Self Service BI Academy

Author: Ken Puls

Prepare to change your company’s reporting game forever! In the Self Service BI Academy, Ken Puls will teach you how to use Excel, Power Query, and Power BI together to build robust Self Service BI solutions. This hands-on guided training includes access to over 28 hours of pre-recorded video, as well as and twice-monthly live ‘Ask Ken Anything’ support sessions.

Duration:
51h 30m
Tools:
  • Excel
  • Power BI
Skills:
  • Data Preparation
  • Data Modeling
  • DAX Formulas
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Visualization

What you'll learn?

  • A deep exploration of Power Query for gathering and preparing your data
  • Creating dynamic business intelligence models that are refreshable with a single click
  • The benefits, concepts, and key terminology of Dimensional Modeling
  • The difference between Facts, Dimensions, and Relationships
  • Designing and linking their parent tables correctly
  • Creating a variety of DAX measures
  • Controlling the Filter Context
  • Building calendar tables
  • Using the “Golden Date” pattern
  • Adjusting for non-standard year-ends
  • Specific features of Excel and Power BI that every analyst should know
  • Creating a Power BI report using a variety of different visuals for displaying data
  • Publishing a Power BI report and sharing it with other users
  • Managing Power BI report permissions
Course

Self Service BI Academy

$995Renews at $249 per year
(All prices in USD)
  • 51h 30m of training content
  • 34 modules
  • 5 quizzes
  • 4 workshop labs
  • Downloadable files and Handouts
  • Support and Discussion
  • Certificate of Completion

Self Service BI Academy

$995

Course Description

We know that data is not usually stored in nicely curated databases and often – even when it is – the data analyst doesn’t have access to it. Instead, we must piece together data provided in text files, Excel files, web pages, and even the body of emails to build the business intelligence solutions we need. Until now this has been a painful process with a great deal of cut and paste effort, and updates have been tedious and error prone. That stops with this workshop!

The Self Service BI Academy begins with a deep exploration of Power Query. Built-in to both Excel and Power BI, Power Query can clean, reshape, and combine your data with ease – no matter where it comes from. Converting ASCII files into tables, combining multiple text files in one shot, and even un-pivoting data is not only simple, but an investment in the future. With Power Query’s robust feature set at our fingertips, and our data clean and ready to be used, we’re now ready to explore creating dynamic business intelligence models that are refreshable with a single click.

Next, we introduce the benefits, concepts and key terminology of Dimensional Modeling. Based on the Power Pivot Data model, it’s this portion that lays the cornerstone of your reporting solution. You’ll learn the difference between Facts, Dimensions and Relationships, where they live, and how to design and link their parent tables correctly. You’ll also learn some key Power Query recipe patterns for solving two of the most frequent challenges when trying to relate tables together.

While learning to create the proper dimensional model is critical to every solution, the visible magic happens when we talk about DAX in the next section of the workshop. This powerful formula language allows us to report on much more than just the ‘Sum of Sales’. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a variety of DAX measures, understand how DAX measures are calculated, and how to control their Filter Context. These are all critical skills for building your own advanced measures for your work.

No course on self-service BI would be complete without discussing calendar intelligence, which is exactly why we cover it. From building calendar tables on the fly to exploring the “Golden Date” pattern, we’ll work through the steps required for extending our model to report based on our own year-end.

Finally, we’ll dive into specific features of Excel and Power BI that every analyst should know. How easy is it to create a Power BI report and use a variety of different visuals for displaying data? How can you publish a Power BI report and share it with other users? How do you manage those permissions? All these questions will be answered!

Throughout this workshop, you’ll be working with both Excel and Power BI. Why? Because the tools and concepts you’ll be learning work in both places. So how do you know which one is right for the job? We’ll talk not only about that, but also how they can be used together in one solution. Come and join us to revolutionize your reporting process!

You can view sample lesson videos, as well as a full listing  of the topics covered in this course, further down this page.

Who this course is for?

This course provides an end-to-end journey from raw data through reporting, showing how each tool in the business intelligence suite is used.  It is targeted at:
  • Anyone who needs to build reports based on data.
  • Excel users who want to ‘upskill’ their knowledge to work with modern features
  • Users who want to be able to work with BOTH Excel and Power BI (no matter which program you start from.)
  • Attendees who are looking for coaching as they learn a new topic.

What version of Excel do you need?

