Power BI Quick Start Plus

Learn how to use Power BI to build amazing KPI dashboards that help you, your boss and your peers make better decisions!

Specialists in helping maintenance and reliability professionals build Power BI dashboards that help make better decisions!

Discover how to create Power BI KPI dashboards designed to help you quickly and effortlessly make better decisions!

Let's face it, the most important goal of a dashboard is to help support better decision-making. You, me, your peers and bosses all want to make better decisions. We want to be able to quickly and accurately make decisions that will have a positive impact on our business and make our life easier! It's a fairly simple concept to understand. However, it's something that most dashboards simply don't do well enough!

This course is specifically designed to solve this problem. It's designed to give you the skills you need to create Power BI dashboards that are decision-support KPI management tools, not just another data dump!

Once you learn the Power BI skills you need to guide people on a Data to Decision Journey, you'll be amazed at the results and the reactions you get!

Most importantly, you'll have developed new skills that will increase your employability and job security!

Power BI skills are growing and growing in demand just now! This is a great time to start learning.

I didn't realise how bad things really were

Excel has always been my go-to tool for creating dashboards and KPI tracking sheets. It's quick and easy to throw together a new workbook, add some data and a few charts and graphs. Hey presto, within a short while I'd have a new 'KPI tracking tool' built and ready. Perhaps you've done the same.

BUT...and this is a big pain in the BUT!...somehow I always ended up with the same sort of problems:

A load of Excel workbooks and worksheets stored in different locations
Links to lots of different data sources that were hard to track and often had connection issues
Complicated formulas and look-ups that were hard to understand, difficult to update and lacked documentation
Continually hitting up against limitations in how much data I could store in Excel
Restricted by the options I had available to configure the look and feel of my dashboards
No easy way of publishing and sharing my dashboard, often leading to lots of uncontrolled copies tucked away in other peoples emails and personal folders

My Excel based dashboards always seemed to end up being complicated, error prone, hard to manage and time-consuming to update.

I was spending almost a day a week extracting and manipulating data to be 'just right' for Excel. I was stressed out and to make matters worse hardly anyone looked at these reports and dashboards. Even worse, I didn't know why people were not using them!

There was an even bigger problem...

As a company we were losing of control of our KPIs and our performance

It wasn't clear where our biggest issues were
We didn't really know if the actions we were taking were the right actions and if they were making a difference
Our KPI definitions were confusing, unclear and sometimes used different calculations on different dashboards
Our targets were often different from one dashboard to the next
When all was said and done...we didn't really understand our numbers!

We needed a better approach to managing the performance of our maintenance and reliability processes

Power BI changed this. When I first came across Power BI I saw the potential instantly. With Power BI I'd found a tool that would give me the freedom and flexibility as a maintenance and reliability professional to create the dashboards that me, my boss and maintenance and operations people throughout the company desperately wanted and needed.

I set to work learning as much about the tool as I could. I absorbed myself in learning how to use each and every element of Power BI. I learned about Power Query, the DAX language, the Power BI Service and how to set-up and configure the different visualisations that are available to display KPIs and data.

I spent so much time learning that I almost forgot about doing! There was always one more DAX function, some other custom visual or another Power BI feature that I 'needed' to learn. I was stuck in learning mode and it was stopping me actually building the dashboards that could make a difference!

The 3 Lessons I Wish I'd Known

As I started to build more and more dashboards, I stated to get some good results and positive feedback. My bosses and peers started to use and engage with the dashboards I'd created. They started to ask for more dashboards and people were interested in learning more about how to build their own dashboards with Power BI. I was keen to help.

I took a step back and asked myself "What would I do differently if I had to start learning Power BI again?". "What lessons do I wish I'd known when I first started learning how to use this tool?" I came up with the 3 lessons I wish I'd known...

Lesson 1: Stop Learning...Start Doing!

I eventually came to my senses and started building dashboards. What I quickly discovered was that building dashboards was easier that I thought. The best approach to learning by far was to learn the things you NEEDED to learn, when you need to learn them. Don't get me wrong, you need a base knowledge of how to use the tools, but from there on in don't be afraid to make mistakes and learn on the job.

Lesson 2: If someone says "Oh...that's interesting" start to worry!

One of the most common reactions I got when people were looking at my dashboard was "oh that's interesting" or "that's really cool".

At first I was proud, I thought this was a good thing...then I started to worry!

I was displaying tables, graphs, bar charts, KPI cards and maps... you name it I used it. My dashboards looked cool, even had that WOW factor. But when all was said and done, they didn't really help me, my peers or my boss make better decisions! I was basically dumping data on people. I was giving them a lot of information, without helping them understand what to do with that data.

They were interesting for sure, but useful to our business...I wasn't so sure!

'Interesting' isn't 'action' and without action there can be no results!

