Perform Data Analysis in Power BI

Lab story
In this lab, you’ll create the Sales Exploration report.

In this lab you learn how to:

• Create animated scatter charts

• Use a visual to forecast values

This lab should take approximately 30 minutes.

Get started – Sign in

In this task, you’ll set up the environment for the lab by signing in to Power BI.

Note: If you’ve already signed in to Power BI, skip to the next task.

1. To open Microsoft Edge, on the taskbar, select the Microsoft Edge program shortcut.

2. In the Microsoft Edge browser window, navigate to https://app.powerbi.com.

Tip: You can also use the Power BI Service favorite on the Microsoft Edge favorites
bar.

3. Complete the sign-in process with your organizational (or provided) credentials. If
prompted by Microsoft Edge to stay signed in, select Yes.
4. In the Microsoft Edge browser window, in the Power BI service, in the Navigation
pane, expand My Workspace. Leave the Microsoft Edge browser window open.

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Get started – Create a dataset
In this task, you’ll set up the environment for the lab by creating a dataset. If you’ve already
published the dataset, please move to the next task.

1. In the Microsoft Edge browser window, in the Power BI service, navigate to My

Workspace.
2. Select Upload > Browse.
3. Navigate to D:\PL300\Labs\08-perform-data-analysis-in-power-bi-
desktop\Starter folder.
4. Select the Sales Analysis.pbix file, and then select Open.

If prompted to replace the dataset, select Replace it.

This method will create a report and a dataset. We will only use the dataset to create a new
report in this exercise. This same process could be done with an existing dataset from a
different report instead of uploading new. Also, if you aren’t using the report, workspace best
practices suggest you delete the unnecessary file.

Create the report

In this task, you’ll create a live connection to the Power BI dataset created in the last task,
and then create a new Sales Exploration report.

1. Open Power BI Desktop.

Important: If you already have Power BI Desktop open (from a previous lab), close
that instance.

Tip: By default, the Getting Started dialog box opens in front of Power BI Desktop.
You can choose to sign-in, and then close the pop-up.

2. In the Home ribbon, select Get Data > Power BI datasets.

3. In the Data hub window, select the Sales Analysis dataset in My Workspace, and
then Connect or double-click to load the dataset.
4. Navigate to File > Save and save the file name as Sales Exploration in the
D:\PL300\MySolution folder.

You’ll now create two report pages, and on each page you’ll work with a different visual to
analyze and explore data.

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Create an animated scatter chart
In this task, you’ll create a scatter chart that can be animated.

1. Rename Page 1 as Scatter Chart.

2. Add a Scatter Chart visual to the report page, and then position and resize it so it
fills the entire page.

The chart can be animated when a field is added to the Play Axis well/area.

3. Add the following fields to the visual wells/areas:

The labs use a shorthand notation to reference a field. It will look like this: Reseller |
Business Type. In this example, Reseller is the table name and Business Type is the
field name.

o X Axis: Sales | Sales

o Y Axis: Sales | Profit Margin

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 o Legend: Reseller | Business Type
o Size: Sales | Quantity
o Play Axis: Date | Quarter
4. In the Filters pane, add the Product | Category field to the Filters On This Page
well/area.
5. In the filter card, filter by Bikes.
6. To animate the chart, at the bottom left corner, select Play.

7. Watch the entire animation cycle from FY2018 Q1 to FY2020 Q4.

The scatter chart allows understanding the measure values simultaneously: in this
case, order quantity, sales revenue, and profit margin.

Each bubble represents a reseller business type. Changes in the bubble size reflect
increased or decreased order quantities. While horizontal movements represent
increases/decreases in sales revenue, and vertical movements represent
increases/decreases in profitability.

8. When the animation stops, select one of the bubbles to reveal its tracking over time.
9. Hover the cursor over any bubble to reveal a tooltip describing the measure values for
the reseller type at that point in time.
10. In the Filters pane, filter by Clothing only, and notice that it produces a very
different result.
11. Save the Power BI Desktop file.

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Create a forecast
In this task, you’ll create a forecast to determine possible future sales revenue.

1. Add a new page, and then rename the page to Forecast.

2. Add a Line Chart visual to the report page, and then position and resize it so it fills
the entire page.

3. Add the following fields to the visual wells/areas:

o X-axis: Date | Date
o Y-axis: Sales | Sales
4. In the Filters pane, add the Date | Year field to the Filters On This Page well/area.
5. In the filter card, filter by two years: FY2019 and FY2020.

When forecasting over a time line, you’ll need at least two cycles (years) of data to
produce an accurate and stable forecast.

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6. Add also the Product | Category field to the Filters On This Page well/area, and
filter by Bikes.
7. To add a forecast, beneath the Visualizations pane, select the Analytics pane.

8. Expand the Forecast section.

If the Forecast section isn’t available, it’s probably because the visual hasn’t been
correctly configured. Forecasting is only available when two conditions are met: the
axis has a single field of type date, and there’s only one value field.

9. Turn the Forecast option to On.

10. Configure the following forecast properties, then Apply:
o Units: Months
o Forecast length: 1 month
o Seasonality: 365
o Confidence interval: 80%

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 11. In the line visual, notice that the forecast has extended one month beyond the history
data.

The gray area represents the confidence. The wider the confidence, the less stable—
and therefore the less accurate—the forecast is likely to be.

When you know the length of the cycle, in this case annual, you should enter the
seasonality points. Sometimes it could be weekly (7), or monthly (30).

12. In the Filters pane, filter by Clothing only, and notice that it produces a different
result.

Finish up

In this task, you’ll complete the lab in Power BI Desktop.

1. Select the Scatter Chart page.

2. Save the Power BI Desktop file.
3. To publish the file to your My workspace, on the Home ribbon tab, from inside the
Share group, select Publish and then select Select to publish.

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4. Close Power BI Desktop.