Unlocking Power BI Magic: Highlights from Our Latest Tech Meetup

Passionate speakers and an inclusive crowd are the magic ingredients for an unforgettable tech meetup—and last night, we had just that!

Richard Adams captivated us with a deep dive into 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐈.

My biggest takeaway? 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆. Incorrect data leads to some of the most frustrating issues to fix in Power BI—Richard’s advice hit home on how critical this step is!

Other gems from the session:
⭐ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐋𝐓𝐏 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐏: Identify processes, build a fact table, and structure dimensions to craft a star schema. This help improve performance, simplify data models, and support data integration into a data warehouse.

⭐ 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚: Think denormalization while creating dimensional tables, primary and foreign keys, and avoiding duplication.

⭐ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: Focus on foreign keys and facts (measurable things like sales, units, etc.).

⭐ 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: These should align with the stakeholder’s objectives. Start with their goals, then design insights and visuals around those.

⭐ 𝐒𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬: Keep your audience in mind—match chart types and branding colors to their preferences for maximum impact.

A massive THANK YOU to Richard Adams for such an incredible session and to James Miller for hosting. Shout out to the FedEx Institute of Technology for providing a top-notch venue at the University of Memphis.