Lesson 3: Your dashboards NEED to guide people towards decisions and action!

It's a massive cliché but I'll say it anyway! You need to take people on a journey. I call it The Data to Decision Journey. You need to make it easy for them to understand where the problems are and then decide on a course of action that will solve these problems.

If I were to start my Power BI learning journey again I'd start by learning how to take people on this Data to Decision Journey. Without truly understanding how you design your dashboards to help people make better decisions you run a real risk of spending lots of time, money and effort creating great looking, 'interesting' but ultimately useless dashboards!

In Power BI Quick Start PLUS I'll focus on solving the problem of creating an 'interesting' dashboard. I'll teach you the Power BI skills you need to build a useful dashboard. One that is designed to take readers on a Data to Decision Journey. Once you start to understand how to build your dashboard with this journey in mind, you'll be amazed by the results!

Why this course? Why now?

I'm sure, like most people reading this, you're a busy in your every day role.

You have meetings to attend, reports to produce, projects to manage and every day problems to address...I get it. I'm in the same boat and have felt pressure and the stress of everyday operations.

We can sometimes spend so much time being busy that it can be difficult to take a step back and make time to start understanding the numbers and manage our KPI performance.

Something has brought you to this course today...

You might have heard about Power BI and want to know more about what the tool can offer
Your boss might have tasked you with building a KPI dashboard to improve how you manage your site's KPI performance
You may even already have a KPI management system but it just isn't hitting the mark and it's time to upgrade to something better
You might even have built a few Power BI dashboards and are looking to make the next step in your learning

You know you need to change and learn new skills...

The problem is you don't know where to start!

You want to learn more about Power BI but don't know where to start
You feel overwhelmed and frustrated, stuck wondering what steps to take next
Other courses are not relevant to your role as a maintenance or reliability professional
You don't have weeks and weeks of free time to learn everything about Power BI...
...But you need to start creating effective dashboards now!
Your dashboards don't seem to hit the mark, people don't seem to use them as much as you'd thought they would and you don't know why!
Your current KPI management dashboards take too long to update each week, draining time that could be spent on other, more productive work
Even worse, your current KPI system often leads to errors and inconsistencies in the numbers that are reported
You have no or little idea of how to create a dashboard that helps makes better decisions - you rely on your gut feelings for deciding how to design your dashboards
You are under pressure from your boss. They have a thirst for data and information on your company's performance. Every time they ask for information your heart sinks at the thought of manually generating yet another report in Excel or some other equally inflexible tool!

If you want different results, something has to change...

...now is the ideal time to make that change!

By the end of this online video course you'll have the skills and confidence to...

Configure Power BI reports that make it super easy for you and your readers to quickly identify problems and opportunities
Understand the key phases for taking your readers on a Data to Decision Journey™ - this is the difference that will make your dashboards truly effective
Become an expert at applying conditional formatting using measures and DAX in Power BI
Establish yourself as an authority in your company at building KPI dashboards using Power BI
Understand how to choose visuals with purpose, not just a 'gut feel'
Create a central KPI management system for your KPI targets. Work more efficiently and save time and effort while ensuring consistency of targets across all your reports and dashboards
Learn how to create dashboards that are decision support tools, not just fancy data dumps!

The Power BI Skills You'll Learn

Master the ABCs of Conditional Formatting

How to set-up basic conditional formatting in Power BI using the standard Power BI options, including bars, icons and heat maps - a powerful yet simple starting point for improving your dashboards.

Conditional Formatting PLUS - Advanced Formatting Using Measures and DAX

How to use measures and DAX code to truly unleash the power and flexibility of conditional formatting in Power BI.

Best Practice Colour Selection

Learn the best practice in colour selection for conditional formatting based on the science of how our brains work to process data quickly.

How to Create the "Central KPI Management System"

How to define and manage KPIs and target values from a central location and have these cascade through to your conditional formatting in all your reports.

Dynamic Chart Titles PLUS

Create dynamic card and chart titles that automatically change to indicate the status of a KPI values.

The Simple But Effective Hack for Colour Coding KPI Performance in Column Charts

Learn my novel and effective approach to colour-coding column charts the right way!

Dynamic KPI Values - Managing KPI Threshold Values When Filters Are Applied

Learn how to manage conditional formatting when filters are applied. Ensure you are comparing the filtered value with the correct KPI target.

Dealing With (BLANK) Values In Cards

My 3 approaches to addressing card visuals and preventing the dreaded "(Blank)" text.

The Course Map

Below is a map of the key elements of the course. Each element of the course is designed to improve your skills and knowledge in a logical, step-by-step approach.

As you work through the course you'll move from having no or little understanding of how to use Power BI's powerful dynamic configuration options, to having complete control over how to create a dashboard that is a complete Decision Support System.

