Create a Power BI dashboard

The PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals Exam includes topics like this that are key to efficiently using and optimizing the use of this incredible tool. In this post, we will delve into Power BI dashboard creation while referring to the core competencies required to pass this exam.

Understand the Basics of a Power BI Dashboard

A Power BI dashboard is a collection of visualizations, reports, and other data that provides a consolidated view of business data. Dashboards are highly customizable; you can pin visuals, images, text boxes, and more. Compared to reports, dashboards are more high-level, providing at-a-glance insights to inform decision-making.

Steps to Create a Power BI Dashboard

• Open Power BI:

  Start by opening the Power BI application on your computer. If you have not yet installed it, download it from Microsoft’s official site.

• Click on the ‘Create’ option:

  On the left navigation pane, click on the ‘Create’ option and select ‘Dashboard’.

• Name the dashboard:

  A pop-up window will appear, prompting you to name the dashboard. Enter a suitable name that corresponds to the data you will be working on.

• Add Tiles:

  After naming your dashboard, you need to add tiles to display visuals. Click the ‘+ Add Tile’ button located at the top of the page to get started.

• Choose Visualization Type:

  Once you click on ‘+ Add Tile’, you will have to choose the visualization type. There are numerous visualization options available, such as charts, cards, maps, and more. Choose one that best suits your data representation needs.

• Add Data to Visualization:

  After choosing the visualization type, the next step is to add data. You can either use already imported data or upload new datasets from your device.

• Customize the Dashboard:

  Once all the data is added, you can move and resize tiles, apply filters, and perform other customization tasks to make your dashboard more informative and visually appealing.

• Save the Dashboard:

  After finalizing all components, click on the ‘File’ menu then choose ‘Save’ to preserve your work.

Import and Display Data in a Dashboard

When creating a data visualization, the first step is importing data. Power BI supports a wide range of data sources, from Excel spreadsheets and on-premises SQL Server databases, to cloud services like Azure SQL Database and Salesforce.

Once you’ve imported your data, you can start creating reports and visuals to display in your dashboard. Here is a simple way of creating a column chart in Power BI:

1. In the Fields pane, select ‘Sales’ and ‘Quarter’.
2. Drag ‘Sales’ to the Values area and ‘Quarter’ to the Axis area in the Visualizations pane, creating a chart.
3. Once created, you can click ‘Pin visual’ to add this chart to your dashboard.

Conclusion

Creating a Power BI dashboard is not only an important aspect of the PL-900 Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals exam but is also an essential skill in today’s data-driven business environment. By following these steps and understanding the basics of how Power BI works, you will be better equipped to create compelling and data-rich dashboards.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Explore different data sources, visualization options, and dashboard configurations to become more comfortable with the platform. Take advantage of Microsoft’s resources and guidelines to make the most of Power BI and ace the PL-900 exam.

Practice Test

True or False: Power BI is a tool by Microsoft that provides non-technical business users with tools for aggregating, analyzing, visualizing and sharing data.

• True

Answer: True

Explanation: Power BI is part of Microsoft’s suite of business analytics tools developed to enable users to visualize their data and share insights across their organization.

In Power BI, which of the following are used to create reports and visuals?

• A. Data tables
• B. Datasets
• C. Queries

Answer: B. Datasets

Explanation: In Power BI, datasets are used as a source for the creation of reports and visuals.

True or False: Power BI dashboards are collections of visuals, reports, and other data that provide a consolidated view of business data.

• True

Answer: True

Explanation: Power BI dashboards combine different views of business data and allow users to create an interactive report.

What is the maximum number of data sources you can connect to Power BI?

• A. 10
• B. More than 100
• C. 50

Answer: B. More than 100

Explanation: Power BI can be connected to more than 100 data sources, including Excel, SharePoint, and Salesforce, among others.

What is the first step in creating a Power BI Dashboard?

• A. Create a report
• B. Connect to a data source
• C. Create a visual

Answer: B. Connect to a data source

Explanation: Before creating a report or a visual, you should first connect your Power BI to a data source.

True or False: Power BI only supports cloud-based data sources.

• False

Answer: False

Explanation: Power BI supports both cloud-based and on-premises data sources.

True or False: It is possible to share a Power BI Dashboard with external users.

• True

Answer: True

Explanation: Power BI allows users to share dashboards with other users both inside and outside of their organization.

What is the visual exploration tool in Power BI called?

• A. Power Query
• B. Power Visualize
• C. Power Pivot

Answer: A. Power Query

Explanation: Power Query is a business intelligence tool used in Microsoft Power BI for data mashup and exploration.

