Course Information

Data analysis and analytics. Uncover insights and transform your organisation.

Discover how to use AI-enhanced Power BI and simplify your data analysis. This beginner-friendly course is ideal for anyone who works with data, whether you’re using tools like Excel, Python, SQL or performing basic calculations and statistics.

Even if Power BI is new to you, this course will guide you through its intuitive interface and Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot to simplify data preparation, visualisations, and reporting. By the end, you’ll be ready to confidently conduct data analysis using AI-enhanced Power BI, making powerful insights accessible to you and your team.

Aims

This course aims to introduce data analysts to Power BI and its AI-driven features, enabling them to enhance their existing skills and create impactful data visualisations. You will learn how to use Power BI for data preparation, reporting, and creating visualisations, all with the assistance of AI to automate tasks and uncover insights.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

•  navigate Power BI’s interface and understand its key components, including Desktop, Service, and Mobile
• perform essential data cleaning tasks, such as handling missing data and transforming columns using Power Query
• build and structure effective data models, including relationships and hierarchies
• apply best practices for data modelling to optimise performance and usability
• build interactive reports by combining multiple visualisations into meaningful insights
• design interactive dashboards that enable dynamic data exploration and sharing
• publish reports and dashboards to Power BI Service for wider accessibility
• automate data preparation tasks using Microsoft Copilot
• leverage Copilot to recommend the most suitable visuals based on data patterns
• automate report summaries and formatting with Copilot to streamline reporting workflows
• use Copilot to enhance report layout, formatting, and presentation
• utilise Copilot to assist in collaboration and automate report-sharing processes.

Content

Introduction to Power BI

• Overview of Power BI: What it is and how it compares to other tools (Excel, Python, SQL)
• Power BI’s key components: Desktop, Service, and Mobile
• Navigating the interface and understanding its main features

Data import and cleaning with Power Query

• Connecting to data sources
• Basic data cleaning using Power Query (handling missing data, transforming columns)
• Automating simple data preparation tasks using Copilot

Data modelling In Power BI

• Introduction to data models: relationships and hierarchies
• Best practices for building data models in Power BI
• How Copilot assists in building models and handling repetitive tasks

AI-driven visualisations

• Introduction to Power BI visuals: Bar charts, line charts, maps, etc.
• AI-enhanced visualisations: Using Copilot to recommend visuals based on data patterns and trends
• Customising AI-generated visuals for tailored insights
• Practical activity: Create AI-driven visualisations and adjust based on data stories

Generating reports and dashboards with Power BI and Copilot

• Building a simple report combining multiple visuals
• Automating report summaries and formatting using Copilot
• Creating interactive dashboards to share insights
• Use Copilot to help format and enhance a report

Collaboration and sharing in Power BI

• Publishing reports to Power BI Service
• Sharing reports and dashboards with stakeholders
• Using Copilot to assist in collaboration and report sharing

Intended audience

Data analysts with experience using tools like Excel, Python, SQL, or R, who are new to Power BI and are eager to integrate AI into their analysis workflows.

Prerequisites

A familiarity with basic data concepts, such as organising data in Excel, Python, SQL and performing simple statistics or calculations.

Delivery style

Workshop

Delivery mode

Face-to-face, presenter-taught training in a computer lab.

Materials

Course materials are shared electronically using Dropbox. We strongly suggest you bring a fully charged device to access them during class.

Additional information

You will be provided with a login to Power BI pro – the cloud application, for use during class.