Course Overview

Power BI (including Power Query & Power Pivot) are the biggest Excel news items in the last 10 years. They give Excel users the power to draw information out of multiple sources, link it together then perform calculations on it that can then be sliced & diced any way you want.

This hands-on course is focused on real-world techniques utilising the amazing capabilities of Power Query, Power Pivot and Power BI.

The course covers the core elements needed to get an understanding of what Power BI, Power Pivot and Power Query can do. You will use Power Query to extract and shape data and then load it into Power Pivot. You will build a complex Power Pivot Model from scratch, write DAX formulas and set up interactive reports.

The second day delves deeper into all of the topic areas demonstrating how to get the most from these amazing tools. You will learn extra advanced Power BI features and get a more in-depth understanding of Power Query and Power Pivot reporting techniques

Target Audience:

• Excel users & analysts that focus on extracting, re-organizing and analysing data
• Excel users & analysts involved in creating visualisations & data modelling
• Anyone interested in saving huge amounts of time in automating the work involved in creating recurring reports and dashboards

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how Power BI builds on the functionality of Excel’s native tools, such as Pivot Tables, slicers and key analytical functions
• Be able to import data from a variety of electronic sources and relate them quickly to deliver key information in minutes not weeks
• Utilise best practice database design, realising the power of the Data Model by using LOOKUP lists and efficient database design
• Provides an introduction to Power BI Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) language

Prerequisites:

• This is an intermediate course and users should already be comfortable with Excel to get the most from this course.
• Participants should be familiar with functions & concepts such as VLOOKUP and SUMIFS.
• The focus of the course on Power BI in Excel 2013/2016 and is also applicable to Power BI Desktop.

Course Materials:

Students will receive a course manual with presentation slides and reference materials.

Examination:

There is no exam for this course.

Technical Requirements:

For eBooks:

Internet for downloading the eBook

Laptop, tablet, Smartphone, eReader (No Kindle)

Adobe DRM supported software (e.g. Digital Editions, Bluefire Reader)

eBook download and activation instructions

Agenda:

Days 1 & 2:

Power BI & PowerPivot Introduction

• Creating your first Power Pivot Model
• Mapping tables
• Joining multiple tables together and understanding relationships
• Creating a Calendar Table
• Utilizing a Calendar Table
• Advanced Pivot Table Design
• Pivot Charts
• Power Map

In-depth Power BI & Power Pivot Models

• Creating more complex PowerPivot models
• Calculated Columns
• Introducing DAX formulas and Measures (Calculated Fields)
• Filters and Slicers
• Improve the user experience through Hiding and Hierarchies
• Pitfalls to avoid
• How to build in checks to detect new data or imbalances
• Creating useful time-based measures with more advanced DAX formulas
• CALCULATE explained
• CUBE formula
• KPIs

Power Query

• Exploring the User Interface
• Power Query techniques
• How to “unpivot” data
• How to merge multiple queries into one table

In-Depth Power Query

• Using variables for query parameters
• Introduction to the Advanced Editor and M language
• Creating reusable custom functions
• Calendar Creator

Power BI Desktop & POWERBI.com

• Power BI Desktop
• A comparison with Power Pivot and Power Query
• An overview of the graphical interface
• Custom Visualizations
• PowerBI.com
• Publishing and Sharing your Dashboards

Related Courses

Power Query (Get & Transform) for Excel and Power BI Desktop

Power BI Dashboard and Data Analysis