Introduction to Power BI

What is Power BI?

 Power BI is a Data Visualization, and Business Intelligence tool

which helps to convert data from different data sources into interactive
dashboards and BI reports.
o It provides interactive visualizations with self-service business
intelligence capabilities where end users can create reports and
dashboards by themselves, without having to depend on
information technology staff or database administrators.

Power BI Tools

o Power BI Desktop: It is a primary authoring and publishing tool. Power BI

users and developers use it to create brand new models and reports.
Power BI Desktop tool is available at free of cost.

o Power BI Service: The Power BI data modules, dashboards, and reports are
hosted in the online software as a service (SaaS). Sharing, administration, and
collaboration happen in the cloud.
Power BI Service tool is available at the pro license, and the user has to pay
$10 per month.

o Power BI Data Gateway: It works as the bridge between the Power BI service on-
premises data sources such as Import, Direct Query, and Live Query. BI Admin
installs Power BI.

Page 1 of 16
 o Power BI Report Server: It hosts paging reports, mobile reports, KPIs, and Power
BI desktop reports. It requires updates in every four months and managed by
the IT team.

o Power BI Mobile Apps: It is available for Android, iOS, and Windows.

Microsoft Intune manages it by using this tool. You can view reports and
dashboards on the Power BI Service Report Server.

Why Power BI
1. It allows real-time dashboard updates.
2. It provides secure and reliable connections to the data sources in the cloud.
3. It allows data exploration using a natural language query.
4. Power BI provides a hybrid configuration, quick deployment, and secure
environment.
5. It provides features for dashboard visualization regularly updated with the
community.
6. It provides pre-built dashboards and reports for SaaS solutions.

Power BI Disadvantages

Here are some disadvantages of Power BI, as shown below:

Page 2 of 16
1. Dashboards and reports are only shared with the users who are having the
same email domains.
2. Power BI will not merge imported data that is accessed from real-time
connections.
3. Power BI only accepts the file size maximum 250 Mb and the zip file which is
compressed by the data of the x-velocity in-memory database.
4. Dashboard never accepts or pass user, account, or any other entity
parameters.
5. Very few data sources permit real-time connections to Power BI reports and
dashboards.

Installing power Bi - desktop

downloading process of the Power BI Desktop step by step:

Step 1: Click on the below link to directly download Power BI

Desktop. https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/desktop/

Step 2: Then click on the Download Free button.

Three major building blocks of Power BI

Page 3 of 16
1- Ribbon: It displays common tasks like- Get data, Transform data, Add new
visuals, Publish report etc. and that are associated with reports and visualizations.

2- Views: There are three types of views in Power BI-

o Report or Canvas view: Allows you to create & view the visualizations.

o Data view: You can see your all report data here, and you can quickly
validate your data.

o Model view : Shows all of the tables, columns, and relationships in

your model and you can set and mange the relationship between tables.

3- Pages tab: You can find this bottom of the page, allows you to add, select, remove
the report page, also you can create a duplicate report page from here.
4- Visualizations pane: Provides you 30+ visuals, where you can change
visualizations, customize colors or axes, apply filters, drag fields, and more.
5- Fields pane: It displays the tables, folders, and fields in your data that are
available for you to use to create visualizations.

6- Filter pane: Filter pane types-

o Visual level filters: This is visual level filter and applied directly on
individual visualizations. Such filters are applied both on data and calculation
conditions used within a visualization.

o Page level filters: These filters are used to filter the visuals present in the
page.

Page 4 of 16
 o Report level filters: The report-level filters are the filters that you use to
apply a filter condition on the entire report.

How to Create a Power BI Project End-to-End?

Step 1: Define Objectives

You need to determine the purpose of the project and what insights you want to gain
from the data. To do that, you’ll have to engage stakeholders to understand their
requirements.
Step 2: Gather Data

Identify and connect to various data sources. These data sources could be databases
(like Oracle, SQL Server), Web APIs, cloud services (like Azure, Google Analytics),
or Excel files.

Page 5 of 16
Step 3: Data Preparation

Use Power Query in Power BI Desktop to clean, transform, and prepare the data.
These include:

 Removing duplicates

 Filtering out irrelevant data

 Merging multiple datasets

 Changing data types.

Step 4: Data Modeling

You should define relationships between different tables in the data model. This will
help you perform complex calculations and create meaningful visualizations. Also,
use DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) to create calculated columns and measures for
advanced analysis.

Page 6 of 16
Step 5: Design Visualizations

Use the report view in Power BI Desktop to create interactive visualizations like
tables, charts, slicers, and maps. These visuals should clearly and effectively convey
the insights. Furthermore, organize visuals in a logical layout for ease of
understanding. If you’re looking to enhance visual appeal, use themes and
formatting.