Course Project - Learning Objectives

This course is specifically targeted towards teaching maintenance and reliability professionals how to build a KPI decision-support system using Power BI.

During the course, you'll be adding conditional formatting to an existing dashboard. You'll start with a dashboard that displays information but does little, if anything, to help the reader understand where the issues are or guide them towards making better decisions!

I'll walk you step-by-step through the process of upgrading the dashboard using Power BI's conditional formatting options. In the process you'll be learning the theory and Power BI skills you need to become confident in building your very own KPI decisions-support system.

This includes:

using the standard Power BI conditional formatting options
creating DAX measures to control colour, text and more, then applying them to the Power BI file
building a system that stores all your KPIs and their target values in a central location

To achieve this I've split the course into 5 sections with 3 clear learning objectives...

Objective 1 - Learn the basics of using conditional formatting in Power BI to highlight KPIs

Why conditional formatting is vital for any effective dashboard
Apply basic conditional formatting using the standard Power BI options
Change the colour of card values based on KPI target values
Create a dynamic heat map to visually show the spread from the highest to the lowest values in a matrix
Apply icon and bars to matrix visuals
Learn the limitations on Power BI standard conditional formatting options
Best practice approach to selecting the colour scheme for your dashboard and conditional formatting

Objective 2- Take it to the next level - Learn how to create measures using DAX to apply complex KPI conditional formatting rules in Power BI

This section is where it gets really exciting! Once you learn how to use DAX to configure conditional formatting your mind will be flooded with possibilities!

Understand how to use DAX code in measures to define complex conditional formatting rules. (Note: once you learn this approach you'll most likely never use the standard Power BI options again!)
Create measures to set a warning or critical colour of a value based on comparing the current value with the target threshold for any measure
Create measures that display the target value. This is vital to understand how close the current value is from being above or below the target threshold
Create measures that return text titles that state if a value is on or off target and by how much. Make it easy for the reader to know exactly what the current performance is
Configure the dashboard to dynamically handle conditional formatting when filters are applied using the ISFILTERED() function
Create indicators for bar charts to dynamically display working symbols if the target threshold KPI value is exceeded. Also, understand why applying conditional formatting directly to the bars in a bar chart is not a good idea
Use tooltips to provide additional information

Objective 3 - Increase your efficiency, reduce errors and take control of your KPI targets

Learn how to create a system where all your KPIs and their target values are defined and managed in a central location
Setup a spreadsheet to store all of your KPI definitions and target threshold values in one location
Create a table containing the colour codes that will be used to format KPIs that are outwith their target values
Update your measures to refer to the values stored in a central location using the LOOKUPVALUE() function
Put an end to ever having to hardcode KPI values into multiple Power BI files, measures, and conditional formatting rules

Click to expand and view the full course syllabus

Module 1: Introduction to the Course

Course Overview

Course overview - Sections 1 and 2

Go to lesson

Course overview - Section 3

Go to lesson

Course overview - Section 4

Go to lesson

Course overview - Section 5

Go to lesson

Business Requirements and Targets of the Project

Go to lesson

How to Use the Resources

Modifying Playback Speed for Faster Learning

Module 2: Conditional Formatting Using the Power BI Standard Options

Download Resource Files

What Is Conditional Formatting and Why It Is Important

Formatting Card Values and Category Colour Based on Target Values

Activity 1 – Formatting Cards Colour Based on Target Values

Solution 1 - Formatting Cards Colour Based on Target Values

Using Colour Scale (Heatmap) to Identify Highest to Lowest Values on a Matrix

Applying Condition Formatting to Totals on a Matrix

Adding Data Bars to a Table to Show Percentage of Values by Category

Allocating Sets of Icons Based on Percentages

Allocating Sets of Icons Based on Values

Activity 2: Adding Icons and Data Bars to a Table Visual

Solution 2: Adding Icons and Data Bars to a Table Visual

Adding Conditional Formatting to Bar Chart Bars

Adding Conditional Formatting to Visulisation Backgrounds and Borders

Section 2 Summary

Section 2 – Review Quiz

Module 3: Applying Advanced Conditional Formatting Rules Using Measures and DAX

Download Resource Files

Introduction to Section 3

Creating A Measure with Basic Logic Rules to Format Colours

Creating Your First Conditional Formatting Measure

Using Category Values to Set Conditional Formatting Rules

Activity 3 – Creating and Applying Your First Conditional Formatting Measure

Solution 3 - Creating and Applying Your First Conditional Formatting Measure

Using Complex Rules to Add Conditional Formatting to Column Charts

Best Practice Conditional Formatting of Column Charts - Pt1

Best Practice Conditional Formatting of Column Charts - Pt2

Best Practice Naming and Organising Conditional Formatting Measures

Activity 4 – Add Conditionally Formatted Symbols to The Days in Backlog Bar Chart