True or False: All users can create content, such as dashboards and reports, in Power BI.

• False

Answer: False

Explanation: Only users with Power BI Pro licenses can create and share content in Power BI.

What feature allows Power BI dashboards to be embedded in other applications?

• A. Power Query
• B. Power BI APIs
• C. Power Pivot

Answer: B. Power BI APIs

Explanation: The Power BI APIs allow developers to embed dashboards and reports into custom applications.

How often can data be refreshed on Power BI?

• A. Once a day
• B. Multiple times a day
• C. Once a week

Answer: B. Multiple times a day

Explanation: Power BI can perform data refresh up to 8 times a day for Pro users, and up to 48 times a day for Premium users.

True or False: Power BI dashboards are read-only.

• True

Answer: True

Explanation: While on a Power BI dashboard, you can only view and interact with the data; you cannot make modifications.

In the Power BI service, can a user create new content such as reports and dashboards?

• A. Yes
• B. No

Answer: A. Yes

Explanation: Users can create new content, such as reports and dashboards, directly in the Power BI service.

True or False: You don’t need a license to create and view content in Power BI.

• False

Answer: False

Explanation: Users need a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license to create and view content in Power BI.

What does the Power BI Desktop primarily focus on?

• A. Data visualization
• B. Report creation
• C. Data modeling

Answer: C. Data modeling

Explanation: While Power BI Desktop is used for both data modeling and report creation, its primary focus is on data modeling for creating robust data models.

Interview Questions

What is a Power BI Dashboard?

A Power BI dashboard is a single-page, often called a canvas, that uses visualizations, reports, and other data to tell a story. It is a collection of visualizations, reports, and other data that provide a consolidated view of business data.

What are the fundamental components of Power BI dashboard?

The fundamental components of a Power BI Dashboard are tiles, visuals (charts, graphs, maps etc.), navigation panes, and a canvas that hosts all these items.

In which programming language are Power BI visuals created?

Power BI visuals are created using a programming language called DAX (Data Analysis Expressions).

What are Power BI “tiles” within the context of a dashboard?

Tiles are the rectangular boxes that hold the visualizations, reports, and other data on a Dashboard. They are the building blocks of a dashboard.

What is the difference between a Power BI Report and a Dashboard?

A Power BI report is a multi-perspective view into a data set with visuals representing different findings and insights from that data set. On the other hand, a dashboard is a collection of visuals, reports, and other data that provide a consolidated view of business data. It’s possible for one dashboard to display visualizations from multiple different reports.

What does the term ‘Power BI Workspace’ refer to?

A Power BI workspace is a container for dashboards, reports, workbooks, and datasets in Power BI. It is a place where you can collaborate with your colleagues to create collections of dashboards and reports.

What is the role of Power Query in Power BI dashboard creation?

Power Query is a data connection technology that enables you to discover, connect, combine, and refine data across a wide variety of sources. In Power BI dashboard creation, it is used for data ingestion and transformation before the data is loaded into the data model.

Can you explain the steps in creating a Power BI Dashboard?

The steps in creating a Power BI Dashboard are as follows: Firstly, load your data into Power BI desktop. Then, transform and shape the data to meet your needs. After that, create a report in Power BI, and then save this report. Finally, pin the report to a new or existing dashboard.

Can you share a dashboard with other users in Power BI?

Yes, you can share a dashboard with other users in Power BI. It can be done directly from the dashboard by clicking on the share button.

How can you add a tile to a Power BI Dashboard?

To add a tile to a Power BI Dashboard, you need to go to the dashboard and then click on “+ Add tile” at the top right.

What are the types of filters on Power BI?

The types of filters on Power BI include Visual-level filters, Page-level filters, Report-level filters, and Drillthrough filters.

How to embed Power BI reports in a dashboard?

Power BI reports can be embedded in a dashboard by pinning them. Once a report is created and saved, you can pin it to a dashboard by opening the report, clicking on the pin icon in the top menu, and then choosing the dashboard where you want to pin it.

In Power BI, what are dataflows?

In Power BI, dataflows are data preparation pipelines. They allow you to transform and clean your data before it’s loaded to the data model, making it ready for use in creating dashboards and reports.

What is the maximum size of a dataset in Power BI?

The maximum size of a dataset that can be uploaded to Power BI is 1 GB for Power BI Pro and 10 GB for Power BI Premium.

How do you refresh data in Power BI dashboard?

To refresh data in Power BI dashboard, you can either manually refresh it by clicking the “Refresh Now” button on the dashboard, or by setting up an automatic scheduled refresh.