Monthly Archive for November, 2022

Introducing Power BI and How to Get Started

Published
by
M Jacks
on November 21, 2022
in Microsoft Office Articles and Microsoft Power BI
. 0 Comments

Don’t let your business’s data go to waste! Power BI allows you to make data-driven decisions to achieve your company goals and propel your business forward.

Power BI

What is Power BI?

Power BI is a powerful and easy-to-use Data Visualization and Business Intelligence tool. It can take data from different, unrelated data sources and combine it into incredible interactive reports and dashboards with stunning visualisations. Moreover, the desktop version of Power BI is wholly and entirely free.

BI: (business intelligence) refers to taking raw data and transforming it to create reports that can aid in making informed business decisions. Data visualisation uses visual elements such as charts, graphs, maps, and other illustrations to analyse and find patterns and insights in data. Microsoft’s “Power BI” comprises several products and services, which include:

Microsoft Power BI Pro – A paid online service that allows users to view dashboards with a web browser and collaborate and share data. 

Power BI Mobile – A free mobile version that allows a secure connection and interaction with dashboards and reports on the go.

Microsoft Power BI Desktop – A free desktop report authoring tool that can connect to more than 70 different data sources. It’s typically known for its eye-catching visualisations, dashboards and reports. 

With Power BI Desktop, you can:

  1. Get data from a wide variety of data sources and shape the data to match your reporting needs.
  2. Create relationships between your data and change data formats
  3. Create reports choosing from dozens of visualisations with almost limitless formatting options.
  4. Save your reports as a Power BI Desktop file. 
  5. Upload or publish your reports

Where to download Power BI

Power BI Desktop is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. To download the latest version, you can use the following link.

Or you can use this link to download the Power BI files directly.

After clicking the link, you can choose the language you want to download the software. There are details on system requirements and installation instructions.

Download Microsoft Power BI Desktop

Power BI – The Main Tools

1. Welcome window

When Power BI is installed and opened, it launches a welcome screen. From here, it is possible to open data sources, see any new developments in the programme and access tutorials.

Microsoft Power BI Welcome Screen

2. Power BI main interface

You will see the main Power BI Interface after closing the welcome screen. 

Microsoft Power BI Main Interface

The Power BI interface, on first look, seems slightly different to other MS Office products. Still, it has many familiar elements, such as the ribbon with tabs and groups of command buttons.

Power BI Ribbon

3. Data sources

To access all of the various options regarding data sources, select the ‘Get data’ command located in the Data group of the Home tab. The command will display a list of ‘Common data sources‘.

Power BI Common Data Sources

Clicking ‘More…‘ in this list will open a dialogue box that lists all the possible sources from which Power BI can access data.

Power BI Data Source List

Here you can connect to different flat files such as Excel Workbooks and Text files, sources such as an SQL database, and web platforms such as Facebook, Google Analytics, and Salesforce objects.

BI is about providing the right data at the right time to the right people so that they can take the right decisions.

Nic Smith with Microsoft BI Solutions Marketing

4. Power Bi Canvas

The most used area is known as the ‘Canvas‘. You can create and configure reports, data, relationships, and dashboards here.

Power BI Canvas View

By default, Canvas displays the Report View, which shows visualisations and reports, but you can change the view by selecting the View selection icons on the left side of the Power BI interface.

View Selection Panel

Choosing the ‘Data View‘ will display the data tables from your data sources.

Power BI Data View

The ‘Model View‘ will show any relationships between the different tables of Data.

Power BI Model View

5. Configuration panes

The last main area of the Power BI interface is the ‘Configuration panes‘. There are three of these on display by default, which can change depending on what you are viewing. They are the following: 

Filters pane – Add/Configure filters to govern the data shown.

Visualisations pane – Choose visualisation type

Fields pane – Shows the field’s data source. Add data to reports by dragging fields onto the canvas.

Power BI Configuration Panes

You can collapse all panes to provide more working area on the main canvas.

If you want to learn more about Power BI, Infero Training has a Data Analysis with Power BI course that covers starting with Power BI and much more. Please get in touch to find out more.

info@inferotraining.com
0115 958 6699
Suite 2556
37 Westminister Buildings
Theatre Sqaure
Nottingham, NG8 2EN

4 Work-Life Balance Signs You Should Look Out For

Published
by
Ruth Brown
on November 3, 2022
in Business Articles, Other Articles and Time Management
. 0 Comments

Most adults struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance at some point in their lifetime, but how can you tell if your scales are uneven?

Work-Life Balance

Think about your hobbies. When was the last time you committed time or effort to them? Do you frequently feel like you can’t afford the time or energy to enjoy the rest of the day after work?

You’re not alone. Many of us struggle with this feeling; how did we ever have time for anything other than the mundane?? 

Time for ourselves seems fleeting with the growing responsibility as we get older and further in our careers. But how do we know if this is a natural realignment with changing values or a sign that something could be wrong?

What is a healthy work-life balance?

A healthy work-life balance is more than giving equal weight to our careers and the fun parts of our personal lives.

It’s about finding the balance between everything that constitutes a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle which includes;

  • adequate sleep and rest,
  • balanced, nutritional meals,
  • regular exercise,
  • social interactions,
  • good hygiene and personal care,
  • a positive and self-supportive attitude.

However, this isn’t likely new or groundbreaking information.

We can all list the things that constitute a healthy lifestyle, but juggling this and work can be challenging.

This is especially true if you struggle with perfectionism, time management, health problems, or a demanding work environment/employer.

However, to have balance, we should give equal importance to the essential aspects of our lives, not investing all our energy in one thing and neglecting other significant parts.

It is also essential to understand that equal importance does not mean equal time.

It’s about dedicating enough time to each essential activity so that we feel we are content and achieving our goals.

A healthy work-life balance is, therefore, highly individual as it will vary from person to person depending on their responsibilities and ideals.

So how do you know if you have one?

What are the red flags you should be aware of

An excellent exercise to gauge your work-life balance is taking a step back and allowing time to pause, reflect and assess your current emotional, physical and mental well-being.

Do you feel content and that you’re leading a fulfilling life that aligns with your values, or do you relate more to the statements below?

1. Often experiencing emotional, physical and mental exhaustion.

2. Finding yourself increasingly negative, irritable and resentful.

3. Frequently feel overwhelmed, trapped, or pulled in different directions.

4. Struggling to or unable to maintain healthy relationships.

If the answer is a resounding yes, it might be time to explore whether you could improve your work-life balance and the quality of your life.

First Step: Realise to prioritise 

If you relate strongly to the above statements, reflect further and envision your ideal life.

How does this look? What are you doing less of or more of? What values, experiences, interactions, or activities have you identified that contribute to your fulfilment?

Bare in mind that this is different to fantasising about what you would do if you won the lottery. It’s about reflecting on your life and the changes you can make that are achievable and within your means.

The next step is to analyse the list of things you find fulfilling and identify the ones that are essential and have the most significant value to you. 

Once you understand what contributes to your ideal lifestyle, it is easier to prioritise how you spend your free time and the steps you can take to create a daily, monthly and yearly routine that fulfils your goals.

If you want more tips about achieving a healthy work-life balance, keep an eye out for our upcoming blogs discussing this and a deeper dive into why we can get trapped in the cycle of working too many hours.

For those who frequently suffer from burnout and feel like they want to make a change, we offer time and stress management courses that train you to support you in balancing life and work.

info@inferotraining.com
0115 958 6699
Suite 2556
37 Westminister Buildings
Theatre Sqaure
Nottingham, NG8 2EN