Solution 4 - Add Conditionally Formatted Symbols to The Days in Backlog Chart

3 Options for Managing Conditional Formatting when Filters Are Applied

Option 1 - Disable Conditional Formatting

Display a Symbol to Indicate Conditional Formatting Is Not Available

Option 2 - Pt1 - Set Targets for Combinations of Categories

Option 2 - Pt2 - Updating the Measure DAX Code

Option 2 - Pt3 - Updating the Measure DAX Code for the Colour

Option 2 - Pt4 - Updating the Measure DAX Code for ISFILTERED() Warning Symbol

Activity 5 - Setting up Conditional Formatting to Manage Filter Combinations of Filters

Solution 5 - Setting up Visual Conditional Formatting to Manage Combinations of Filters

Option 3 - Pt1 - Disable the Filters Using Filter Iterations

Option 3 - Pt2 - Create a DAX Measure that Will Ignore the Filters

Activity 6 – Updating the Backlog (hours) Card to Ignore Filters

Solution 6 - Updating the Backlog (hours) Card to Ignore Filters

Summary of Section 3

Section 3 – Review Quiz

Module 4: Create Dynamic Text and Targets Using Measures and DAX

Section 4 – Download Resource Files

Introduction to Section 4

Adding Target Value Text to a Card - The Simple Approach

Adding Target Value Text Using a Measure

Activity 7 – Create and Configure Target Text Cards

Solution 7 - Create and Configure Target Text for Card Visuals

Create ToolTip to Display Target Value Variance

Activity 8 – Create Total Backlog Hours Tooltip

Solution 8 - Create Total Backlog Hours Tooltip

Creating a Measure to Dynamically Display Target Value Based on Filters Applied

Use Tooltips to Display Pop-Up Target Value, Actual Value and Variance

Creating Target, Actual Variance Tooltip for Work Priority Symbols

Modifying Work Priority Symbol Tooltip to Dynamically Change When Filtered

Activity 9 – Create Days In Backlog Target Value and Variance Tooltip

Solution 9 - Create Days in Backlog Target Value and Variance Tooltip

Adding Tooltip to ISFILTERED Warning Symbol

Fix for ISFILTERED Symbol Measures

Best Practice - Adding Sub Folder to Help Organise Cndf Measures

3 Options for Managing (blank) Value Cards

Option 1 - Replace with 0

Option 2 - Replace with a Message

Option 3 - Hide the Card Value

Activity 10 – Hiding Zero Value Cards

Solution 10 - Hiding Zero Value Cards

Tidying Up The Matrix Conditional Formatting

Conditional Formatting Cells in a Table Visual Based on Column Values

Conditional Formatting of Cells in a Matrix Based on Column and Row Values

Adding a Visual Level Tooltip

Adding a Dynamically Created URL Link

Activity 11 – Applying Conditional Formatting to Cells in a Table

Solution 11 - Applying Conditional Formatting to Cells in a Table

Summary of Section 4

Section 4 – Review Quiz

Module 5: Creating a Central KPI Target Management Model for Power BI

Section 5 – Download Resource Files

Introduction to Section 5

Overview of the Central KPI Management System Model

Overview of the KPI Target Spreadsheet

Loading the KPI Threshold Values Into The Data Model

Adding Table of Conditional Formatting Colours Into The Data Model

Activity 12 – Define and Load Colours Into the Data Model from The Excel Sheet

Solution 12 - Define and Load Colours Into the Data Model from The Excel Sheet

Introduction to LOOKUPVALUE() DAX Function

Updating Total Backlog Count Colour Measure to Reference KPI and Colour Tables

Updating KPI Threshold Values and Loading Them Into The Data Mode

Updating Total Backlog Count Target Text Card

Updating Total Backlog Hours Target Text Card

Updating Total Backlog Hours TA Comparison Text

Updating Total Backlog Count TA Comparison Text

Updating KPI Threshold Values and Colours and Loading Them Into the Data Model

Updating the Backlog Count by WC Colour

Updating the Backlog Count By WC Colour (Transparent Blank)

Updating the Backlog Count by WC Target Text

Updating the Backlog Count by WC TA Comparison Text

Update the Backlog Count Priority Colour Pt1

Update the Backlog Count Priority Colour Pt2

Update the Backlog Count Priority Symbol

Update the Backlog Count Priority Target Text

Central KPI Management - Changing Threshold Values

Central KPI Management - Changing Colours

Central KPI Management - Adding a Change Log

Central KPI Management - Adding New KPIs

Activity 13 – Update the Cndf – Backlog Count By DIB Grouping Colour

Solution 13 - Update the Cndf - Backlog Count By DIB Grouping Colour

Activity 14 – Update Cndf – Backlog Count By DIB Grouping Symbol

Solution 14 - Update Cndf - Backlog Count By DIB Grouping Symbol

Activity 15 – Update Cndf – Backlog Count by DIB TA Comparison Text

Solution 15 - Update Cndf - Backlog Count by DIB TA Comparison Text

Activity 16 – Allocate Conditional Colour Conditional Formatting to DIB Tooltip

Solution 16 - Allocate Conditional Colour Conditional Formatting to DIB Tooltip

Activity 17 – Update the Total Backlog Target Display with Comma Separated 1000s

Solution 17 - Update the Total Backlog Target Display with Comma Separated 1000s

Section 5 Summary

Section 5 – Review Quiz

Course Summary

Really worthwhile course. I found it really useful - good practical examples and has a nice mix of explanation and demonstration. Would recommend the course for anyone who is looking to utilise Power BI.

