This is the first session is a series of five webinars on Excel dashboards. The other four sessions are paid sessions.
In this free session we will focus on chart and dashboard guidelines plus some techniques used to create better dashboards. We will also look at creating a bullet chart which is a better alternative to a gauge or dial chart.
The session covers
general chart guidelines
questions to ask yourself to develop better charts
Sometimes Power Queries generate errors. Some errors stop all data being returned and others will return a blank cell for the error in the returned table. You can list the rows that are generating the errors. This can help you identify what is causing the error.
In this recording of a live webinar I ran in late January 2023 you will learn how to import multiple files in a single Power Query. If you use data at all then Power Query is an essential skill to possess.
Use the buttons below the video to download the materials.
Building on the skills covered in the Introduction session, we will start working with multiple files. For example you may have 12 separate CSV files in a folder. All with the same layout, one for each month of the year. Power Query can import all 12 files as if they were a single file and create a table for the whole year
This session covers • importing multiple CSV files from a folder • a technique to capture the file name in a field (column) • importing multiple Excel files • merging data from multiple tables • Extracting header information into a column from multiple CSV files
As always, I shared other tips and tricks along the way.
In this recording of a live session ran in late January 2023 you will learn how to automate data importation in Excel with Power Query. If you use data at all then Power Query is an essential skill to possess.
Use the buttons below the video to download the materials.
Power Query allows you to automatically perform data cleansing routines on your data sources – no manual intervention required. Simply refresh and your data is ready to use. You can use csv files; txt files; databases and existing Excel tables as your data sources.
Learn the basics, plus an advanced technique to automate data cleansing routines on your data sources.
This session covers
fixing dates so that Excel can recognise them
formatting columns as text – retaining leading zeroes in CSV files
deleting unwanted rows and columns from your data
removing leading and trailing spaces
populating blank values with zeroes
populating blanks with entries from above
correcting trailing minus signs
unpivot a report – converting a report layout into a table layout
converting a MYOB report into a data table
capture header information in a column
As always, I shared other tips and tricks along the way.
There was a recent discussion of this topic on LinkedIn. When you are in the Power Query window you can’t save the query. If you Close and Load and Excel crashes, you could lose your work. If you have spent some time working on a query this can be frustrating. Here’s how you can capture the query before using Close & Load.
Earlier this month I ran a free webinar on Excel Power Query.
This is the recording of the session with no editing, no time limit and no sign up required.
Power Query is the best way to import data into Excel. It is also the data importation system used in Power BI, so everything you learn in Excel can be applied to Power BI.
You can download the materials, including a detailed pdf manual at the button below.
In general, you should reduce the number of columns you import via Power Query to the minimum you require. Here is a quick technique to make that a bit easier.
Data types are an important part of Power Query in Excel and Power BI. They define the type of data that should be in a column. When performing some calculations, getting the column data type right is vital.
Power Query Zoom
I used this today in a live webinar.
I zoomed into the Power Query window in Excel to make it easier to see.
Getting data into Excel and in the correct layout and format is the important starting point for any Excel project.
Power Query can automate the importation process. It is now a vital skill to possess.
This is a follow up session to the Introduction session which you can view here.
This session focuses on importing multiple files from a folder. The session uses CSV and Excel files plus Excel tables.
This is a video of a free live training session I ran in May 2021 – over 100 people attended – please share this resource with friends and colleagues. No editing has been done to the video.
(Apologies I did have a coughing fit – I thought I had turned off the microphone but I hadn’t.)
Use the button below to download the pdf manual and example files so you can follow along.
We need to get the word out on this powerful Excel feature.
(Note: Power Query is also part of Power BI, the skills you learn also apply to that.)
Getting data into Excel and in the correct layout and format is the important starting point for any Excel project.
Power Query can automate the importation process.
It is now a vital skill to possess.
This is a video of a free live training session I ran in May 2021 – over 100 people attended – please share this resource with friends and colleagues. No editing has been done to the video.
Use the button below to download the pdf manual and example files so you can follow along.
We need to get the word out on this powerful Excel feature.
(Note: Power Query is also part of Power BI, the skills you learn also apply to that.)
If you have Power Query you can consolidate the data
I have received a few questions recently relating to working with data spread across multiple sheets. In general, if the data is in the same layout, keep it in one table.
When you transform data using Power Query it will often automatically promote the headers (use first rows headers) and guess the data types for each column. You can stop it doing this.
When working with some large data sets in Power Query it may be useful to default your Close and Load option to Connection Only rather than a Table. That way if you do strike an issue it won’t take ages to load to data.
Power Query shortcut for Adults
The shortcut to display the Queries & Connections Task Pane is easy to remember. It is Adults Only!
To display or hide the Queries & Connections Task Pane you use. These keys are pressed in sequence, not held down.
Let’s say that you need to create a list of files in a folder. This is possible using VBA, but it is also possible in Power Query and it’s much easier to do in Power Query.
It is considered best practice to use Measures for all your values in Power BI reports and dashboards. One way to make it easier to find Measures is to group them together.
Once you start to use Power Query you may find yourself with quite a few queries in the one file. To make it easier to control them you can use groups to keep similar queries together.
In October 2019 I ran my Introduction to Power Query webinar for free (previously it was a paid session). I want to get this information out to as many people as possible. please share this resource with colleagues and your network.
The detailed pdf manual and example file can be downloaded by using the button below. Content listed below the video.
Power Query allows you to automatically perform data cleansing routines on your data sources – no manual intervention required. Simply refresh and your data is ready to use. You can use csv files; txt files; databases and existing Excel tables as your data sources. Learn the basics, plus an advanced technique to automate data cleansing routines on your data sources.
CPD note – if you are claiming CPD for watching this recording you need to keep your own records. People who attend the live sessions receive an annual listing of attendances.
This session covers
fixing dates so that Excel can recognise them
formatting columns as text – retaining leading zeroes in CSV files
deleting unwanted rows and columns from your data
removing leading and trailing spaces
populating blank values with zeroes
populating blanks with entries from above
correcting trailing minus signs
unpivot a report – how to convert a report layout into a data table layout
Promoting headers in Power Query means using the first row as column headers. In Power Query this is a useful and common option. In some cases it is even automated. There is one time though when you don’t want to use it.
This link above is a great resource for Power Query data connectors.
It is listed alphabetic order.