Power BI 3 min read

complete Power BI course roadmap

Power BI is one of the most widely used Business Intelligence (BI) tools in the world. It allows organizations to turn raw data into actionable insights, helping teams make data-driven decisions. With Power BI, users can connect to multiple data sources, transform and model data, visualize information in interactive dashboards, and share reports across teams and enterprises.

1. Introduction to Business Intelligence (BI) and Power BI

Goal: Understand BI concepts and Power BI’s role.

Topics:

  1. What is Business Intelligence (BI)
  2. Role of BI in business decision-making
  3. Overview of Power BI ecosystem: Desktop, Service, Mobile
  4. Power BI vs Excel vs Tableau

Hands-on: Install Power BI Desktop and explore interface.

2. Power BI Basics

Goal: Get familiar with Power BI Desktop environment.

Topics:

  1. Power BI Desktop layout: Ribbon, panes, and views
  2. Importing data: Excel, CSV, SQL Server, Web, SharePoint
  3. Data types and basic transformations
  4. Saving and publishing Power BI reports

Hands-on: Import sample datasets and explore fields.

3. Data Transformation with Power Query

Goal: Clean, shape, and prepare data.

Topics:

  1. Power Query Editor basics
  2. Removing duplicates, filtering, replacing values
  3. Splitting columns, merging tables
  4. Pivot and unpivot data
  5. Using parameters and functions

Hands-on: Transform raw sales data into clean datasets for reporting.

4. Data Modeling in Power BI

Goal: Create relationships between datasets for analytics.

Topics:

  1. Understanding tables, relationships, and cardinality
  2. Star schema vs Snowflake schema
  3. Calculated columns vs Measures
  4. Introduction to DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)
  5. Time intelligence basics: Year-to-date, Month-to-date

Hands-on: Build a simple data model with related tables.

5. DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

Goal: Learn formulas to analyze and calculate data.

Topics:

  1. DAX basics: Syntax, operators, and functions
  2. Common functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, DISTINCT
  3. Logical functions: IF, SWITCH
  4. Aggregation functions: SUMX, CALCULATE
  5. Time intelligence: SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, DATEADD

Hands-on: Create calculated columns and measures for KPIs.

6. Data Visualization in Power BI

Goal: Create interactive and insightful reports.

Topics:

  1. Types of visualizations: Bar, Column, Line, Pie, Tables, Cards
  2. Formatting visuals for better storytelling
  3. Using slicers, filters, and bookmarks
  4. Drill-through and tooltips
  5. Conditional formatting and custom visuals

Hands-on: Build a sales dashboard with multiple visuals and interactivity.

7. Power BI Service (Cloud)

Goal: Learn to share and collaborate on reports online.

Topics:

  1. Power BI Service overview: Workspaces, Apps
  2. Publishing reports from Desktop to Service
  3. Sharing reports and dashboards with others
  4. Scheduled data refresh and gateways
  5. Row-level security (RLS)

Hands-on: Publish a report and set up a scheduled refresh.

8. Advanced Analytics

Goal: Use Power BI for deeper insights.

Topics:

  1. Advanced DAX functions: FILTER, ALL, RELATED, USERELATIONSHIP
  2. What-if parameters
  3. Forecasting and trend analysis
  4. Decomposition tree, Key Influencers visuals
  5. Integration with Python & R for advanced analytics

Hands-on: Implement forecasting and advanced KPIs.

9. Power BI with Excel and Databases

Goal: Connect and analyze data from multiple sources.

Topics:

  1. Importing from SQL Server, Azure, SharePoint, Web APIs
  2. DirectQuery vs Import mode
  3. Combining multiple sources using Power Query
  4. Power BI & Excel integration: PivotTables, Power Query, Power Pivot

Hands-on: Connect Power BI to SQL Server and create live dashboards.

10. Power BI Administration & Governance

Goal: Manage enterprise deployment.

Topics:

  1. Power BI Admin Portal overview
  2. Workspaces, Dataflows, and Apps management
  3. Data governance: Sensitivity labels, usage metrics
  4. Deployment pipelines and version control

Hands-on: Create and manage workspace with multiple users.

11. Real-Time Dashboards & Reporting

Goal: Build live, interactive dashboards.

Topics:

  1. Streaming datasets and real-time dashboards
  2. Power BI with Power Automate for alerts and notifications
  3. Mobile dashboards
  4. Embedded analytics

Hands-on: Create a real-time dashboard with streaming sales data.