Murray Jamieson

This is one of the best courses on the topic of Power BI conditional formatting on the internet, well done Jason. The instructor hit straight to the point with a fantastic way of conveying the idea.

abdullah Kasabji

Excellent advanced course in Power BI, looking for more courses from talented Jason.

Hazem Zayter

Start Learning Today!

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...Don't get left behind!

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It's Not Just About Building Better Dashboards...

...Data is all around us, we are practically drowning in the stuff!

In every industry and in every company more and more data is being collected than ever, and the trend is set to continue.

More and more of our maintenance and reliability data is being collected and stored digitally. We have the CMMS, we have condition monitoring data and we have plant telemetry of every conceivable kind!

The companies who are successful at utilising this data are the companies who will have an advantage now and in the future.

More isn't always better

Just because companies are collecting more data doesn't mean they are making better use of it. In fact, the more data they collect the harder it can be to understand what data is actually important and make sense of it all.

Secondly, once they understand what data is required, it's a skill to be able to distill and present it in such a way that helps people actually make better decisions...remember nothing happens until action is taken, and actions don't get taken until someone, somewhere makes a decision!

To help solve this problem companies need more people with 2 key skills:

As you start building confidence and skills using Power BI, you will become one of these in demand people.

You're most likely halfway there...

...as a maintenance and reliability professional you probably already have Key Data Skill 1 - The What.

Your wealth of industry specific maintenance and reliability knowledge puts you in the ideal place to understand exactly what data you need to collect, measure and track to improve your company's performance.

What you're missing just now is Key Data Skill 2 - The HOW!

This course will fill that gap

You'll learn how to set-up a KPI management system that puts you firmly on the route to understanding how to build dashboards that help you, your peers and your leaders make better decisions!

...there is so much uncertainly in the world just now, but one thing is constant... change

The world is changing at what seems to be a faster and faster rate. We all need to keep learning, keep adapting and keep growing if were are to thrive in this ever changing world. It's just how it is. Gone are the days where you learn your 'trade', get a job and settle down for 40-50 years until you retire!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”― Albert Einstein

We have two options from this point forward...

Option 1

Keep doing what we've always done, hoping things will work out fine for you in your professional life

Option 2

Take control, be proactive and start learning the skills you need to thrive in today's workplace!

The skills that got you to where you are today may not (in fact probably won't!) be the skills that will help you succeed in the future.

Learning new skills is a great idea... but they have to be the right skills

Continual learning is important, but it makes sense to focus on learning skills that will support us, otherwise it's just entertainment - fun and exciting but not really applicable in your work life.

We need to be smart about choosing the skills we invest our valuable time, money and energy in learning. It's also important that you build on your experience and knowledge. You are the sum of the knowledge and experience you've gathered through your life. This makes you unique and valuable.

I firmly believe that data analysis skills, just like you'll learn on this course, are one of those key skills that can enhance your current knowledge and experience and separate you from the crowd. Combining your business experience with new Power BI data analysis skills will give you an real advantage now and in the future in your work life.

Improve your skills and improve your life!

In my mind, investing time learning new skills has benefits well beyond the skills themselves. Those with skills that make them unique benefit in loads of other ways...

Job security and a sense of security that brings to you and your family
The confidence to apply for that promotion or ask for a raise. New skills can give you that leverage to request that raise or go for a promotion that might have evaded you in the past
Increased job satisfaction and a greater sense of purpose you get from knowing you are helping yourself, your boss and your peers make better decisions
More freedom to pick and choose roles, both inside and outside your current company
Transferrable skills that can be used in virtually any company or industry. You won't feel locked into to your company because you only know one thing, in one company
Become the go-to expert in the office for understanding how to manage KPIs in Power BI
More productive use of your time. You'll spend more time analysing and acting on the data, and less time building complicated, error-prone and inflexible dashboards in Excel

The world doesn't stand still. With every day that passes more and more people are learning how to build better dashboards and better KPI management systems with Power BI.

You can sit on the sidelines and watch it happen around you or start learning today and be ahead of the crowd! The choice is yours.

Don't get left behind, start learning today!

Start Learning Today!

