Data-Driven Decisions: Creating Your First Power BI Report

In our upcoming guide, we'll take you through the exciting journey of creating your first report using sample data.

Creating Your First Report Using Sample Data

Creating a report from sample data is a great way to familiarize yourself with data analysis and reporting tools. Whether you're using Excel, database or another data source, the process generally involves similar steps. Here's a guide to help you create your first report:

Step 1: Open Power BI and Create a Blank Report

Begin by opening Power BI and selecting the option to create a blank report. This will give you a clean slate to start building your visualizations.

Step 2: Select the Data Source

Next, you'll need to select the data source for your report. You can use get data from the top left to select your data source. While there are many options, Excel is one of the most popular. For this guide, we'll use the sample data provided by Power BI, which comes from an Excel sheet.

• Click on "Use sample data."
• Click on "Load sample data."

• Select the "Financials" table.

Step 3: Transform Data in Power Query Editor

To clean and prepare your data, you'll use the Power Query Editor.

• Select "Transform Data" to open the Power Query Editor.
• Power Query Editor is a tool that helps you clean and organize your data before you use it to create reports. For now, select "Close & Apply" to load the data into Power BI.

Step 4: Create Visualizations

With your data loaded, it's time to create visualizations.

• Open the data tab and select "Sales" and "Country".
• Choose a pie chart for your visualization.

• To format the visual, select "Format visual", then "Detail labels". Choose "Label contents" and select "Percent of total". Set the position to "Inside".

Step 5: Add Text and Customize Visuals

Enhance your report by adding text and customizing visuals.

• On the home page, select "Text Box."
• Choose Arial as the font and set the size to 28.

Step 6: Create Additional Visualizations

Add more depth to your report by creating additional visualizations.

• Select "Profit" and "Product" from the data pane.
• Choose a Staked bar chart in the visualization options.

• In the format pane, select 'Bars' and change the color to your preferred color.

Step 7: Save Your Power BI Report

Once you are satisfied with your report, it's important to save your work.

• Go to the "File" menu.
• Select "Save"
• Choose a location on your computer or OneDrive to save the report.
• Enter a name for your report and click "Save."

Step 8: Experiment and Explore

Feel free to play around with different visualization and formatting options. This hands-on experimentation is key to mastering Power BI and creating compelling reports.

Additional resources

1. Tutorial: From Excel workbook to stunning report in Power BI Desktop - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
2. What is Power BI? - Power BI | Microsoft Learn