Power BI Beginner Tutorial (by Kevin)

Objective

Introductory class note summarizing the basics of Power BI for beginners: how to install, import data, clean data, build a report, and share it.

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1. Installing Power BI Desktop

• Download Power BI Desktop for free from the Microsoft Store on Windows.
• Choose Power BI Desktop (not Power BI Report Builder).
• Install or open it.
• On launch, the home screen allows you to:
  • Start a blank report
  • Connect to data sources (Excel, SQL, cloud, etc.)
  • Access sample data or recent reports

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2. Importing Data

• For the demo, sample data (cookie sales and customer data) is used from Excel.
• To import:
  • Click the button to import data and select your Excel file.
  • The Navigator window shows available tables/sheets and previews data.
  • Select sheets to import.
  • At the bottom, choose Load (straight import) or Transform Data (to edit data before import via Power Query Editor).

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3. Data Transformation in Power Query Editor

• Power Query Editor allows you to clean and shape data:
  • Remove unnecessary columns (right-click column → Remove)
  • Adjust data types (ensure accuracy with the dropdown in columns)
  • All changes are tracked under Applied Steps (right pane)
• Cleaning customer data:
  • If the first row isn’t detected as headers: use the “Use First Row As Headers” function.
  • Standardize inconsistent values (e.g., replace “U.S.” with “United States” in Country column).
  • Replace values using right-click → Replace Values.
• All changes are non-destructive to your original file.

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4. Applying Data Changes

• Once cleaning is done, click Close and Apply to bring cleaned data into your report.

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5. Creating Data Model & Relationships

• Switch to Data Model View to see imported tables and relationships.
• Power BI usually detects relations (e.g., Customer ID), but you can manually create them by dragging fields.
• Relationships enable data to flow and interconnect for analysis.

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6. Building Your First Report

Report View

• The main space (canvas) is where you build visuals.
• On the right:
  • Fields/data pane: Your columns/data
  • Visualizations pane: Chart and visualization options

Adding Visuals

1. Line Chart – Shipments Over Time
   • Select line chart, drag Order Date to X axis, Cookies Shipped to Y axis.
   • Shows shipment trends (can drill down to year/month/day).
2. Card Visual – Total Revenue
   • Select blank space, check Revenue in fields.
   • Change to Card visual to display a bold total number.
3. Table – Customer Names
   • Add a table showing Customer Name.
   • Visuals are interactive—selecting a customer filters other visuals for that customer.

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7. Interactivity & Customization

• Visuals are linked (selecting part of one, filters others).
• Add more visuals, filters, and customize formatting for a more robust dashboard.

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8. Sharing & Publishing Reports

• When ready, click Publish on the top ribbon:
  1. Save your file and name it.
  2. Select your Power BI workspace and upload.
  3. In the Power BI Service, you can:
     • Embed on SharePoint or a website.
     • Export to Excel, PowerPoint, PDF.
     • Share via Teams or email.
• Enables easy collaboration.

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9. Learning Resources & Certification

• Partnered with DataCamp for hands-on Power BI learning.
• Two recommended tracks:
  • Power BI Fundamentals (beginner, practical, browser-based)
  • Data Analyst in Power BI (advanced, includes data modeling, business case studies)
• DataCamp provides 50% off official Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Certification on track completion.

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10. Recap & Tips

• Import and clean data.
• Build interactive dashboards.
• Share with others.
• Check out DataCamp’s tracks for practical learning and certification discounts.
• For a sales spike in reports—order from Kevin Cookie Company!

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Call to Action

• Like and subscribe if the tutorial was helpful.
• Links to sample files and learning resources are in the description/comments.