Enrol on the online course for instant access and start learning today...

...Don't get left behind!

Get access now

Why This Course is Different?

Power BI Quick Start PLUS

Designed to deliver the specific outcome of providing you with the Power BI skills to build a KPI management and decisions support system
Designed for maintenance and reliability professionals by a maintenance and reliability professional
Results focused! By the end of the course you'll have a fully functional KPI management system
Designed for business professionals looking to learn Power BI

Generic Power BI Courses

Focused on learning how to use Power BI, but lack examples of how to put it into practice in real-world KPI management
Generic course that uses data and examples from sales or finance. These don't always translate into the maintenance and reliability domain
Feature focused. You'll learn the features of Power BI, but at the end of the course you won't have a tool you can start to use
Overly technical and designed for IT professionals, not business professionals looking to start using Power BI in their job role

Conclusion:

If you are...

a maintenance and reliability professional
who is short of time
but wants to learn key practical Power BI skills
to build powerful KPI management and decisions support tools
that will impress your boss and peers...

...then this course is perfect for you!

WARNING: This course might NOT be right for you

If you are an IT professional looking to understand each and every intricate detail and the finer technical points of everything related to Power BI and DAX, then this course might not be the one for you. I want to be upfront and clear on what the course is designed to deliver and I don't want to disappoint you!

This course is not a complete guide to Power BI and DAX. You don't need to know everything about Power BI and DAX to start creating a KPI Performance Management System. This course is focused on creating a system for managing and displaying KPIs using Power BI.

The course is laser-focused on guiding maintenance and reliability professionals to achieving one specific goal...

...Learn how to use Power BI to create an effective KPI Decision Support System

I want this course to be focused on a single outcome because I believe that is the best use of your time. It's the logical next step in learning how to apply Power BI after you have got your head around the basics.

This is not a comprehensive course on Power BI. That can come later. This course is for people who are short on time and want to start building effective dashboards quickly.

That's not to say you don't need to know how to use all the other aspects of Power BI. However, once you know the key principles and skills required to create KPI decision support systems you'll be in a far, far better position to create dashboards that get results.

You can then build on these skills as you learn more and more about the other aspects of Power BI. Remember, you don't need to know everything about Power BI to get started and be effective!

...it's about knowing how to apply Power BI vs. how to use Power BI

There is a massive difference between knowing how to use Power BI and how to apply Power BI. Once you understand this difference you will have a distinct advantage over other Power BI developers who may, at the movement, be technically more competent, but don't have a clue how to wield this powerful tool!

Case Study:

Knowing how to apply Power BI vs. how to use Power BI

Before:

This developer focused on how to use Power BI

Lot of colour. It's unclear where the eye should be looking? Where are the problems? We are drawn to large blocks of colour or reds. Are these actually the areas with the most importance?
Lots of different types of visuals. That's fine if you are showcasing what Power BI can offer but not helpful to someone looking to make a decision!
No clear targets - There are no clear targets! For example, the targets on the gauge visuals are double the actual value - is this a target? What does the upper value relate to?

"Hold on a minute Jason, this is a bit extreme, people don't actually create dashboards like this do they?"

Take a look online. Do a quick search on the Internet for Power BI dashboard examples. You'll see loads of dashboards just like this. Even worse they are touted as good examples of Power BI dashboards!

This dashboard might have the initial WOW factor. But when the dust settles and people actually start to use it as a tool in their every day work life they are going to quickly find it's all sizzle and no steak!

These types of dashboards are perhaps a good showcase for what Power BI can do. But they do little to help the reader quickly understand where the problems are and guide them towards making better decisions.

After:

This developer focused on how to apply Power BI

This is the dashboard you will create and configure during the course!

Minimal use of colour. Uncluttered and relaxing on the eye. The formatting makes it clear where you should be looking. You don't need to think too much about it!
Simple visuals - Simple, clear use of visuals. Just because Power BI offers lots of visual options, it doesn't mean you need to use them. I tend to stick to a limited number of visual designs that most people will understand and recognise easily.
Clear targets - If there is a target value it's clear what that value is. This is supported by dynamic tooltips and drill throughs that provide additional detail (more of this in the course!)

Don't be fooled by its simplicity, that's the beauty of it. We need our dashboards to be simple, almost to the point of being bland!

Remember the type of KPI dashboards we need in maintenance and reliability are not for entertainment. They need to help us quickly make better decisions!

Once you understand this, your mindset will change. You'll understand how to use and more importantly APPLY Power BI - you'll be amazed by the results and delighted by the feedback from your boss and your peers!

The 3 Step Process to Getting Started

Get started today, by following these 3 simple steps:

Sign Up

Learn

Working through the video course to learn the Power BI skills you need to build amazing KPI management dashboards

Create

Amaze your boss and peers as you start building Power BI KPI dashboards that actually make better decisions!

