Often I am asked how to start using Power BI. Are there some good YouTube links/training manuals/test datasets available so that you can start directly? The short answer is yes, that is all well available online, for example Enterprise DNA, Curbal or BI Elite. However, pretty often I am asked to look into people’s Power BI datasets why the whole thing is simply not working (properly). Important to note is that I see this from an Experienced Excel Business User (EEBU) point of view. Years ago I was also an EEBU starting to use Power BI for the first time. This article combines my own Power BI learning path together with all that I have seen while training hundreds of other EEBU’s and meeting may EEBU’s during my assignments at Power BI implementation projects. Note that I will not discuss the ongoing discussion whether Excel will dissappear and (fully) replaced by Power BI.
What is an Experienced Excel Business User (EEBU)?
First, let me explain what an EEBU is, based on four common characteristics. EEBU’s:
- Masters Excel functions such as SUMIF(S), VLOOKUP;
- Have good experience in using Pivottables;
- Do NOT work with Macro’s (VBA);
- See Excel as their tool to solve almost all data/report issues. Compare it with a carpenter (NL: timmerman) where the hammer is the tool to solve many issues.
The Power BI development curve for the Experience Excel Business User (EEBU)
Second, let me now share the Power BI learning curve graph for Experienced Excel Business Users (EEBU):
A = Excitement phase
B = Storm phase
C = Power BI acceleration phase
D = Power BI implementation phase
Phase A: Excitement phase
Do you see yourself scoring high on these characteristics? Then this is an excellent start to start using Power BI. Starting with Power BI is easy accessible and free to build reports. This is the phase of excitement, where you start working with a tool that has a relatively high learning rate. Building visuals is relatively easy, and you have discovered that the Query Editor is a perfect data cleaning/transformation tool. You share with your team what you have discovered, and oftentimes many are excited. You get the energy to build a full Power BI report based on current reporting.
Phase B: Storm phase
Carefully read now: This is the moment you are going to be disappointed, because this is the end of the Excitement phase. Why? Now you notice that you really have to understand the DAX language, you receive reporting requirements that you don’t know how to do in Power BI, you have to connect to proper data sources (like a datawarehouse). May be you also have to work out roles and rights (so who can see what part of the data).
This is the Storm phase. Now you have to make flying hours (at least +/- 20 hours), follow proper training, watch many good YouTube channels about the Query Editor or the DAX language and so on. For many users this investment is challenging, that is why they return back to their well known Excel, or only use limited (but known) parts of Power BI. Compare that with the carpenter example. Many of us know you to use a hammer, but building a bookshelf requires time, experience, try outs and allowing to make mistakes.
The single most important characteristic that you have mastered this stormy phase is when you have stopped thinking in separate cells (Excel), and start thinking in tables with columns/rows (in Power BI).
Phase C: Power BI accelerations
Power BI is great again! Now you are on the track to fully master the tool, and see where you can use it for an where not. In this phase you don’t work on your own again, but align with your team/department and the IT department how to implement this tool. The number of challenges related to Power BI itself will decline and decline, whereas other challenges will start to raise. Well known’s are related to acceptation of a new tool for end users, periodic data refreshing, safe and efficient sharing of Power BI reports and so on.
My advice is to set up a Proof Of Concept, preferable of some existing reporting that many current users are familiar with, and one that is not too difficult to technically create in Power BI. This is primarily focussed on the whole track from start to end, where you’ll have to deal with a couple of stakeholders and align them.
Phase D: Power BI implementation phase
Once Phase C is done successfully, the next phase is implementing Power BI with a department / company. Here, many things can happen, usually positive. However, I started this article from the EEBU perspective, and in this phase the EEBU can still be on board (generally preferred) or other (external) teams will take over. This phase and its challenges are much broader than the challenges of one EEBU, see for example these Microsoft Power BI whitepapers. So I will not further discuss this phase in this article.
Summary
This articles describes the phases from experienced Excel user to experienced Power BI user, by classifying 4 different stages. This article combines my own Power BI learning path together with all that I have seen while training hundreds of other EEBU’s and meeting many EEBU’s during my assignments at Power BI implementation projects.
In the next article I will share learning path from Excel to Power BI line.