This course works with Power Query, Power Pivot and Power BI Desktop.  As Power Pivot and Power BI Desktop only work on a Windows PC, you must be running a Windows version of Excel.
The versions of Excel we support in the course are:
  • Office 365 (preferred)
  • Excel 2021
  • Excel 2019
  • Excel 2016 Professional Plus (note that Home, Business and Premium products do not include Power Pivot)
If you have any doubts if your version of Excel will work, please contact us prior to registration.

What skills should you bring?

The answer to this depends on which program you are more familiar with…

Experience creating and modifying Excel PivotTables is highly encouraged.

  • If you do not have experience in this area, we encourage you to check out our Excel Fundamentals Academy, which will get you prepared to take this program.

If you are comfortable creating PivotTables from a data source, you’ll will be able to get a lot out of this course. But if you have ever run into one (or both) of the following two issues, you’ll know you are absolutely ready:

  • You’ve attempted to build a Calculated Field and found the interface and options to be lacking.
  • You’ve run into an issue where two data sources cannot be merged together to serve the data for a PivotTable

Ultimately, experience with Power Pivot and Power BI are optional as we will teach you what you need to know in both these areas.

Having said this, if you are already using Power Pivot, here are some key factors that also indicate you are ready for this course.  You may have:

  • Triggered a “Relationship Between Tables may be needed” error on an Excel PivotTable
  • Been told you cannot create a relationship between tables because each column contains multiple unique values
  • Received an error upon refreshing your Data Model because a column contains multiple values
  • Created a relationship backwards in your Data Model
  • Discovered a value that doesn’t seem to filter properly when drilling in to a PivotTable

If any of these sound familiar (or not), we’ll show you how to solve them.

For Power BI users, we recommend that you have experience getting data from a raw data source and building reports.  As long as you’re able to do this with some success you’re good to go.

Keep in mind that our journey will start in Excel, but we will teach you the ‘how’ and ‘why’ so that you can apply the techniques in the correct tool for the correct job.

Not sure if this course is right for you?

Visit our Learning Journey page to compare courses by skill level and area of specialization.

Sample Lessons

Course Structure

This course is a hybrid format of pre-recorded video training interspersed with live online Q&A and coaching with Ken Puls, for direct help with your questions. The Self Service BI Academy is broken down into two main sections:

Section 1: Course Curriculum

The main course curriculum includes over 28 hours of pre-recorded video training, of which approximately 2.5-3.5 hours will be assigned per week. While attendees are able to consume as much as they want at any time, our recommendation is to dedicate one afternoon per week. Doing so allows completion of the entire course over a period of approximately 14 weeks (including a ‘reading week’ every 4th week.)

Section 2: Coached Support

In addition to the main course curriculum, this course also includes access to twice-monthly “Ask Ken Anything” (AKA) sessions for as long as your subscription is active. Each of these sessions is up to 2 hours in length, conducted live and recorded for later review.  This is a great way to receive continued coaching on a longer-term basis, as you apply your skills in the real world and run into real world problems.

Questions for the sessions may be submitted in advance, and all of the live AKA sessions will be recorded and shared with participants. Thus, you will still be able to learn from the discussions even if you are not able to join Ken live (due to time zone conflicts, other commitments, etc.) or get called away for part of the session. This also allows you to watch the recordings on your own schedule, and to pause, rewind, and practice more with example files.

If you are not able to join us live for the AKA calls, you can still submit your questions to Ken beforehand and he will answer them in the session. You will then be able to watch the answer later on in the session recording.

As with all of our training courses, we also provide access to our curated Skillwave Support Forum as well, allowing you to get answers on a quicker basis should you need more immediate help.

Total Training Hours

The core of this course contains approximately 51.5 hours of training, based on:

  • 28.5 hours of video training
  • approximately 11.5 hour of practice time with the example files
  • approximately 11.5 hours of AKA sessions (based on 23 calls/year and students attending/watching 25% of the AKA calls/contents)

If registrants attend (or watch the recordings of) all 46 hours of the AKA sessions, this course includes more than 86 hours of training in total.

Get Started the right way with a live Kick-off call

Registration is ongoing with new intakes beginning each month. Upon joining the course, attendees will be invited to join a “Kick-off” call where Ken will walk through the details on how the program works. These calls are generally hosted on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM Pacific Time and 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Pacific Time. Attendees are encouraged to join the call that makes the most sense for their time zone.

