Power BI Data Modeling, DAX and Advanced Reporting
Take your team from functional reports to robust, maintainable Power BI solutions. Over two days, existing report creators design proper star-schema models, master DAX evaluation context and time intelligence, diagnose and fix performance, implement row-level security, and build advanced, usable reports.
- Design a practical star schema with appropriate fact, dimension and date tables.
- Use Power Query patterns that improve reuse, maintainability and refresh behavior.
- Configure relationships, cardinality and filter direction deliberately.
- Explain row context, filter context and context transition and apply them in DAX.
This course develops the modeling and analytical depth required to move from functional reports to maintainable Power BI solutions. This is where advanced Power Query, star schema design, relationship behavior, DAX evaluation context, time intelligence, performance analysis and practical row-level security come together. It is not structured around the PL-300 exam and remains valuable to participants who never pursue certification. A single coherent case study runs across both days, so model decisions, measures, reports and deployment choices stay connected.
Participants work through one coherent two-day case study so that data preparation, model design, DAX, report interactions, performance and deployment decisions remain connected.
Right for your team if…
- Existing Power BI report creators who need stronger models, calculations and performance.
- Analysts and BI developers whose reports work but do not scale or maintain well.
- Teams standardizing on Power BI that need consistent, reliable modeling practices.
- Power users who have inherited existing Power BI solutions and need to understand how they are built.
What participants will be able to do
- Create time-intelligence, ratio, iterator and semi-additive measures.
- Use Performance Analyzer and DAX query view to identify avoidable performance issues.
- Build advanced report interactions while preserving usability and accessibility.
- Publish and maintain a solution using appropriate refresh, workspace, app and basic row-level security practices.
A tangible outcome they take back to work
A maintainable multi-table Power BI solution built through one coherent case study, including a star-schema model, advanced measures, an advanced report flow, a row-level security implementation and a performance review.
What we cover
- Requirements-to-model thinking and grain; fact and dimension tables; star schemas; date dimensions; role-playing dimensions; naming and metadata discipline.
Redesign a flat reporting extract as a star schema.
- Reference versus duplicate; staged queries; parameters and reusable transformations; merge and append strategy; query-folding awareness; data-quality controls.
Build a staged preparation flow from multiple operational files.
- Cardinality; active and inactive relationships; cross-filter direction; many-to-many trade-offs and bridge tables; diagnosing model ambiguity.
Diagnose and correct a deliberately flawed semantic model.
- Row context, filter context and context transition; CALCULATE and variables; iterator functions; calculated columns versus measures.
Create robust measures for margin, share and filtered comparisons.
- Date tables and business calendars; year-to-date and prior-period comparisons; rolling and semi-additive measures; targets and ratios.
Build a KPI measure set with time and target comparisons.
- Reduce rows and columns; granularity; measure efficiency and relationship choices; Performance Analyzer and DAX query view; a practical optimization workflow.
Profile a slow report and implement targeted improvements.
- Bookmarks, drillthrough and custom tooltips; field parameters and navigation; conditional formatting and accessible design; purposeful interactions.
Create an executive summary and guided analysis flow.
- Workspaces and apps in a solution lifecycle; scheduled refresh and gateway fundamentals; implement and test row-level security roles; deployment-pipeline and sensitivity-label awareness.
Publish the solution, configure or simulate refresh, implement RLS and validate the user experience.
How it runs
This is live, instructor-led private training for one organization. The standard format runs across two days. Live virtual delivery, with scheduling arranged around client requirements. A cohort of up to eight participants is recommended, with smaller cohorts preferred where client-model diagnostics are included. A single coherent case study runs across both days so model, measure, report and deployment decisions stay connected. Client-model clinics can be added where data can be safely shared and the diagnostic effort is separately scoped. Each participant needs a supported Windows environment with Power BI Desktop; Power BI service access is desirable for publishing, refresh and security exercises, with an agreed fallback confirmed before delivery. Before every cohort, a brief pre-course diagnostic confirms existing Power BI capability, supported Windows and service access, accessibility needs, any approved client model and whether a separately scoped client-model clinic is appropriate.
We adapt the agenda, pace, examples and exercises to the team's existing knowledge, roles and objectives. The proposal will state what adaptation is included and identify any substantial custom development separately.
Scope and progression
What this course focuses on
A workplace-capability course with independent value; it is not structured around the PL-300 exam. New to Power BI? Start with Power BI Fundamentals for Report Creators or Power BI for Excel Users. Preparing for certification? Follow this with Power BI Data Analyst Exam Readiness, which assumes this level of capability.
Reserved for other courses
- PL-300 exam strategy, question technique or blueprint-driven gap review.
- Beginner interface, basic visuals or introductory Power BI workflow.
- Full tenant administration or enterprise Microsoft Fabric architecture.
- Detailed sensitivity-label administration or workspace-role exam scenarios.
- Hands-on deployment-pipeline engineering unless separately scoped.
Progression
Other courses in this pathway
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Power BI Data Analyst Exam Readiness
Prepare experienced Power BI users to identify and close the gaps that matter for the Microsoft PL-300 exam. Diagnostics, targeted review, applied scenarios and a personal readiness plan keep the course focused on evidence rather than generic revision.
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Power BI for Excel Users
Move your team from spreadsheet-and-PivotTable reporting into Power BI. In one day, confident Excel users connect familiar workbook data, translate formulas and PivotTables into reusable measures, build a simple semantic model, and rebuild a familiar report as an interactive Power BI solution.
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Power BI Fundamentals for Report Creators
Give new report creators a practical, structured introduction to Power BI. In the standard one-day format, your team will connect and clean business data, build a simple semantic model, create useful measures and develop an interactive report.
Common questions
What experience do participants need?
Participants should already build Power BI reports: connect and transform straightforward data, create basic relationships and measures, and design interactive reports. This is a progression course, not a beginner one.
Is this a PL-300 exam course?
No. It builds real modeling and DAX capability and has standalone workplace value. Certification candidates typically take this first, then Power BI Data Analyst Exam Readiness for blueprint breadth and exam practice.
How is this different from Fundamentals?
Fundamentals teaches the complete beginner workflow. This course assumes that foundation and goes deep on star schemas, DAX evaluation context, time intelligence, performance and row-level security.
Does it cover row-level security?
Yes. Row-level security implementation and testing is taught as a practical lab. The Exam Readiness course later reviews row-level security through exam scenarios rather than reteaching the lab.
Will we learn Microsoft Fabric?
No. The course focuses on advanced Power BI modeling, DAX, reporting and practical deployment. Microsoft Fabric architecture and administration are separate topics.
Can we use our own data model?
A client-model clinic can be included where a stable, non-sensitive model can be shared; the additional diagnostic effort is scoped separately.
What if some participants use Macs?
Participants need access to a supported Windows environment for Power BI Desktop. Before delivery, an appropriate client-managed virtual desktop, hosted Windows option or trainer-demonstration fallback with completed exercise files can be agreed.
Plan a cohort for your team
Tell us what your team needs to achieve. We will recommend the right course, cohort structure and schedule, then provide a clear private-training proposal.