Microsoft Power BI Course Summary

Jul 18, 2024

Microsoft Power BI Course by Trish Connor Kato

Overview

This course covers 13 modules on Power BI, from basic to advanced features, including data analytics, data modeling, data preparation, report building, and more.

Key Modules

  1. Introduction to Data Analytics
    • Overview of data analytics and Power BI roles.
    • Power BI Licensing: Free, Pro, Premium per User, Premium per Capacity.
  2. Getting Started with Power BI Desktop Application
    • Identifying and retrieving data from various sources.
    • Options for data connectivity and storage.
  3. Data Profiling and Cleaning
    • Identifying anomalies, data cleaning, and transforming steps.
  4. Designing and Developing a Data Model
    • Concepts of data modeling for performance and scalability.
    • Tackling data modeling issues: relationships, security, performance.
  5. DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)
    • Introduction to DAX, aggregations, measures, calculated columns, tables, and time intelligence functions.
    • Optimizing model performance.
  6. Report Building
    • Fundamental concepts and principles for designing and building reports.
    • Visual selection, page layout, and accessibility.
  7. Power BI Service
    • Working with Power BI Service, dashboards, report enhancement.
    • Functionality and usability improvements.
  8. Paginated Reports
    • Building and publishing paginated reports.
    • Using advanced analytics features.
  9. Sharing and Managing Assets
    • Sharing content, managing permissions, and distributing apps.
  10. Advanced Analytics and AI Visuals
  • Grouping, binning, drill down/up, Analyze feature.
  • Creating animated scatter charts and custom visuals.
  1. Managing Data Sets
  • Setting parameters and scheduling refreshes.
  1. Security and Performance
  • Implementing and configuring row-level security.
  • Optimizing data model for enterprise-level performance.
  1. Review and Advanced Topics
  • Comprehensive review and exploration of advanced functionalities.

Detailed Walkthrough of Selected Modules

Module 1: Introduction to Data Analytics

  • Importance of data analytics and roles in the field.
  • Exploration of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics.
  • Licensing options: Free, Pro, Premium Per User, Premium Per Capacity.

Module 2: Getting Started with Power BI Desktop

  • Connecting to various data sources.
  • Exploring data connectivity and storage options.
  • Importing data from Excel, Access, and web sources.

Module 3: Data Profiling and Cleaning

  • Profiling data: identifying condition, anomalies, size, and shape.
  • Cleaning and transforming data for modeling.

Module 4: Data Modeling

  • Fundamental concepts for designing and scaling data models.
  • Handling relationships, security, and performance issues.

Module 5: DAX

  • Introduction to DAX language.
  • Using aggregations, measures, calculated columns, and tables for data analysis.
  • Time intelligence functions for time-based calculations.

Module 6: Report Building

  • Designing reports, selecting visuals, and setting page layouts.
  • Ensuring accessibility and usability in report designs.

Module 7: Power BI Service

  • Using Power BI Service for online data analysis.
  • Enhancing dashboards for better user experience.

Module 8: Paginated Reports

  • Creating and configuring paginated reports.
  • Publishing and exporting reports to PDFs.

Module 9: Advanced Analytics

  • Grouping, binning, and using drill down/up features.
  • Applying AI visuals and custom analytics tools.
  • Creating animated scatter charts and applying forecast analysis.

Module 10: Sharing and Managing Assets

  • Sharing reports and dashboards with different permissions.
  • Managing workspace roles and distributing apps.

Module 11: Managing Data Sets

  • Setting parameters and handling scheduled refresh.
  • Understanding data refresh limitations for local vs. cloud-stored data.

Module 12: Security and Performance

  • Implementing secure data access with row-level security.
  • Best practices for optimizing data model performance.

Module 13: Review and Advanced Topics

  • Comprehensive review of all modules.
  • Exploring advanced functionality and tools.

Key Points

  • Power BI is a versatile tool for data analytics, capable of handling varying data loads, multiple data sources, and complex data visualizations.
  • Understanding licensing and Power BI service options is crucial for maximizing the tool's potential.
  • Data cleaning and transformation are fundamental steps in preparing data for accurate analysis and reporting.
  • DAX is a powerful formula language in Power BI, essential for creating dynamic calculations and aggregations.
  • Robust data modeling supports efficient performance and scalability in large data environments.
  • Enhancing reports and dashboards improves user engagement and insights from data visualizations.
  • Power BI offers advanced analytics and AI-driven features to derive meaningful insights and trends from data.
  • Effective data management and security practices ensure responsible usage and distribution of data insights.

Conclusion

This Power BI course provides a holistic approach to mastering data analytics, from basics to advanced functionalities, empowering users to create insightful and actionable data reports and dashboards.