Data Visualization with Microsoft Power BI

Preface

Note from Alex Kolokolov

I have been involved in business intelligence projects since 2009, working with various BI platforms such as Power BI, Qlik, Tableau, and Cognos. I began my career as a data analyst, progressing to roles as a project lead and team lead. Eventually, I founded a company providing consulting and services in the field of data analytics.

My career progression was promoted by my ability to deal with customer requirements, especially when it came to reports. I could grasp what they wanted to see in a report and figure out how to present the data in a clear, understandable, and user-friendly manner. This skill was essential to me since university; I enjoyed designing presentations, drawing business process diagrams, and creating pixel-perfect charts.

Initially, I was puzzled by why it seemed so challenging for others. However, I later discovered that for experienced analysts and data engineers, visualization was entirely unnecessary. They comprehend the data structure, and the relationships are evident to them simply through tables. They genuinely don’t understand the need for all these pie charts and graphs.

But on the other hand, visualization is crucial for business users. They initially need a visual representation of key indicators, and then they delve into the details. I trained my team in this skill: which types of data require specific charts and how to compose them into dashboards. I also educated our clients and developed guides to empower them ...