Ongoing Support via ‘Ask Ken Anything’ Sessions

With the exception of December, Ken hosts 2 “Ask Ken Anything” sessions per month – generally on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, resulting in approximately 23 AKA calls held each year. Call times alternate between morning and afternoon (Pacific Time), in order to allow students from different time zones the opportunity to join the sessions in person. All AKA calls are recorded, and students are able to submit questions in advance.

Also, you may join any of the AKA sessions for as long as you are subscribed to the course, even those after your initial enrollment semester ends.

Bonus Gifts with this Course

A digital copy of 'Master Your Data with Excel and Power BI'

Annual Monkey Tools Pro license for as long as you are part of the course

Our handy Power Query Recipes collection

Access to recordings of past Ask Ken sessions for as long as you are subscribed

Access to all future Ask Ken sessions for as long as you are subscribed

Reviews

Self Service BI Academy

Average Rating

4.9 / 5

4.9/5
Ken Muse
Ken Muse
December 17, 2022
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This course is a complete end-to-end exploration of Power BI, including data modeling, reporting, integrating with Excel, improving performance, and building usable reports and dashboards. Very thorough while remaining approachable for new users. I've highly recommended it to others already.
Jeff
Jeff
November 24, 2021
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Huge props for the care and thought taken in both the structure and layout/visuals for this course. This course manages to cover a very wide range of everything you need to: get your data into a clean and robust dataset; model and relate it all properly for speed and scalability; and then create visuals to tell the story in the data. It is not a deep dive into the coding side but it will leave you knowing exactly where you need to go deeper. The AMA and Q&A sessions alone are worth the course price.
Steffen Fischer
Steffen Fischer
March 24, 2021
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This course designed and led by Ken Puls is absolutely fantastic! From simple pivot tables to advanced subjects with Power Query, DAX, Dimensional Modeling and Power BI, you get the complete package with best practices, excercises, Q&A and AMA-sessions. There are also additional PDF files on DAX Measures that are very helpful. Ken knows what is important and convey his knowledge very well and practically. I can highly recommend the course to everyone who wants to get the most out of all the the Power BI Tools! Great content!
Cristian
Cristian
March 11, 2021
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This course is fantastic! It’s like the “swiss army knife” course for any Self Service BI professional. There’s a huge amount of great support material in this course and pre-recorded videos are very well prepared. The relevance and quality of both sample files and video materials, together with the excellent answers provided by Ken in the Q&As are just brilliant. I really enjoyed learning at my own pace and I am glad that I could grow my skills as a SSBI professional. I would highly recommend this.
K.C.
K.C.
October 30, 2024
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The course was well laid out with detailed explanations, including identifying issues. I hope to take other courses available through your company, this was excellent.
Sarah L.
Sarah L.
October 29, 2024
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I loved the bite sized videos & the numerous step-by-step demo practice files. In particular, the initial weeks that taught me how to use Power Query in Excel context (cleaning data, appending, merging, conditional columns) was very eye opening and I am using that in my work to ensure data accuracy and efficiency!!!
A.W.
A.W.
October 16, 2024
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The demos were great along with the material. Nothing beats hands on training.
Chris T.
Chris T.
October 11, 2024
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Ken's ongoing support is really what made this course so good. Thanks so much for teaching this!
B.A.
B.A.
September 16, 2024
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I loved the walkthrough demo's Ken provides and the clear and straightforward explanations. Also, being able to refer back to old recordings throughout the course is extremely helpful. Great work!!! Really thorough and informative course.
M.N.
M.N.
July 16, 2024
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The amount of demos really kept my focus up. Too often I've been in classes where the lecturer would just talk for 1.5 - 2 hours, which isn't really ideal for retention (at least for me). So I really appreciate the demos.
Tyrell
Tyrell
June 12, 2024
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Great structure to guide you through foundational information to build an overall knowledge base. A lot of fantastic information throughout. Communication was clear and concise, ensuring that we always knew why we are learning something, applying it, and recapping significance with each module. A really great course for someone self taught, or early in their education on working with data, data models, etc.
Duc Vu Minh
Duc Vu Minh
April 21, 2024
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Ken and his team are really inspired lecturers! They create one of the most jaw-dropping courses that I never attended before for Power Pivot, Power Query and Power BI. The course also helps me to link different fragmental portions into a general big picture, then implementing my structural knowledge into my real work. Really appreciate your dedicated efforts to build the super, super helpful course to communities.
Sarah
Sarah
March 14, 2024
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I loved the thorough step-by-step instruction that is broken down manageably, along with the individual practice demo files.
Karlotta Backe
Karlotta Backe
October 24, 2023
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I especially enjoyed that the course contained strategies for how to plan and build a data model from scratch.