Page 7 of 16
Step 6: Add Interactivity

Filters and slicers should be incorporated. This will enable users to interact with the
data and explore different dimensions. The drill-through functionality should be
enabled for deeper analysis of specific data points.
Step 7: Publish and Share

After finalizing the report, you’ll have to publish it to the Power BI

service (app.powerbi.com) and share it with stakeholders. You can control who can
view (or edit) the report with the user permissions.
Step 8: Create Dashboards

To create dashboards, pin key visuals from the reports. Dashboards provide a high-
level overview of performance metrics.
Step 9: Set Up Data Refresh

Configure data refresh settings to keep your reports up to date with the latest data. It
could be setting refresh daily, weekly, or as needed.
Step 10: Monitor and Iterate

Gather feedback from users to understand how well the project meets their needs.
You also need to make adjustments to the reports and dashboards based on new
data sources, user insights, or changing business requirements.
Step 11: Documentation

Page 8 of 16
Create documentation outlining the data sources, visualizations, transformation
processes, and user guides to facilitate future updates and knowledge transfer.
Step-by-step Guide for Selecting Projects

1. Assess your current skill level

 Beginners: Start with data cleaning and basic visualizations

 Intermediate: Tackle more complex data modelling and DAX functions

 Advanced: Take on projects with custom visuals and advanced

analytics

 Beginner-Level Power BI Project Basic Examples

 1. Customer Churn Analysis

 2. Product Sales Data Analysis

 3. Marketing Campaign Insights Analysis

 4. Financial Performance Analysis

 5. Healthcare Sales Analysis

 Intermediate-Level Power BI Project Ideas

 6. Anomaly Detection in Credit Card Transactions

 7. AutoML Cashflow Optimization for Insurance Company

 8. Global Health Expenditure Analysis

 9. Loan Application Analysis

 10. Movie Sales Visualization

 Advanced-Level Power BI Project Ideas

 11. Airport Authority Data Analysis

 12. Covid-19 Insights Analysis

 13. Construction Permit Data Analysis

 14. Global Energy Trade Analysis

 15. Life Expectancy Data Analysis

 Power BI Projects Github

 16. Twitter Analysis Dashboard

 17. OTT Media Dashboard

 18. AdventureWorks Database Analysis

Page 9 of 16
  Power BI Report Examples

 Retail Analysis Power BI Report Example

 Global Covid-19 Analysis Power BI Report Example

 Inventory Stock Analysis Power BI Report Example

 Cancer Analytics Power BI Report Example

 Customer Analysis Power BI Report Example

Example 1
How to Create a Power BI Project End-to-End?
Here is the dataset we will use for Lecture session
Kevin Cookie Company Financials dataset ...link below download view raw

https://github.com/priyal6/Kevin-Company-
Report/blob/main/Kevin%20Cookie%20Company%20Financials.xlsx

Open the power Bi desktop user interface> select your data source.

Load dataset from saved location > Our Kevin cookie financial data is loaded.

Page 10 of 16
 Select any > cookie sales sheet > transform data.>shaping data

Page 11 of 16
 Go to Power Query editor

 Once you transform and shape data> copy the country list of
dependencies from Google search type: (Wikipedia list of countries
and dependencies by population) copy path address > go to new
source ribbon tab> then select web.
 Next > select any 5 countries where Kevin Cookie Company makes
sales > 5 countries for analysing trends in profits with visualization
dashboard > select from filter: Canada, France, Germany, Mexico,
united states .

Page 12 of 16
 From the screenshot >select cookie sales > then go to>merge queries > select
cookies sales current table > then select there down countries population>
finally on top left side chooses close and Apply

 Next step is: build visuals with your data after choosing close and apply.
 Home ribbon > text box > insert text.

Page 13 of 16
Two fields must be there: visualization and fields/data

For any one power Bi that isn’t displaying visualization and fields >steps to
visualization > Go to file >options and settings > options and then select
diagnostic, then diagnostic then check enable tracing and diagnostic options.

The final stage is visualization dashboard

Page 14 of 16
 Then publish your work and share via corporate Emails .

Class Revision Demo practical session

Predictive Sales Forecasting

Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Overview

In this fun intermediate-level Power BI project, you'll develop a predictive sales

forecasting model using historical sales data. You'll apply data cleaning and
transformation techniques with Power Query, leverage DAX (Data Analysis
Expressions) for advanced calculations, and create interactive visualizations to
display forecasted sales trends. This project will enhance your skills in data analysis,
predictive modeling, and dashboard creation, providing valuable insights for
effective business strategy planning.
Tools and Technologies

 Power BI

 Power Query

 DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

Page 15 of 16
  Excel (for data source)
Prerequisites

To successfully complete this project, you should be comfortable with Power BI

fundamentals and business analysis techniques, including:

 Power BI interface and basic functionalities

 Data cleaning and transformation using Power Query

 Creating custom calculations with DAX

 Data visualization and dashboard design in Power BI

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Import and clean historical sales data using Power Query

2. Create a data model and establish relationships between tables

3. Develop DAX measures for KPIs and time intelligence functions

4. Implement a predictive model using DAX time series forecasting functions

5. Design interactive visualizations and a comprehensive dashboard

6. Document your analysis process and key findings

Expected Outcomes

Upon completing this Power BI project, you'll have gained valuable skills and
experience, including:

 Proficiency in using Power BI for advanced data analysis and forecasting

 Practical experience in data cleaning and transformation with Power Query

 Ability to create complex DAX formulas for predictive modelling and KPI
calculations

 Skills in designing interactive and insightful dashboards for sales data

visualization

 Understanding of how to apply predictive analytics to support business

strategy and planning
Relevant Links and Resources

 Superstore Sales Analysis and Forecasting Dataset | GitHub

Additional Resources

 Example Project | GitHub

Page 16 of 16