Tasks and Duties
Task Objective
The objective of this task is to introduce you to the strategic planning and scope definition process for Power BI projects. You will design a conceptual plan for a periodical Power BI project that could be utilized in a real-world business environment. This task supports your Power BI Certification Training by emphasizing the planning and strategy phases before diving into execution.
Expected Deliverables
- A well-structured DOC file containing a project plan document.
- Detailed description of the project scope, objectives, timeline, and KPIs.
- An outline of the data sources (using publicly available data) and any preliminary data requirements.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Research and Conceptualization: Start by researching similar BI projects by reviewing public case studies. Identify common challenges and success factors.
- Define Project Scope: Clearly define what the project will entail, including objectives, key metrics, and business outcomes. Use bullet points for clarity.
- Draft the Timeline: Create a timeline with milestones over a 30-35 hours timeframe. Specify which hours will be dedicated to planning, data cleaning, visualization, and review.
- KPI Development: List measurable KPIs that will help evaluate the project outcomes.
- Review and Finalize: Ensure that all sections are clear, logically organized, and the document is visually appealing for a DOC submission.
Evaluation Criteria
Your submission will be evaluated based on the clarity of objectives, comprehensiveness of scope, the practicality of the timeline, and relevance of the KPIs. The document should be detailed, well-organized, and formatted professionally in DOC file format. The use of headings, bullet points, and sections will be critically assessed to simulate a real-life project proposal.
Task Objective
This task focuses on enhancing your technical skills in designing data models and writing effective DAX formulas. The goal is to simulate a scenario where you build an optimized data model that can efficiently support business intelligence reporting in Power BI. You will plan and document your approach to creating relationships, hierarchies, and calculations using DAX.
Expected Deliverables
- A comprehensive DOC file detailing your data model design.
- An explanation of the relationships between tables and the structure of hierarchies.
- Documentation of at least five key DAX formulas with context on their use cases.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Conceptualization of Data Models: Describe the theory behind data models and their importance in Power BI visualizations.
- Design Relationships: Outline how you would design relationships between different data sources, considering normalization and performance.
- DAX Formulas Writing: Write and explain five DAX formulas that solve common business intelligence problems such as time-based analysis and aggregations.
- Documentation Detailing: Include diagrams (described in text) to explain how your data model functions. You may describe what diagrams might look like using words since this is a DOC file submission.
- Final Compilation: Ensure clarity, logical sequencing, and comprehensive coverage of concepts related to data modeling in your final document.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation will be based on the technical correctness of data modeling concepts, the efficacy of DAX formulas documented, the clarity of documentation, and the logical flow of your design process. The submission must be clear, well-articulated, and fulfill the planning and documentation aspects expected in the industry.
Task Objective
The objective for week 3 is to enhance your skills in creating advanced visualizations and interactive reports using Power BI. In this task, you will plan and detail the process of designing interactive dashboards that engage end-users. This encompasses the selection, planning, and narrative design of visual elements to effectively communicate data insights.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file that outlines an interactive dashboard design.
- An explanation of different visualizations (charts, maps, slicers) and how they interact.
- Step-by-step instructions on how interactive elements help users filter and drill down data.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Research Visualization Best Practices: Investigate advanced visualization concepts and interactive dashboard principles that are relevant to Power BI.
- Outline Your Dashboard Design: Describe the design layout, specifying where and why each visualization component is placed.
- Interactive Elements Planning: Detail the interactions such as bookmarks, drill-throughs, and dynamic filters that allow users to navigate data effectively.
- User Experience Focus: Explain how the interactivity supports decision-making by offering clear, actionable insights.
- Documentation: Provide detailed instructions and descriptive analysis that a technical and non-technical audience can understand and replicate.
Evaluation Criteria
Your submission will be graded on the creativity and effectiveness of the dashboard plan, clarity in laying out interactive elements, adherence to Power BI design principles, and overall thoroughness of the documentation. Your DOC file should reflect a robust understanding of advanced visualization techniques and user-centered design.
Task Objective
This week's task is centered on data storytelling – the art of converting analytical insights into compelling narratives through visualization. The purpose is to demonstrate how to weave a narrative that guides the viewer through the data, emphasizing trends, outliers, and actionable insights. This is crucial for communicating complex data insights in a manner that is engaging and understandable.