Instance 1

Power BI Quick Start Plus

Click the get start button below to take advantage of a limited time discount

$299

$199

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What's included

Over 10 hours of video lessons
17 practical activities to put your learning into practice
4 quizzes that test your knowledge and understanding of key concepts
Online support group - I'll be with you every step of the way!
The complete set of before and after Power BI files for each section of the course

What you get when you sign up to the course...

Instant, lifetime access to over 10 hours of course video content
Access to all future updates to the course - I update the course with new relevant functionality as it's added to Power BI
17 practical activities that allow you to apply and practice your new skills as you build your own dashboard
The complete set of before and after Power BI files, this makes it super easy and quick to copy and paste the code into your dashboards!
4 quizzes to test your understanding of key concepts. Vital for consolidating your learning
A copy of all the course presentations slides. These are a great reference to remind you of the key concepts I cover in the course
1-on-1 Q&A support. I'll be on hand to answer questions related to the course so you won't be left to go it alone
All backed up by my 30-day money-back guarantee

The Cost of NOT Taking Action

At this point you might be thinking "is this course is right for me?" That's only natural. You might be asking yourself questions like...

Will I have time to complete it the course?
Will it really help me progress in my business and professional life?
Is Power BI the right tool for me?
Can I learn the same information online on Google or YouTube for free?

And these are all valid questions you should ask before making an investment of your time, energy and money.

But just be aware, there is also a cost of not taking action. It's almost always a hidden cost but it's almost always a massive cost!

3 Things Are Clear...

Companies are generating more and more data

This is unavoidable - as automation increases and technology becomes cheaper more companies will be collecting more data.

People who understand how to put this data to use will continue to be in high demand and command a premium

Companies want to use the data they collect to help improve their business results. This means that people who understand how to put this data to use and turn it into formats that supports better decisions will be in demand.

However, this won't last for ever! Skills like working with Excel or Power Point used to be niche with only a few 'gurus' in the office understanding how to use these tools. Now it's more or less a given that you know how to use these tools.

Power BI skills could well go the same way. If you don't take action right now you could get left behind!

Your time has a cost and it's valuable - don't waste it!

Is online content really FREE?

What you're not paying for out of your wallet is snapped up in what could be a much higher cost...your time and attention.

There are only so many work hours in a day. You can be learning or you can be producing results. The more time you spend learning the less time there is to produce results, or even better spend time doing the things you want to do! You are not judged on what you learn...you are judged on what you produce! It's a fairly simple equation.

Free online resources can be great for helping solve one-off questions. However, if you are learning a new skill like Power BI, the constant interruptions from adverts and up-sells, not to mention the tempting distractions of click bait titles for other unrelated but 'interesting' videos and articles, plays havoc with your focus, attention and productive learning!

It takes longer to learn using 'free' resources". This is wasted time you could be spending actually producing results and increasing your value!

❝

Cal Newport

Author of Deep Work - Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

...something that came up again and again when I was researching my book on this topic, is that switching your attention — even if only for a minute or two — can significantly impede your cognitive function for a long time to follow.

More bluntly: context switches gunk up your brain!

Your Attention is Valuable...Protect It!

Companies like Google and Facebook are experts at getting and then keeping our attention. Their business models rely on keeping your attention so they can show you more adverts and offers. This is core to how they generate more revenue and massive profits. This is why they are so, so good at it!

Trawling the web, trying to piece together different videos and articles and weed out the duplicates and irrelevant information, and the navigate the multitude of distractions, sucks up your valuable time, takes effort and can often cause hours of needless frustration. This is time that could have been spent learning and then generating results. Results that make a real difference!

Willpower Won't Help You...

By the time you've seen an advert or processed a video title, even to then decide it's not for you, the damage is done. You've switched your attention, lost your focus and disrupted learning...

The only way to avoid this hidden cost is to remove distractions when you're learning

You'll Learn Faster With a Structured Course

With a structured course, you may need to make a small upfront investment, but that investment will be paid back several times over in the time you'll save when learning your new skills:

you'll be laser focused on a single outcome that you want to achieve
you won't have to disrupt your learning flow to deal with distracting adverts and tempting click bait titles for other videos and articles
your learning will be faster, more efficient, less frustrating and will allow you start generating results quicker
you'll experience that sense of achievement and all the benefits that come from implementing your new skills!

Over time the benefits of a well-crafted and structured course will far outweigh the upfront investment

Click the link below to get started today!

Start Learning Today!

Enrol on the online course for instant access and start learning today...

...Don't get left behind!

Get access now

100%

Money Back Guarantee

100% Money Back Guarantee

If for any reason you don't feel the course has provided you with value, I'll provide you with a full refund anytime within 30 days.

My 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee

I know only too well that choosing how to invest your valuable time and money is an important decision. This is why I want to take the risk out of this investment.

