How do you get benefits out of it? Remember Two things:

1. Action, get started todays

• Seven times Seven ways
• What am I going to learn today and how is that going to make an impact TODAY

2. Quick Wins, aim for quick small wins and ITERATE

• Read the value of quick wins and steps to avoid pitfalls.

Data Prep/Power Query

Data Modelling/DAX

1. Date Prep: Power Query/M language/Get Data to transform and Load

1. • Beginner: Data Source is Manual and needs supervision/modification for a refresh.
   • Intermediate: Connected to Source System and Refreshes Automatically.
   • Advanced: Optimized refresh time/Incremental refresh with efficient load distribution source/model.

2. Modeling: Model/DAX/Relationship Semantic Layer.

1. • Beginner: Flat Table very similar to Pivot Table, try to write simple Measures like SUM, Calculate.
   • Intermediate: Measures, Fact-Dimension, Star Schema, Calendar table-based Time Intelligence, Dabbling in Calculate/Filter/X functions.
   • Advanced: DAX/Measure Optimization, unlocking the power of Calculate/Filter/Iteration/Table Functions, Composite Models, Nested functions.

3. Visualization: The Art/Science of Story Telling.

1. • Beginner: Simple Tables/matrix, Cards, and Charts, very similar to Excel.
   • Intermediate: Move beyond the Excel Grid concept to information canvas, basics of storytelling, positioning, and contrast.
   • Advanced: Bookmarks, Navigation, advanced custom visuals, Design visuals clear and catchy.
   • Custom Visuals: You can benefit from them, however, each one of them has a learning curve.

Here goes nothing. I’ll try to lay down my method to the madness for success/adoption/efficacy with Power BI.

Iteration 1:
Purpose: Amaze yourself that you built an interactive dashboard in less than a couple of hours.

Key Points:

• Make sure you build/convert one of your current reports/dashboards.
• Do not share this version.

Iteration 2:
Purpose: Amaze/tease your consumers and collect feedback.

Key Points: 

• Ensure your report is presentable and learn to embrace the blank space, DO NOT PUT too many things just because you can.
• Share it with your consumers that are more open to change
  Win people over with power of familiarity, Use Power BI Secret weapon Analyze in Excel.
• Music and Emotions in the Brain: Familiarity Matters
• I know your sources are still manual, so not that much capacity has opened, but you will get the boost from the win.

Iteration 3:
Purpose: Ease of communicating messages and unlock dynamic calculations for new capabilities.

Key Points: 

• Move beyond VLOOKUP/Index-Match to the power of relationship and introduce Calendar table.
• Significant benefit by having Time Intelligence and dimensionality.
• Share it with your consumers, do not forget their adoption speed would vary, and continue to use the power of familiarity in Excel.
• Still Manual Source but Start investigating access to source/auto-refresh capabilities.

Iteration 4: 
Purpose: Should completely replace and replicate your old report.

Key Points:

• Ensure your parity and superiority to the old report.
• Cut off the old report to open capacity.
• Models and Visualization will continue to be improved; however, you don’t want to get stuck in doing both methods.
• At this point you are Effective.

Iteration 5:
Purpose:  As we are Effective now, focus on Efficiency.
Key Points:  Date Auto Refresh Strategy:

Best Solution: Direct access to source ERP/CRM etc. or any available Data Warehouse

• It means working with IT to get access, but it is hard.
• If that fails, focus on if there are automated reports that are being sent out, it is a form of batch jobs.
• You can store them preferably in SharePoint Folder and have Power BI refresh from there
• You can use Flow/Power Automate to connect and get output automatically as you want.

Why did we not evaluate Automation earlier? 

• Primarily because it takes a lot of time and bureaucratic process.
• Honestly, your consumers DO NOT CARE as you have nothing to show them.
• It is very Important to achieve automation for sustainability, but this is not a battle you pick first if you want to win the war.
• Also, if do not free yourself up at this point, you cannot focus on bigger and more complex requests from

Iteration 6:
Purpose: Utilize more advanced design/modeling capability to solve questions that you couldn’t before.

Key Points: 

• Higher ROI than visualization as answers more complex questions.
• This step might come early if you have hundreds of Millions/Billions of records.
• Do not complicate it if there is no value.

Iteration 7:
Purpose: Focus on visual finesse and to wow your consumers.

Key Points: 

• At this iteration, you have answered the questions but now you can focus better on storytelling to effectively communicate the insight.

Iteration 8:
Purpose: For Large and complex Data Engineering, optimize load time and stress on system.

Key Points:

• The problem of the very few who have that large data, however very important again for sustainability to maintain capacity.

Iteration 9 & on:
Purpose: Journey does not stop as there is always new question to answer or change in leadership that wants a distinct color …