Tasks and Duties
Objective
The goal of this task is to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for a virtual retail business intelligence project. Students will outline the business context, define key performance indicators (KPIs), and specify the data requirements needed to perform effective analysis using Power BI. This task is designed to simulate the initial planning phase and requires a deep understanding of the business intelligence process.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file containing a detailed report that includes the following sections: an introduction outlining the business problem, a section defining the objectives and KPIs, data sourcing strategy using publicly available data, and a justification of data selection. Additionally, a roadmap detailing the project phases should be included.
Key Steps
- Research the virtual retail industry and identify common business challenges where Power BI can provide actionable insights.
- Define at least five KPIs that can measure performance in a retail environment.
- Outline possible public data sources that would be beneficial for a retail intelligence project.
- Develop a timeline, highlighting key milestones, data collection, transformation, modeling, and visualization phases.
- Construct a detailed narrative justifying your strategic decisions and data selection criteria.
Evaluation Criteria
Your submission will be evaluated based on the clarity and depth of your business analysis, the relevance of the KPIs chosen, the feasibility of the proposed data sources, and the overall structure and professionalism of the DOC file report. The document should showcase a strategic mindset and a clear path from data requirements to analytical outcomes.
This task is estimated to take between 30 and 35 hours to complete and must be self-contained. Please ensure your report is comprehensive and does not rely on any internal resources aside from publicly available information.
Objective
This task focuses on designing an effective data model and outlining a data transformation process for a virtual retail business. The objective is to conceptualize how raw retail data can be processed and structured to provide meaningful insights using Power BI tools. Students will build on the strategic plan from Week 1 by detailing a robust data architecture and transformation pipeline.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file that contains a full report with the following sections: an overview of the data modeling approach, a detailed diagram or narrative of the data flow, steps for data cleansing, transformation strategies using Power Query, and normalization techniques. Additionally, the report should include sample DAX calculations that could be applied to the modeled data.
Key Steps
- Define the data sources and types of data envisaged in your model using publicly available retail data.
- Conceptualize and document a data model using either narrative descriptions or diagrams illustrating table relationships.
- Describe the data transformation steps required to convert raw data into a usable format.
- Outline potential challenges in data integration and propose solutions.
- Propose preliminary DAX measures that align with your strategy and KPIs.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated on the clarity and detail of the data modeling description, the logic of the transformation process, the creativity in handling data challenges, and the practical application of DAX examples. The report should be well-structured, professionally written, and fully self-contained, fully addressing the transformation design process.
Make sure the document is created independently and does not reference any proprietary content.
Objective
In this task, students will create a conceptual blueprint for an interactive retail dashboard in Power BI, emphasizing the critical components of data visualization. The purpose is to design visual elements and an interactive user interface that can effectively communicate insights from complex data sets relating to virtual retail scenarios.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file featuring a detailed report that includes the following: a design philosophy rationale, detailed mockups or sketches of dashboard layouts, explanations of chosen visual elements (charts, graphs, maps, etc.), and an outline of user interactions. The report should serve as a blueprint for building a Power BI dashboard.
Key Steps
- Research best practices in dashboard design, focusing on retail business intelligence.
- Create a detailed layout of your envisioned dashboard, annotating key functionalities and interactive features.
- Describe the rationale behind the selection of specific visualizations and how they align with the KPIs defined earlier.
- Explain how the insights will aid decision-making within a virtual retail framework.
- Propose enhancements or additional visuals that could improve data storytelling.
Evaluation Criteria
Your report will be assessed on the originality and usability of the dashboard design, the detail in explaining user interactions, adherence to design best practices, and the overall clarity of presentation. The document must be comprehensive, articulate, and entirely self-contained, ensuring that anyone reading it can understand and appreciate the visualization strategy without needing additional resources.
The task is estimated to require 30 to 35 hours of dedicated work focusing on innovation and strategic design.
Objective
This task emphasizes the use of advanced Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) in Power BI to derive complex insights from retail data. Students will explore advanced calculation techniques, including time intelligence, measure optimization, and dynamic aggregations, to enhance the analytical capabilities of their business intelligence model.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file containing a detailed report structured around the following sections: an introduction to advanced DAX concepts, detailed descriptions of at least three advanced scenarios (e.g., year-over-year comparisons, dynamic segmentation, or forecast calculations), sample DAX formulas, and a discussion around the insights these calculations can provide in a retail context.
Key Steps
- Provide a brief overview of DAX and its importance in retail business analytics.
- Select and describe three advanced calculation scenarios relevant to retail decision-making.
- Draft sample DAX formulas and explain each step to demonstrate the transformation of data into meaningful insights.
- Discuss potential challenges when applying these measures and suggest troubleshooting tips.
- Create a section on best practices for DAX optimization and performance.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on the technical depth, clarity of explanations, innovation in the application of DAX formulas, and the overall organization of the content. The document should demonstrate both theoretical understanding and practical application of advanced DAX techniques, ensuring it is self-contained, comprehensive, and professional.
This assignment is meant to be demanding and is expected to take about 30 to 35 hours, enabling students to solidify their advanced capabilities in Power BI.
Objective
For this final week, the task is to assess and optimize the performance of a hypothetical Power BI implementation in a virtual retail setting. Students will simulate a post-deployment evaluation to identify bottlenecks, analyze usage data, and recommend optimization strategies for improving dashboard performance and data refresh rates. This task fosters a holistic view of business intelligence projects, emphasizing continual improvement.
Expected Deliverables
A DOC file that includes a detailed performance evaluation report. The report must be divided into several sections: a detailed description of a hypothetical Power BI dashboard environment, performance issues encountered (such as slow load times and inefficient queries), a root cause analysis, and a set of actionable recommendations. Additionally, provide a reflective summary on the potential impacts of optimized performance on a retail business scenario.
Key Steps
- Outline a realistic scenario involving a Power BI dashboard for virtual retail, identifying potential performance challenges.
- Simulate the identification of performance issues by detailing examples and hypothesized causes.
- Conduct a structured root cause analysis and propose at least three specific strategies or fixes.
- Discuss the expected benefits of the recommended optimizations in the context of improved business decisions and user engagement.
- Summarize lessons learned regarding the importance of performance tuning in business intelligence projects.
Evaluation Criteria
The report will be evaluated based on the clarity and thoroughness of the performance evaluation, the practicality and insightfulness of the recommendations, and the overall logical structure of the document. The detailed analysis should be comprehensive, innovative, and present a clear narrative on how optimization can drive business gains, all while being accessible and self-contained.
This exercise is expected to take approximately 30 to 35 hours, challenging students to integrate all aspects of their Power BI learning into a final, reflective deliverable.