Expected Deliverables
- A detailed DOC file that outlines your data storytelling approach.
- A well-structured narrative that explains the story behind a dataset (using publicly available data). There should be a clear storyline that links analysis to business outcomes.
- A description of the visual elements and narrative techniques planned to enhance the storytelling effect.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Story Identification: Choose a theme or message that can be derived from a dataset you are familiar with. Clearly state the narrative objective.
- Story Mapping: Develop a storyboard that outlines the beginning, middle, and conclusion of the data story along with the relevant visualizations to support each part.
- Visual Techniques: Describe which visualization techniques (e.g., trend lines, annotations) will be used to highlight key points in the data.
- Narrative Building: Write the story in a structured and engaging manner, ensuring that each section of your narrative logically flows into the next.
- Critical Analysis: Reflect on how each chosen element contributes to the overall story and how it can drive business decisions.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated on the coherence of the narrative, the effectiveness of visual storytelling techniques planned, the clarity of the storyline, and overall documentation quality. The DOC file should be comprehensive, well-organized, and exhibit a professional understanding of data storytelling.
Task Objective
This task is designed to develop your understanding of performance optimization within Power BI reports. Your goal is to design a plan that identifies common performance bottlenecks, proposes optimization techniques, and measures the impact of these improvements on report efficiency. This is a technical task aimed at refining diagnostic and improvement skills essential in professional Power BI implementations.
Expected Deliverables
- A DOC file that outlines a comprehensive performance optimization strategy.
- Identification of potential performance issues in Power BI models.
- Proposed solutions and techniques, such as query reduction, data aggregation, and usage of performance analyzer.
- A method for measuring performance improvements before and after applying optimizations.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Performance Audit: Research and outline common performance issues in Power BI reports and dashboards.
- Optimization Techniques: Document at least three optimization strategies with the rationale behind each method and expected outcomes.
- Implementation Plan: Draft a step-by-step plan describing how to apply these optimizations to a sample model.
- Measurement Criteria: Define clear metrics and benchmarks for evaluating efficiency gains.
- Document Findings: Ensure your DOC file contains a detailed analysis that simulates a real-world performance review process.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation will focus on technical accuracy, completeness of the optimization plan, clarity of the measurement criteria, and the ability to communicate technical details effectively. Your submission should demonstrate a strong command of performance tuning within Power BI while providing actionable insights to improve report efficiency.
Task Objective
The final week's task is designed as a capstone project that synthesizes all previous weeks' learnings into one cohesive document. Your goal is to propose a comprehensive Power BI project that leverages strategic planning, data modeling, advanced visualization, data storytelling, and performance optimization. This capstone task is a culmination of your development as a Virtual Power BI Data Visualization Intern and serves as a self-contained proposal resembling a real-world, deliverable project proposal.
Expected Deliverables
- A final DOC file that serves as a comprehensive project proposal.
- An executive summary, detailed project plan, proposed visualizations, data model architecture, storytelling elements, and optimization strategies.
- A clear evaluation framework with KPIs and success metrics.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Review Past Concepts: Begin by summarizing the key points from the previous tasks and how they interrelate.
- Draft the Proposal: Structure the document into sections such as Introduction, Objectives, Methodology, Data Sources, Visualization Plan, Optimization Strategies, and Evaluation Metrics.
- Integration of Concepts: Ensure that each concept (planning, data modeling, visualization, storytelling, and optimization) is thoroughly integrated and explained.
- Evaluation Framework: Develop a robust framework for evaluating the success of the project, including measurable KPIs and feedback loops.
- Final Review: Proofread the document ensuring it is detailed, professional, and formatted in a reader-friendly manner.
Evaluation Criteria
Your capstone project proposal will be evaluated on its comprehensiveness, clarity, coherence, and practicality. The integration of multiple Power BI concepts, the logical flow of the document, and the robustness of the evaluation framework will be emphasized. The DOC file must demonstrate advanced planning skills, technical aptitude, and a creative approach to Power BI data visualization and analysis.