionable!
*HINT* Do plenty of background research on your client. Check their website and the LinkedIn profiles of executives to find out what their company goals and key business requirements are. This information can provide great insight into what the client will find valuable in their dashboard.
Tip 4: Do your homework!
After long days at Domo U, the last thing you will want to think about is Domo- that’s fine! Take a break and go to dinner with your classmates for an hour, you deserve it. However, your day isn’t over yet! Start working on your capstone project and studying for the final exam as soon as you can. The exam is long and entirely comprehensive. Make sure you take time each night to review your notes, watch videos in Domo University, and build a study sheet. This will make passing the exam so much easier – TRUST ME!
I recommend breaking out the capstone work as follows:
- Day 1 – Research the company, get acquainted with the data, and read the capstone rubric.
- Day 2 – Develop the key business questions your dashboard will be answering, the actionable metrics you need, and outline your dashboard.
- Day 3 – Transform the data you will be using and start building cards.
- Day 4 – Finish building your dashboard and practice your presentation.
Tip 5: Use every available resource
What makes Domo special to every tech and business consultant are the seemingly endless possibilities. However, this also makes it difficult to become a Domo expert in the short amount of time you have to complete the capstone project. Don’t worry – the geniuses at Domo have already found a solution for that. Well, three solutions to be exact: Domo University, Domo Help Center, and Domo Dojo. Get well acquainted with these three resources prior to training and don’t forget to use them while working on your capstone project and studying for the exam.
- Domo Knowledge Base – The ultimate how-to guide for every connector, transformation, visualization, and much more. Do yourself a favor and add it to your bookmarks, you will need it while working on your capstone.
- Domo University – I would spend most of your time prior to training in here. The videos provide a great overview of Domo and will be a great resource while studying for the test. *Hint* Watch the video on Publication Groups before the test.
- Domo Dojo – Can’t figure out how to get your month-over-month summary number to work? Maybe you want to add conditional formatting to your data table? Chances are someone in the Domo community has already asked that question and received an answer in the Domo Dojo.
There you have it! My top five tips for surviving the Domo Partner Certification Training. If you expected test answers or direction on your capstone, sorry to disappoint, but you will be much better off in the long run. If you have already finished Domo Partner Certification Training, let me know what you think about my tips or feel free to add your own tips in the comments section below.
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Don't feel like going through all these steps? Contact Red Door!