Matt Branch
Matt Branch
October 12, 2023
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I loved the demonstration of Power Query and the possibility of the modification. I am preferring it to python at the moment but trying to incorporate both. I find Power Query a lot more tangible and is easier to hand off. Ken is a great instructor and recommend his courses where ever I go. Thanks for all the support in the community.
Alina I.
Alina I.
August 25, 2023
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I loved the hands-on approach and theory combined with real examples one can try straight away. I liked all the tips and explanations behind the approaches to solve particular data challenges, and Ken's positive attitude towards the whole material. Keep up an excellent work 🙂
Doug Munsch
Doug Munsch
March 20, 2023
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I liked the quality of the lessons and the promptness of feedback from Ken and the other students in the forums and Ask Me Anything sessions. The class was a grand slam.
Andrew Hunt
Andrew Hunt
March 17, 2023
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The content was well laid out, but it would be nice if there was assignments.
Basma Hassan
Basma Hassan
March 15, 2023
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I loved how every explanation was followed with a worked through example as well as resources to work in our own time. Also I liked how the website would automatically jump to the next video, very efficient! Thank you for creating this course and I look forward to future courses.
Maria Porshnova
Maria Porshnova
December 27, 2022
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The well-structured approach really helped me understand Power Query down to designing simple databases, which was lacking in some of the courses I took from other providers.
Jon Krueger
Jon Krueger
November 7, 2022
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The examples provided and the clarity of the instruction given were all excellent. I particularly appreciated the complexity involved and look forward to going back through the videos a second, maybe even a third time, to try and master the concepts. Ken appears to be super nice, and super helpful. A genuine teacher. Happy that I purchased the course.
Mike
Mike
October 13, 2022
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Learning Power Query opened up a whole new world for me. I'm using it on a daily basis now. I'm saving so much time without having to manually filter reports, etc. The self service format is great. I can easily follow the instructions and get practice on my own time. My days can be so busy, so having a self service course is very helpful.
Rod Apfelbeck
Rod Apfelbeck
September 7, 2022
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The best part was that it opened a bunch of new possibilities to me. I really, really enjoyed this course even though it was sometimes at the fringes of my understanding. I thought the content and your presentation style were both excellent. I also greatly value the continued access to the AMA sessions.
Geoff Mondy
Geoff Mondy
August 16, 2022
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I liked the relatable content and ready-to-use solutions. Ken had a great way of demystifying complex terminology. I’m looking forward to my next course with Skillwave soon.
Tristan
Tristan
July 25, 2022
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I liked the vast content.
Stephen Ng
Stephen Ng
June 24, 2022
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I am a daily Excel user for over 10 years. This course completely transformed the way I use the software. It has improved my efficiency, enabled me to solve problems that I didn't know was possible, and opened doors for my career. Overall, I highly recommend this course. Thank you Ken Puls!
Cynthia Scherbarth
Cynthia Scherbarth
June 6, 2022
Read More
I really did like all the learning. There is so much that I don't know. Taking me through step by step was great, and doing it while seeing it be done was the best. I thought this was a very informative course. I did learn a lot and I'm very thankful that I will be able to come back to this and look up different courses when needed. I'm sure that I'll be back. Thank you!
John Hanson
John Hanson
June 2, 2022
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Ken has a wonderful teaching style. He's very knowledgeable and clearly has a passion for Power Query and DAX. He dives into details yet walks through each step with very well laid out lessons and before and after files so I never felt lost. Additionally, Ken's foundational teaching in proper setup of data sources, relationships, and other future-proofing concepts has benefited me greatly in building my own data models. Appreciate you all and the entire Skillwave Team!
Martin Stubbings
Martin Stubbings
August 31, 2021
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Ken and his team have put together a great course. The learning materials were really well presented and broken down into modules that built up from a refresher on pivot tables to publishing Power BI reports in order to make them accessible to colleagues. The Q&A calls with Ken allow participants to clarify any points that have not been fully understood. Although I had some very basic knowledge around the subject matter, the course clarified and consolidated a lot of my previous learning as well as introducing me to aspects that I had completely missed. I would recommend this course.
Stanton Berlinsky
Stanton Berlinsky
May 31, 2021
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The Self Service BI Boot Camp is the best all-around course I’ve taken to understand better the ins and outs of data modeling with Power BI. Each module provides a clear and concise explanation of the subject matter, and example files deliver the practice you need to learn the techniques taught. Thank you, Ken Puls and Skillwave.
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Course Update Log

2021-03-22

First release of the course.

