Programme Introduction

This 2-day intermediate programme is designed for participants who already understand basic Power BI data loading, Power Query and report creation, and are ready to progress further. Participants will strengthen their data modelling foundations, master DAX calculations, and learn advanced interactive dashboard techniques to build robust, reusable Power BI solutions for business users.

The programme is highly practical: approximately 30% concept explanation and 70% trainer-led demonstration and guided hands-on build, with participants progressively developing an intermediate Power BI report throughout the two days.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

Data Modelling & DAX (Day 1)

• Design a star-schema Power BI model using fact and dimension tables
• Create, manage and troubleshoot table relationships and filter paths
• Write reusable DAX measures for KPIs, ratios and business analysis
• Use CALCULATE and filter context to create dynamic analytical measures

Time Intelligence & Advanced Dashboards (Day 2)

• Apply time-intelligence techniques: YTD, MTD, prior-period and year-on-year analysis
• Build actual-vs-target, variance and growth measures for management reporting
• Create dynamic dashboards using drill-through, tooltips, bookmarks, buttons and synced slicers
• Publish and organise reports in Power BI Service with scheduled refresh and basic row-level security

Duration

2 Days (Instructor-led, hands-on)

Who Will Benefit?

Executives, analysts, engineers, supervisors, finance and operations personnel, reporting teams and Power BI users who already have basic Power BI knowledge and want to progress into professional-level data modelling, DAX and dashboard design.

Prerequisites: participants should be able to import data, perform basic Power Query transformations, create standard visuals and use basic filters/slicers in Power BI Desktop. A laptop with Power BI Desktop installed is required; a Power BI Service account is recommended.

Learning Approach

The programme is anchored on three building blocks that separate basic reports from professional analytical solutions:

• Model: structure a well-designed relational (star-schema) data model
• Measure: build reusable DAX measures with correct filter context
• Visualise: design advanced, interactive, app-like dashboard experiences

Programme Outline

  DAY 1: DATA MODELLING, RELATIONSHIPS & DAX

Objective: build a structured data model and create reusable DAX measures for business analysis.

Module 1: Designing a Strong Data Model

• Fact and dimension tables, star schema and granularity
• Keys, date dimensions and avoiding flat-table reporting

Module 2: Table Relationships in Power BI

• One-to-many, many-to-one and many-to-many scenarios
• Cardinality, active/inactive relationships and filter direction
• Role-playing dates, bridge tables and relationship troubleshooting

Module 3: DAX Foundations & Core Measures

• Calculated columns vs measures; row context vs filter context
• SUM, AVERAGE, COUNTROWS, DISTINCTCOUNT, DIVIDE, IF and SWITCH
• KPI ratios, percentages, safe division and measure organisation

Module 4: CALCULATE & Filter Context

• CALCULATE, FILTER, ALL / REMOVEFILTERS
• Percentage of total, conditional measures and context-aware totals
• Day 1 review: validate relationships and test measures against slicers

  DAY 2: TIME INTELLIGENCE & ADVANCED DASHBOARDS

Objective: analyse performance over time and build dynamic, interactive executive dashboards.

Module 5: Date Tables & Time Intelligence

• Creating and marking a proper date table
• YTD, MTD, QTD and prior-period analysis

Module 6: Comparative & Variance Analysis

• SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, DATEADD and prior-period logic
• Actual vs target, variance, growth rate and performance status measures

Module 7: Advanced Visual Interactions

• Drill-down, drill-through and report-page tooltips
• Cross-filtering, edit interactions and user navigation

Module 8: Dynamic Dashboards, Publishing & Security

• Bookmarks, buttons, selection pane, synced slicers and dynamic titles
• Field parameters for user-controlled views; conditional formatting
• Publishing to Power BI Service: workspaces, scheduled refresh and basic row-level security

Final Build & Review

• Participants complete an interactive dashboard integrating the full 2-day build
• Best practices: performance, model cleanliness, visual consistency and deployment checklist