How to learn and apply Alteryx in Accounting effectively? - New Alteryx Learner

[jamesdo96]

Hi All,

I am James Do from Cal State Fullerton and I'm learning Alteryx for my class ACCT 404 - Emerging Technologies in Accounting. I've enjoyed this class so far since we learned a lot of software that can apply to my Accounting majors such as SQL, Power Query, UiPath, and Python. Currently, I'm learning Alteryx and really want to understand how it works in real life. 

I have a few basic questions and it would be great if anyone from the forum can help me on these:

1) How can I effectively learn Alteryx in my class? How many hours a week should I spend? Any recommendation method? 

2) How do you apply what you learn from Alteryx in your job, especially in Accounting? 

Thank you in advance for your answers!

[Watermark]

The weekly challenges in the community are a great way to start to learn the program. 

As for how it's used, there are nearly countless ways. It's one of the most flexible tools out there. If you need to be able to do something with data, Alteryx can do it, they can do it with large datasets, with data from desperate sources, and you can automate it so it's repeatable. Never known a more flexible tool. 

[dmccarville]

Question 1:

The best way to learn is by doing. Build some workflows and make something. If your coursework has applied assignments where you actually work with accounting data, solve some of your old homework tasks with Alteryx. I do also highly recommend the weekly challenges.

Question 2:

I work in auditing. Not an accounting profession per se, but a fair number of auditors (especially financial auditors) work with accounting information. There's an entire field of audit analytics, which is based on all the emerging technologies you describe. I'm specialized into audit analytics and I think I use every tool you mentioned.

I use Alteryx as a mid-ground solution. Small projects can be be handled with DAX, Power BI, or Power Query. Once the data needs more manipulation or more dynamic components - Alteryx is my next in line. 

In an audit environment, all our work needs to stand up to the scrutiny of several layers of review. A UIPath or RPA-type automation usually takes 2-4 months to develop. Much of that is spent collecting and validating user requirements, extensive testing, documentation, etc. Even a complicated Alteryx workflow is complete in 1-2 weeks. Alteryx is much more limited than UIPath, but also a much quicker build.