Introduction to Power BI

Jul 18, 2024

Lecture: Introduction to Power BI

Overview

  • Presenter: Kevin
  • Duration: Targeted for 10 minutes but slightly longer
  • Topics Covered:
    • Importing data into Power BI
    • Building a data model
    • Adding visuals and filtering data
    • Sharing reports and dashboards

Getting Power BI

  • Options: Available on Microsoft Store
    • Power BI: View and interact with existing reports
    • Power BI Desktop: Full functionality to model data and build reports (Recommended for this tutorial)
    • Report Builder: Less feature-rich compared to Desktop
  • Installation:
    • Search for Power BI in Microsoft Store
    • Install or open Power BI Desktop

Initial Setup

  • Splash Screen: Offers data options, learning resources, and recent reports
    • Option to disable splash screen at start
  • Report View: Main interface
    • Report View: Area to add and manage your reports
    • Data Import: Accessible via "Get Data" on the Home tab

Importing Data

  • Source Options: Various sources supported (Excel workbook used in tutorial)
    • Example data provided in the tutorial
  • Navigator: Helps in selecting the data tables/sheets to import
    • Tables: Customers and Orders
  • Loading Data:
    • Options to load data as-is or transform it
    • Transforming data useful when original data cannot be edited directly

Transforming Data

  • Power Query Editor:
    • Middle layer for data modification before importing to Power BI
    • Consistent transformations for new data imports
    • Recorded changes on the right side
  • Example Transformations:
    • Replace inconsistent entries (e.g., "US" to "United States")
    • Remove unnecessary columns (e.g., "Rush Shipments")

Building a Data Model

  • Model View: Visual representation of relationships between tables
    • Example: Relationship between Customers and Orders tables by Customer ID
    • Manual relationship creation possible via drag-and-drop

Creating Visualizations

  • Report View:
    • Variety of visualization options on the right
    • Example: Line chart to show cookies shipped over time
    • Drag-and-drop fields onto visualization axes
    • Customization options available (e.g., formatting, legend)
  • Adding Multiple Visuals:
    • Example: Bar chart for total revenue
    • Example: Table for customer names
    • Cross-filtering capability (clicking on one visual filters others)
  • Page Management:
    • Rename current page
    • Add new pages for additional views

Sharing Reports

  • Publishing:
    • Save changes before publishing
    • Options to share via Power BI web service, SharePoint, website, QR code, PowerPoint, PDF, Microsoft Teams
    • Access sharing options via the File menu

Conclusion

  • Encouragement to explore and practice using Power BI
  • Invitation to subscribe for more tutorial videos