Power BI Mastery

This Power BI course provides a comprehensive introduction to one of the most powerful business intelligence tools available today. Designed for individuals ranging from beginners to intermediate users, the course covers everything from the basics of understanding Power BI’s role within the Microsoft ecosystem to advanced visualizations and data analysis techniques.

Participants will explore how to effectively use Power BI Desktop, transform and model data, create interactive visual reports, and share insights through Power BI Service and Mobile. By the end of the course, learners will have gained practical knowledge on how to leverage Power BI to turn raw data into actionable insights.

This syllabus offers a comprehensive path for beginners to progress from zero knowledge to being able to independently create and manage Power BI reports.

Syllabus

Module 1: Introduction to Power BI

Objective: Understand the basics of Power BI, its purpose, and how it fits within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Topics Covered:
  • What is Power BI?
  • Power BI Ecosystem and its components (Power BI Desktop, Service, Mobile App)
  • Key Benefits of Power BI for businesses
  • Power BI workflow: Data ingestion, transformation, and visualization
Activities:
  • Explore the Power BI interface.
  • Familiarize with navigation in Power BI Desktop.

Module 2: Getting Started with Power BI Desktop

Objective: Learn the basics of installing and using Power BI Desktop to create simple reports.

Topics Covered:
  • Downloading and installing Power BI Desktop
  • Importing Data into Power BI (Excel, CSV, databases)
  • Overview of data types supported by Power BI
  • Power BI Data Model (Tables, Fields, and Relationships)
Activities:
  • Import sample datasets and explore the fields pane.
  • Create simple visuals like Bar Charts and Tables.

Module 3: Data Transformation Using Power Query

Objective: Understand how to clean, reshape, and transform data using Power Query.

Topics Covered:
  • Introduction to Power Query Editor
  • Basic Data Cleaning and Transformation (Filtering, Sorting, Merging)
  • Removing duplicates and nulls
  • Adding custom columns and transformations
Activities:
  • Load messy datasets and apply cleaning techniques.
  • Use merge queries to combine data from multiple tables.

Module 4: Data Modeling

Objective: Learn the fundamentals of creating a data model in Power BI for efficient analysis.

Topics Covered:
  • Relationships between tables
  • Star schema vs. Snowflake schema
  • Creating calculated columns and measures
  • Introduction to DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) basics
Activities:
  • Build relationships between tables.
  • Create calculated columns and simple DAX measures.

Module 5: Visualization and Building Reports

Objective: Learn how to create insightful and interactive reports using visual elements.

Topics Covered:
  • Overview of available visualizations (Bar, Line, Pie charts, Slicers, Cards)
  • Choosing the right visualization for your data
  • Formatting visuals and report themes
  • Adding slicers, filters, and interactivity to reports
Activities:
  • Create a report with at least 3 visualizations.
  • Add slicers and filters for interactivity.

Module 6: Introduction to DAX for Data Analysis

Objective: Gain basic proficiency in using DAX for calculations and aggregations.

Topics Covered:
  • What is DAX?
  • Basic DAX functions: SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, etc.
  • Conditional logic: IF statements in DAX
  • Creating calculated measures and columns
Activities:
  • Create DAX measures for simple aggregations.
  • Use conditional logic to create calculated columns.

Module 7: Power BI Service and Sharing

Objective: Learn how to publish reports to the Power BI Service and share them with others.

Topics Covered:
  • Introduction to Power BI Service (Cloud)
  • Publishing reports from Power BI Desktop to Service
  • Creating and sharing dashboards
  • Managing permissions and access to reports
Activities:
  • Publish a report to Power BI Service.
  • Create and share a dashboard with team members.

Module 8: Advanced Visualizations and Custom Visuals

Objective: Explore advanced visualization options and custom visuals in Power BI.

Topics Covered:
  • Advanced visuals (Tree maps, Waterfalls, KPIs)
  • Using R and Python visuals in Power BI
  • Custom visuals from the Power BI marketplace
Activities:
  • Install and use a custom visual.
  • Create a report using advanced visuals like KPIs and Tree maps.

Module 9: Power BI Dashboard Design Best Practices

Objective: Learn best practices for designing clear and impactful Power BI dashboards.

Topics Covered:
  • Principles of good dashboard design
  • Layout and formatting best practices
  • Choosing the right visuals for different data types
  • Performance optimization tips for dashboards
Activities:
  • Design a well-formatted dashboard following best practices.
  • Review and optimize an existing report.

Module 10: Introduction to Power BI Mobile

Objective: Understand how to view and interact with reports on mobile devices.

Topics Covered:
  • Introduction to Power BI Mobile App
  • Optimizing reports for mobile view
  • Interacting with reports on mobile
Activities:
  • Design a report with a mobile layout.
  • Test and interact with the report on Power BI Mobile.

Module 11: Refreshing Data and Scheduling

Objective: Learn how to schedule data refreshes and maintain up-to-date reports.

Topics Covered:
  • Setting up data refresh in Power BI Service
  • Data Gateway overview and configuration
  • Understanding incremental refresh
  • Troubleshooting refresh issues
Activities:
  • Schedule an automatic refresh for a report.
  • Troubleshoot common refresh errors.

Module 12: Introduction to Power BI Gateways (For On-Premise Data Sources)

Objective: Learn how to connect Power BI to on-premise data sources via Gateways.

Topics Covered:
  • What is Power BI Gateway?
  • Installing and configuring Power BI Data Gateway
  • Managing Gateway connections
  • Connecting on-premises data sources to Power BI
Activities:
  • Install a Power BI Gateway and connect an on-premise data source.

Summary of Learning Objectives

Build a solid foundation of Power BI usage, from importing data to building reports.

Gain proficiency in data transformation, modeling, and visualization.

Learn the basics of DAX for simple calculations.

Understand how to publish and share reports effectively.

Get introduced to Power BI's mobile capabilities and gateway usage.