2021-08-02

Release of Master Your Data with Excel and Power BI book (formerly titled M is for (Data) Monkey). Course registrants now receive the new second edition instead of the original first edition.

2021-09-28

Updates made to the Power Query Recipes:

  • Added an entire new section to the recipe collection that corresponds with the new Academy module on Allocations. Section 65 – Allocations Over Periods contains the following new recipes:
    • Allocating Values Over Periods Between Two Dates (65.100)
    • Allocating Values Over x Periods From a Start Date (65.101)
    • Allocate Evenly to Each Day in Period (65.110)
    • Allocate to Month by Days in Period (65.120)
    • Allocate Evenly to each Month in Period (65.130)
    • Allocate to Year by Days in Period (65.220)
    • Allocate Evenly to each Year in Period (65.230)
    • Allocate Over x Months from Start Date (65.310)
    • Allocate Over x Years from Start Date (65.320)
    • Allocate Over x Consecutive Days from Start (65.410)
    • Allocate Over x Instances at y Intervals (65.420)
  • Added two new recipes to Section 60 – Date & Time Techniques:
    • Creating a Custom GetMonthEnds Function (60.850)
    • Creating a Custom GetYearEnds Function (60.855)
  • Updated a recipe in Section 70 – Miscellaneous:
    • Add a Random Number to all Table Rows (70.100)

2021-12-20

Power Query Recipes Updates:

  • Added a new recipe to section 20 – Reshaping Data:
    • Pivoting Vertical Sets (Recipe 20.130)
  • Updated existing recipes:
    • Pivoting Stacked Data (Recipe 20.120) – name of the “Integer-Division” column updated to reflect new wording (was formerly “Integer-Divide”)
    • Allocate over x Years from Start Date (Recipe 65.320) – the formula logic for the first period was corrected
    • Random Numbers (Recipe 70.100) – note added that the recipe is now much easier with versions of Power Query released after October 2021

2022-03-31

Power Query Recipes Updates:

  • Added a new recipe to section 00 – Best Practice Architectures:
    • Quickly Setting Data Type of All Columns (Recipe 0.550.2203)
  • Added a new recipe to section 70 – Miscellaneous:
    • Choosing Columns vs Removing Columns (Recipe 70.130.2203)
  • Updated existing recipe in section 30 – Combining Data:
    • Cartesian Products (Recipe 30.120.2203)

2022-06-27

Updates made to the Power Query Recipes:

  • Added a new recipe to section 20 – Reshaping Data:
    • Shift Non-Aligned Columns Left (Recipe 20.160.2206)

2022-09-28

Power Query Recipes Updates:

  • Added a new recipe to section 20 – Reshaping Data:
    • Unfill in Power Query (Recipe 20.170.2209)

2023-03-31

Power Query Recipes Updates:

  • Added two new cards:
    • Recipe 35.200 – Append all Tables in the Current Workbook
    • Recipe 60.950 – Convert a Julian Date to a Gregorian Date
  • Updated an existing card:
    • Recipe 60.530 (Fiscal Period Columns for 13 x 4-Week Calendars) – corrected the Fiscal Quarter formula

2023-05-01

The original format of weekly 30-minute Q&A calls + monthly ‘Ask Ken Anything’ (AKA) calls replaced with twice-monthly AKA calls that are 2-hours each. This is to better accommodate new semesters kicking off each month instead of each quarter.

