Introduction to Power BI and Excel-based Alternatives

Learning Objectives

• To know which command enables you to update a Power Query data set.
• To explain State which Power BI task pane enables you to add features to a report.
• To define hierarchy form for dates within Power BI visualizations.

Course Description

Power BI is a Microsoft product that empowers you to create interactive business intelligence tools, such as dashboards. In this session author and Excel expert David H. Ringstrom, CPA will explain the concept of dashboards, which allow you to summarize data while also being able to quickly drill down into the details. David will first show how to use Power Query to prep data for analysis in Excel or Power BI. He’ll then compare how you can summarize and present data both in Microsoft Excel and Power BI. 

David is the author of “Exploring Microsoft Excel's Hidden Treasures: Turbocharge your Excel Proficiency with expert tips, automation techniques, and overlooked features”. He demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in the subscription-based Excel for Microsoft 365. David draws your attention to any differences in Excel 2021, 2019, or 2016 during the presentation and in his detailed handouts. The handouts include an Excel workbook with most of the examples he uses during his demonstrations. 

Excel for Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based product that receives periodic feature updates. Conversely, perpetually licensed versions have year numbers in their names and do not receive any feature updates.

Key Topics Covered in this CPE Excel Course: 

• Adding interactivity to PivotTables by using the Slicer feature to filter.
• Creating a Pivot Table in Excel as a frame of reference for a Matrix in Power BI.
• Adding tables to a Power BI canvas.
• Comparing an Accounts Receivable Aging Detail report to the Summary version.
• Introducing the Power Query feature in Excel.
• Comparing the free versions of Power BI to the paid versions.
• Transforming reports for use in Power BI with Power Query.
• Exploring the Power BI interface
• Using Power Query to clean up accounting reports to remove pitfalls like blank rows, merged cells, missing data, and more.
• Creating mobile layouts and sharing Power BI reports.
• Demonstrating how slicers control all objects on a Power BI report.
• Tracing through a typical Power BI workflow.

Overview

• Excel vs. Power Query vs. Power BI

  4 mins
• Clean A/R aging with power query

  16 mins
• Create pivot table from power query data

  50 mins
• Connecting Power BI to an Excel workbook

  62 mins
• Creating a Power BI slicer

  80 mins
• Formatting Power BI data

  99 mins
• Interacting with a Power BI report

  109 mins