Book Image

Data Modeling with Microsoft Excel

By : Bernard Obeng Boateng
5 (1)
Book Image

Data Modeling with Microsoft Excel

5 (1)
By: Bernard Obeng Boateng

Overview of this book

Microsoft Excel's BI solutions have evolved, offering users more flexibility and control over analyzing data directly in Excel. Features like PivotTables, Data Model, Power Query, and Power Pivot empower Excel users to efficiently get, transform, model, aggregate, and visualize data. Data Modeling with Microsoft Excel offers a practical way to demystify the use and application of these tools using real-world examples and simple illustrations. This book will introduce you to the world of data modeling in Excel, as well as definitions and best practices in data structuring for both normalized and denormalized data. The next set of chapters will take you through the useful features of Data Model and Power Pivot, helping you get to grips with the types of schemas (snowflake and star) and create relationships within multiple tables. You’ll also understand how to create powerful and flexible measures using DAX and Cube functions. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to apply the acquired knowledge in real-world scenarios and build an interactive dashboard that will help you make important decisions.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
1
Part 1: Overview and Introduction to Data Modeling in Microsoft Excel
6
Part 2: Creating Insightful Calculations from your Data Model using DAX and Cube Functions
9
Part 3: Putting it all together with a Dashboard

Factors to consider when laying out your dashboard

Before we dive deep into creating our own dashboards, let’s talk about various factors that may influence the choice of the elements on your dashboards.

When laying out your dashboard, there are several important factors to consider to ensure that it is effective in communicating insights from your data.

These factors include the following:

  • The purpose and audience
  • Clarity and simplicity
  • Hierarchy and organization
  • Consistency and visual harmony
  • Interactivity and user controls
  • Data visualization techniques
  • Accessibility and documentation

Let’s now explore these in detail.

Purpose and audience

Before designing your dashboard layout, clearly define its purpose and identify the target audience. Understand what insights or information the dashboard needs to communicate and who will be using it. Tailoring the layout to the specific needs and preferences of the audience will...