2023-07-21

7.5 hours of new and updated content added to the course, including:

  • Added a new Architecting Business Intelligence Solutions module, containing 8 new lessons
  • Added 4 additional lessons to the end of the Dimensional Modeling Recipes module:
    • Adjustments for 12-Month Non-Standard Year Ends
    • Fiscal Periods for 12-Month Non-Standard Year Ends
    • Adjustments for 364-Day Calendars
    • Fiscal Periods for 364-Day Calendars
  • Removed the original Dashboarding with Power BI Module, and replaced it with 5 new modules:
    • Introduction to Power BI (containing 7 new lessons)
    • Power BI Desktop (containing 7 new lessons)
    • Power BI Service (containing 8 new lessons)
    • Sharing Power BI (The Right Way) (containing 6 new lessons)
    • Multi-User Environments (containing 6 new lessons)
  • Updated the Excel & Power BI – Better Together module to be called Power BI & Office – Better Together, and
    • Replaced 4 lessons with brand new lessons
    • Updated 2 of the existing lessons to feature the new Power BI UI

2023-10-06

Power Query Recipe Updates:

  • The caution note on Recipe 10.100 – Split Records into Columns has been adjusted.
  • The Power Query Academy lesson link on Recipe 10.105 – Split Records into Rows has been updated to go to the revised Splitting Columns lesson.
  • The steps in Recipe 20.150 – Remove Top x (Dynamic) Rows have been completely revised to reflect a better technique for this date transformation.

2023-12-22

Power Query Recipes Update:

  • Complete rewrite of Recipe 20.150 – Remove Top x (Dynamic) Rows to make it easier to build and avoid pitfalls related to defining your ‘dynamic value’ correctly.

2024-02-13

Course rebranded as Self Service BI Academy to better reflect the expanded scope since it was first released. (The original course name was Self Service BI Boot Camp.) No updates were made to the course content.

2024-04-22

Ten new lessons added:

  • Importing Power BI to Excel lesson added to the end of the existing Power BI and Office – Better Together module
  • Model Auditing with Monkey Tools lesson added to the middle of the existing Performance module
  • New module added after the existing Performance module called From Folder Performance, containing 8 lessons:
    • Ideal From Folder Setup
    • Why is my From Folder Solution Slow?
    • Choosing the Correct Connector
    • Offloading Transforms via Snapshots
    • Tuning From Folder Solutions for SharePoint
    • Comparison of From Folder Method Performance
    • Creating Efficient From Folder Solutions
    • Do You Really Need From Folder?

2024-06-28

Course Updates:

  • New Semi Join lesson added to the Merging Data module

Power Query Recipes Updates:

  • New recipes added to Section 30 – Combining Data:
    • Left Semi Join – Recipe 30.117
    • Right Semi Join – Recipe 30.118
  • Recipe 30.100 updated to 9 Ways to Join Your Data

2024-09-05

We have added 5 quizzes to solidify knowledge on:

  • Data Cleansing
  • Dimensional Modeling
  • DAX Measures
  • Power BI
  • Performance

We have also created 3 new practice labs to provide hands-on experience building a business intelligence solution, which focuses on:

  • Data Cleansing
  • Dimensional Modeling
  • DAX Measures

Finally, we have adjust the recommended schedule to keep to a maximum of four hours per week. We have also split up and renamed the modules in the Performance section (now Week 15) to group them under more logical names.

2024-10-03

New module on Understanding Blanks has been added to Week 10. It includes two lessons:

  • Understanding Blanks
  • Safely Reducing Dimensions

Course Formats

On Demand
This is an on-demand course, delivered via pre-recorded video modules that you can consume at your own pace. It includes all required sample files and practice sets.
Coached
This course includes live online coaching with our trainer, where you can ask your questions directly. During these sessions, our expert trainer will help you with any challenges you encountered while working through the on-demand portions of the course.

Course Content

Expand All
Introduction
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
WEEK 5
WEEK 6
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
WEEK 9
WEEK 10
WEEK 11
WEEK 13
WEEK 14
WEEK 15
WEEK 16
Module Content
0% Complete 0/1 Steps
Ask Ken Sessions

How does the subscription work?

This course is built on an annual subscription format. Your registration comes with 12 months of access to the course materials, so you can refer back to the videos and example files whenever you like. Your subscription also gives you access to our private Discussion Forum, where you can ask questions related to the course materials, as well as how to apply those teachings to your own work. This forum is an invaluable resource that also allows students to practice their own learnings by helping others with those questions.

On your annual renewal date, your subscription will be automatically renewed with the credit card information on file, unless you cancel your subscription beforehand. You will be emailed a renewal reminder about one month before the renewal date. Please see the FAQs below for information about subscription renewals and cancellations.

