Microsoft Power BI Cookbook

Getting ready

1. Identify the measures and grain of the target dataset produced by the forecast process, such as Sales and Sales Orders per Calendar Month, Sales Region, and Product Subcategory.
2. Determine the logic of the current forecast or budget process, including data sources, variable inputs, and calculations.

Typically, a forecast process will have a direct relationship to actual or historical data sources, such as a series of monthly reports or a SQL query with results exported to Excel. It's important to thoroughly study and document this process, including Excel formulas and any manual processes, to provide a seamless transition to a new forecasting tool.