Executive Dashboards and Reporting with Power BI
This intensive 4-day course provides executives, managers, and analysts with the skills to design, develop, and manage executive dashboards and reports using Microsoft Power BI.
Description
This intensive 4-day course provides executives, managers, and analysts with the skills to design, develop, and manage executive dashboards and reports using Microsoft Power BI. The training covers data visualization best practices, advanced analytics, automation, and real-world business intelligence applications to enhance decision-making.
Who is this Training Course for?
Target Audience: Business analysts, data professionals, managers, and executives looking to leverage Power BI for data-driven decision-making.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites: Basic understanding of data concepts and familiarity with Excel; no prior Power BI experience required.
Course Objectives
Objective: By the end of the course, participants will be able to design, develop, and publish interactive executive dashboards and reports using Power BI to support strategic decision-making.
The Course Content
Day 1
Introduction to Executive Dashboards and Power BI Fundamentals
Objective: Understand the purpose of executive dashboards and get familiar with Power BI’s interface and basic functionalities.
Duration: 6 hours (including breaks)
Morning Session (3 hours)
Topic 1: Introduction to Executive Dashboards
- What are executive dashboards? Purpose and importance in decision-making.
- Key characteristics of effective dashboards: clarity, relevance, and interactivity.
- Common pitfalls in dashboard design and how to avoid them.
Topic 2: Overview of Power BI
- Introduction to Power BI ecosystem: Desktop, Service, and Mobile.
- Key components: Reports, Dashboards, Datasets, and Tiles.
- Installation and setup of Power BI Desktop.
Hands-On Activity:
- Install Power BI Desktop and explore the interface (Query Editor, Report View, Data View).
Afternoon Session (3 hours)
Topic 3: Connecting to Data Sources
- Importing data from Excel, CSV, databases, and web sources.
- Understanding data types and relationships.
- Basic data cleaning in Power Query (removing duplicates, handling nulls).
Hands-On Activity:
- Connect to a sample dataset (e.g., sales data) and perform basic transformations in Power Query.
Wrap-Up: Q&A and discussion on real-world dashboard use cases.
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Day 2: Data Modeling and Visualization Basics
Objective: Learn to structure data effectively and create basic visualizations for executive reporting.
Duration: 6 hours (including breaks)
Morning Session (3 hours)
Topic 1: Data Modeling in Power BI
- Understanding tables, relationships, and cardinality.
- Creating and managing relationships between datasets.
- Introduction to DAX (Data Analysis Expressions): Calculated columns and measures.
Hands-On Activity:
- Build a simple data model with multiple tables (e.g., Sales, Customers, Products) and define relationships.
Afternoon Session (3 hours)
Topic 2: Creating Visualizations
- Overview of Power BI visualization types (bar, line, pie, maps, etc.).
- Best practices for choosing visualizations for executive audiences.
- Formatting visuals: colors, labels, and tooltips.
Hands-On Activity:
- Create a basic report page with 3-4 visualizations (e.g., sales by region, revenue trends).
Wrap-Up: Review of Day 2 outputs and discussion on visualization storytelling.
Day 3: Advanced Dashboard Design and Interactivity
Objective: Enhance dashboards with advanced features, interactivity, and executive-focused insights.
Duration: 6 hours (including breaks)
Morning Session (3 hours)
Topic 1: Advanced DAX for Executive Insights
- Writing key DAX functions: SUMX, CALCULATE, FILTER, and time intelligence (e.g., YTD, QTD).
- Creating KPIs and dynamic measures for executive reporting.
Hands-On Activity:
- Build advanced measures (e.g., % growth, rolling averages) and add them to existing visuals.
Afternoon Session (3 hours)
Topic 2: Designing Interactive Dashboards
- Adding slicers, filters, and drill-down capabilities.
- Using bookmarks and buttons for navigation.
- Incorporating conditional formatting and custom tooltips.
Hands-On Activity:
- Transform the Day 2 report into an interactive dashboard with slicers and drill-downs.
Wrap-Up: Peer review of dashboards and feedback session.
Day 4: Deployment, Sharing, and Optimization
Objective: Finalize dashboards, publish them to Power BI Service, and optimize for performance and scalability.
Duration: 6 hours (including breaks)
Morning Session (3 hours)
Topic 1: Finalizing the Executive Dashboard
- Design principles: layout, whitespace, and branding.
- Incorporating feedback loops and iterative design.
- Testing dashboard usability with sample executive questions.
Topic 2: Publishing and Sharing
- Uploading dashboards to Power BI Service.
- Setting up row-level security (RLS) for data access control.
- Sharing options: workspaces, apps, and embedding.
Hands-On Activity:
- Publish the dashboard to Power BI Service and configure basic security settings.
Afternoon Session (3 hours)
Topic 3: Optimization and Maintenance
- Performance tuning: reducing query load and optimizing visuals.
- Scheduling data refresh and managing datasets.
- Troubleshooting common issues in Power BI.
Hands-On Activity:
- Optimize the dashboard (e.g., reduce file size, test refresh schedules) and simulate an executive review.
Course Capstone:
- Participants present their final dashboards to the group, explaining design choices and insights.
Wrap-Up: Final Q&A, certification
Additional Notes
• Materials: Provide sample datasets (e.g., sales, finance, HR metrics), a Power BI cheat sheet, and access to Power BI Desktop.
• Delivery Method: Hybrid, In-person and virtual with live instructor-led sessions and breakout rooms for hands-on work.
• Assessment: Daily hands-on exercises and a final dashboard presentation on day 4