Introduction:

Power BI is one of the most widely used business analytics tools that helps professionals turn raw data into insightful, interactive reports and dashboards. This 5-day course is designed for data analysts, business intelligence professionals, and decision-makers who want to master Power BI and enhance their data analytics capabilities. Participants will learn advanced techniques for transforming data, creating sophisticated visualizations, and building dynamic, user-friendly dashboards. The course also covers best practices for data modeling, performance optimization, and integrating Power BI with other tools and data sources for comprehensive analytics.

Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Gain an in-depth understanding of Power BI’s core components: Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, and Power BI Mobile.
• Master data transformation and modeling techniques using Power Query and DAX (Data Analysis Expressions).
• Learn how to create advanced visualizations and interactive reports that are tailored to the needs of end-users.
• Understand how to implement best practices in data modeling for efficiency and scalability.
• Develop skills in deploying and managing Power BI reports on Power BI Service for sharing and collaboration.
• Explore Power BI’s integration with other tools and advanced analytics features to enhance business decision-making.

Who Should Attend:

This course is ideal for:

• Data analysts, business intelligence professionals, and decision-makers looking to leverage Power BI for data analysis and reporting.
• Power BI users who want to enhance their knowledge and skills to tackle complex data challenges.
• IT professionals and data engineers who want to understand Power BI integration and data management.
• Business analysts and managers looking to use Power BI for advanced reporting and dashboard creation.
• Anyone interested in building interactive, insightful, and impactful data visualizations using Power BI.

Day 1: Introduction to Power BI and Data Preparation

• Morning:
  • Overview of Power BI Components:
    • Understanding the Power BI ecosystem: Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, Power BI Mobile.
    • Overview of Power BI workflow: from data acquisition to report publishing.
    • Setting up a Power BI environment and workspace.
  • Connecting to Data Sources:
    • Importing data from various sources: Excel, SQL Server, Web, SharePoint, and more.
    • Understanding data types and formats supported by Power BI.
    • Connecting live data and data refresh strategies (direct query vs. data import).
• Afternoon:
  • Data Transformation with Power Query:
    • Introduction to Power Query Editor and data transformation techniques.
    • Cleaning and shaping data: removing duplicates, handling missing values, and data type conversions.
    • Combining multiple data sources and performing basic joins (merge queries).
  • Hands-on Session:
    • Importing data from different sources and transforming it into a usable format for analysis.

Day 2: Data Modeling and DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

• Morning:
  • Building a Data Model:
    • Understanding data modeling concepts: tables, relationships, and schemas.
    • Defining primary keys, foreign keys, and creating relationships between tables.
    • Using star schema and snowflake schema for efficient data modeling.
  • Mastering DAX Basics:
    • Introduction to DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) for calculated columns and measures.
    • Creating basic DAX formulas: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, and IF statements.
    • Working with calculated columns, tables, and aggregations.
• Afternoon:
  • Advanced DAX Techniques:
    • Time Intelligence in DAX: working with dates, YTD, QTD, MTD, and moving averages.
    • Creating complex DAX measures and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
    • Debugging and troubleshooting DAX formulas using error handling and evaluation functions.
  • Hands-on Session:
    • Building a data model and creating complex DAX formulas for advanced calculations and KPIs.

Day 3: Advanced Visualizations and Reporting

• Morning:
  • Creating Advanced Visualizations:
    • Using Power BI’s built-in visualization options: bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and tables.
    • Creating advanced charts like waterfall, scatter plots, and funnel charts.
    • Custom visualizations and importing third-party visuals from AppSource.
  • Interactive and Dynamic Reports:
    • Implementing slicers and filters to allow end-users to interact with reports.
    • Creating drill-downs and drill-through reports for detailed analysis.
    • Using bookmarks and buttons for navigation within reports.
• Afternoon:
  • Report Design Best Practices:
    • Designing clean, impactful reports with user-friendly navigation.
    • Using color theory, layout, and consistency for better storytelling with data.
    • Optimizing reports for performance: reducing unnecessary visualizations, aggregating data, and applying query reduction techniques.
  • Hands-on Session:
    • Building a multi-page report with advanced visualizations and interactive features like drill-down and drill-through.

Day 4: Power BI Service, Sharing, and Collaboration

• Morning:
  • Introduction to Power BI Service:
    • Uploading and publishing reports to Power BI Service.
    • Creating and managing workspaces, datasets, and reports in the cloud.
    • Sharing reports and dashboards with stakeholders and collaborating in the cloud.
  • Data Security and Permissions:
    • Setting up security roles and controlling access to reports and data.
    • Row-level security (RLS): restricting data access based on user roles.
    • Managing permissions and access to reports on Power BI Service.
• Afternoon:
  • Power BI Apps and Dashboards:
    • Creating dashboards from reports and organizing them into apps.
    • Sharing and collaborating on dashboards with teams and departments.
    • Monitoring report usage and engagement metrics in Power BI Service.
  • Hands-on Session:
    • Publishing reports to Power BI Service and sharing them with a selected audience, managing permissions, and creating dashboards.

Day 5: Power BI Integration, Performance Optimization, and Advanced Features

• Morning:
  • Power BI and Excel Integration:
    • Importing Power BI data into Excel for further analysis.
    • Using Excel Power Query and Power Pivot with Power BI data.
    • Building Excel reports based on Power BI datasets.
  • Power BI API and Automation:
    • Using the Power BI REST API for automating tasks like data refresh, embedding reports, and managing workspaces.
    • Scheduling automatic data refresh and using Power Automate to streamline reporting workflows.
• Afternoon:
  • Optimizing Power BI Performance:
    • Tips for optimizing large datasets and complex reports for faster performance.
    • Data compression techniques and best practices for improving query performance.
    • Using Power BI Premium features for large-scale reporting solutions.
  • Final Hands-On Project and Group Discussion:
    • Designing a final project that incorporates all learned skills: data modeling, DAX calculations, advanced visualizations, and report sharing.
    • Peer review and feedback on the final project.

Key Takeaways:

• Mastery of Power BI’s core components: Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, and Power BI Mobile.
• Proficiency in data preparation and transformation using Power Query.
• Advanced understanding of DAX to create sophisticated measures and KPIs.
• Skills to build dynamic, interactive reports and dashboards using advanced visualizations.
• Knowledge to deploy and share Power BI reports securely on the cloud.
• Expertise in integrating Power BI with Excel, external tools, and APIs for enhanced automation and analytics.