From Spreadsheet Logic to Analytics Logic: Excel → Power BI Thinking Name

23 Feb 2026
12:00 PM PDT | 03:00 PM EDT
75 Minutes
This course has the aim of developing a thought process, a work flow, that illustrates how we move from row, ranges and tables of data in an Excel workbook to an exploration of the ways in which the data behave, interact with each other and help to explain where they came from and how they help us to understand the messages hidden in them.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?

Even as recently as a decade ago, we wrote two words and believed we had encapsulated the world of data Analytics: data and information. We saw data as the raw materials and information as the finished product. Since then, we have come to appreciate that the information is just step two on the longer road to analytics, action and reflection.

In this seminar we will use real world data examples such as financial results, house/vehicle pricing models and even weather patterns to illustrate the ways in which data becomes information becomes analytics.

AREA COVERED

  • Finding and downloading/importing data from source
  • Importing data: copying data from another file, manually typing it in, copy and paste, Power Query, Power Pivot
  • Cleaning data by inspection and by analysis, using Regular Expressions, using Power Query: replace values, split column
  • Decisions involving missing data
  • Data Analysis ToolPak in Excel: correlation matrix, descriptive statistics
  • Basic visualisation in Excel, more comprehensive visualisation in Power BI
  • Assessing anomalies and outliers in Power BI

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  1. Appreciate the Various Potential Sources of data
  2. Importing data into Excel and Power BI
  3. Dirty Data is no data: how to clean data manually, programmatically
  4. Dealing with missing data
  5. Descriptive Statistics: early statistical analysis for understanding
  6. Tables, Graphs and Chart for the Visualisation of data
  7. What if some of the data don’t fit? Anomalies/Outliers: the King Kong Effect

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

  • Bookkeepers and accountants
  • Financial analysts
  • Sales and Marketing staff
  • Budget Accountants
Even as recently as a decade ago, we wrote two words and believed we had encapsulated the world of data Analytics: data and information. We saw data as the raw materials and information as the finished product. Since then, we have come to appreciate that the information is just step two on the longer road to analytics, action and reflection.

In this seminar we will use real world data examples such as financial results, house/vehicle pricing models and even weather patterns to illustrate the ways in which data becomes information becomes analytics.
  • Finding and downloading/importing data from source
  • Importing data: copying data from another file, manually typing it in, copy and paste, Power Query, Power Pivot
  • Cleaning data by inspection and by analysis, using Regular Expressions, using Power Query: replace values, split column
  • Decisions involving missing data
  • Data Analysis ToolPak in Excel: correlation matrix, descriptive statistics
  • Basic visualisation in Excel, more comprehensive visualisation in Power BI
  • Assessing anomalies and outliers in Power BI
  1. Appreciate the Various Potential Sources of data
  2. Importing data into Excel and Power BI
  3. Dirty Data is no data: how to clean data manually, programmatically
  4. Dealing with missing data
  5. Descriptive Statistics: early statistical analysis for understanding
  6. Tables, Graphs and Chart for the Visualisation of data
  7. What if some of the data don’t fit? Anomalies/Outliers: the King Kong Effect
  • Bookkeepers and accountants
  • Financial analysts
  • Sales and Marketing staff
  • Budget Accountants
Currency:
Webinar Option
Live + Recorded Session
Live + Transcript
Live + USB
Transcript (PDF Transcript of the Training)
Downloadable Recorded Session
USB
Group Session Participants + Recorded

Live Session with unlimited participants. Invite any number of attendees to join.

Speaker Profile

ins_img Duncan Williamson

Cost accountant in process industries in the UKFurther Education College LecturerReader and Associate Professor, University of Malawi: teaching financial and management accountingHonorary Professor, Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research: 1993-1998Teacher, trainer, author, management consultant, project management in a variety of settings in a variety of countriesCurrently focusing on online and face to face training in a post experience environment as well as writing/creating teaching/learning materials

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