My commitment to you -

"If you are not 100% satisfied with the course then your money back, no quibbles, no fuss!"

faqs

Do I need to work in maintenance and reliability to benefit from this course?

No.

While the course is designed around data and KPIs that are related to maintenance and reliability the concepts and Power BI skills can be used for anyone looking to build effective KPI decision support systems using Power BI.

Why not get the IT team to build my dashboard?

Building a good relationship with the IT team is vital for your success. They are the gate keepers to the underlying databases and technology you may need.

That said, in my experience most IT teams will be in high demand and under staffed! You will need to spend time communicating your requirement and then wait your turn for the dashboard to be created. This can take weeks or even months.

Once you start using the dashboard you will probably find that you need to tweak the layout, add additional charts and graphs etc. This can mean waiting more time to get these simple updates applied. This can be very frustrating, and might even stifle your performance!

Once you learn how to build and configure your own Power BI dashboards you'll be able to make these changes yourself. This allows you to make changes quickly, gives you greater control to respond to new requirements and reduces frustration!

Is Power BI going to be around for a while?

Yes.

Microsoft are investing big in Power BI. They are releasing new updates each month and Power BI is consistently ranked at the top of the list of data analytics tools.

Most companies already us other MS Office tools so most companies are likely to have Power BI as the natural choice for an integrate data analytics tool. This is whey demand is growing so quickly. All of this is great news for you as you invest in learning new Power BI skills.

Do I need previous knowledge of Power BI to take this course?

Yes, a little. This is not a complete beginner course. You will need some experience of Power BI to get the most from the course.

My recommendation is to take my FREE Power BI Quick Start Course.

This course is designed to give you a solid grounding on the key aspects of building a Power BI dashboard from scratch.

It's the ideal starting point for this course because it takes you step-by-step through the process of building the very dashboard that we will go on to transform into a KPI decision support tool during this course.

If you have created Power BI dashboards before and are looking to improve your skills then you'll be able to download a Power BI dashboard that we will be used as the starting point for our work during the course.

There is no need to take the Power BI Quick Start course but it certainly won't harm to have gone through the process of building the dashboard you will upgrade during this course, if you have the time.

What support do you offer during the course?

My goal is to help you be successful!

There is a facility to ask questions about any of the lessons and I normally reply within 24 hours.

Why buy this course when there is plenty of free material online?

There are plenty of great Power BI resources online. I use a lot of them myself!

That said, you're time has a value - a lot of value! Taking a structure course that has a clear objective will help you make better use of your time.

You might be able to find some of the content in this course online. However it'll take you time to pull it together in an efficient sequence that takes you step-by-step through each stage in creating your KPI decision support system using Power BI.

Are free resource really free? If you factor in the extra time it'll take you to search for the right material, watch adverts, get distracted by clickbait (we all do it!) and follow frustrating dead ends that don't really give you what you need to know, then it's going to take you a lot, lot longer to learn your new skills.

Following this, or any, online course will get you to where you want to be much, much quicker, with less frustration, fuss and distractions.

I don't think I'll have enough time to complete the course.

There is no getting away from it. If you want to learn a new skill, you will need to spend some time working through the course. The course will take around 10 hours to complete.

It's broken down into easy to digest modules that take you step-by-step through the process of building your KPI dashboard. You can blitz the course in a weekend or drip feed for a hour or so each day, the choice is yours.

The course software will keep track of the lessons you have completed. This means you can pick up where you left off quickly and easily if you dip in and out of the course.

The good news is, you don't need to complete the course to start implementing your new skills. Each section and each lesson is designed to give you new Power BI skills that you can start to use right away!

Why not take a course on learning DAX as my next step?

This is a very good question! DAX is a fairly complicated programming language and will take you a while to master, particularly if you don't have an IT background.

If you are serious about mastering Power BI and its powerful data analytics capabilities then I would recommend that you learn DAX at some point. In fact you will learn some DAX during this course.

However, if you want to quickly start building and designing dashboards that help you, your boss and your peers make better decision, in the short term, you need to understand how to use conditional formatting and create a KPI management system as your next step. This is exactly the content that is covered on this course. You will learn some DAX but it will be focused on what you need to know to achieve this goal.

You could spend months learning about all the different DAX functions and theories, but without a solid grounding on how to apply this knowledge to create dashboards that help make better decisions you might not actually get you the results you want and need!

Will this course make me an expert in DAX?

No.

There are well over a hundred DAX functions, most of which you will never use or don't need to know about right now.

The course will focus on the DAX functions that you need to know about right now to create a KPI management system. It's not a complete course on learning everything there is to know about DAX.

That's not to say you don't need to learn more about DAX, but that can come later and I'm working on a course that will provide this. It'll be much longer and specifically targeted toward maintenance and reliability engineering applications.