About the author

Ken Puls

Ken Puls

Microsoft MVP, FCPA, FCMA
Ken Puls is one of the founding partners of Skillwave.Training, and the President and Chief Training Officer of Excelguru Consulting Inc. in Canada. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant, blogger, author, and trainer with over 20 years of business and IT experience. His passion lies in exploring tools to turn data into information, and teaching others how to use them. Ken is a Microsoft MVP and a leading expert in Excel, Power Query, and Power BI.

FAQs

How do I access the course materials? Are they downloadable?

The videos are streamed on-demand and may be watched as often as you like. However, they are not downloadable. The example files and handouts for each lesson are downloadable.

Do I have to wait until the next kick-off call before I begin watching the videos?

No, you can begin watching the videos and using the example files as soon as you are registered. You do not have to wait for the kick-off call.

Where are the course videos hosted?

All the videos for the course are hosted on Vimeo. Please note that some networks block access to Vimeo, in which case the videos will not be watchable. You may want to double-check that your network allows access to Vimeo before registering in the Academy, to ensure that you will be able to see the videos.

What support is included with the course? How do I ask questions?

All users with a current course subscription receive access to our private Discussion Forum, where they can ask questions related to the course materials, as well as how to apply those teachings to their own work. This forum is also intended to act as a place for students to practice their own learnings by helping others with those questions. While the focus of this forum is primarily aimed at allowing students to learn by helping each other, they are monitored by our course authors as well. For technical issues related to the site, course access, or other questions regarding your account, please get in touch through our Contact Us page.

How do I submit questions for the AKA sessions? Can I still submit questions if I am not able to join the session live?

We recommend you may submit your questions (and upload any support files) at least 24 hours before the call via the 'Ask Ken Submissions' lesson. If you are not able to join the AKA session live, you can still submit your question and watch the session recording later.

How do I access the recordings of the live AKA sessions?

After the AKA session, the recording will be uploaded to the 'AKA Session Recordings' lesson (usually within 48 hours) so you can watch them whenever you like.

Can my corporate groups get private AKA sessions?

Yes, if you have a group of 15 or more people registered in the course, we are happy to offer one private AKA session in addition to the regular AKA sessions open to all students. This will allow the instructor to help you directly with questions on your organization's data, instead of having to provide a cleansed sample data set that is safe to be viewed by others.

How do I receive my Certificate of Completion?

After all the modules and lessons have been completed, you will be able to download the Certificate of Completion from the My Courses area of your Account Dashboard.

How do I renew my subscription?

If you subscription is set to auto-renew, our system will automatically renew your subscription for another year on your renewal date using the billing information on file. If you subscription is set to manual renewal, our system will generate a manual invoice and email it to you on the renewal date. About a month (4 weeks) before your next renewal date, you will receive an email from us reminding you that the renewal is coming up and to confirm your billing details so your access is uninterrupted.

How do I cancel my subscription?

You may cancel your subscription at any time, and you will continue to have access to all of your course materials until your expiry date. To cancel your subscription, go to the Billing page from your Account Dashboard and select the subscription to cancel from the My Subscriptions area. Once in the Subscription Details page, you can then choose to cancel your subscription from the Actions field. After your subscription expires, you will not longer have access to the course materials, including the downloadable 'Master Your Data' book and Recipe Cards.

What payment methods do you accept? What currency is used?

We accept credit card payments through our secure online payment portal, Stripe. If you would like to discuss other payment options, please get in touch through our Contact Us page. All transactions are charged in US Dollars. Please note that because Skillwave is registered in Canada, we are required by Canada Revenue Agency to collect the 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST) on registrations made by Canadians.

What is your refund policy for this course?

We think you will love our training. However, we recognize that sometimes a course is not right for where you are in your learning journey. Provided that you have completed less than 10% of the course and it is within 14 days of the purchase date, we will un-enroll you from the course and either issue a credit note equal to your original purchase value which you can use to register in a more suitable course in the Skillwave course catalogue, OR defer your course enrollment data until you’ve had time to upskill to an appropriate level. Please see our full refund policy at https://skillwave.training/terms/

Can an account be shared with or transferred to another user?

Logins, downloads, and other materials are for the exclusive use of the registered user only. Sharing of credentials is in violation of our site policies and may result in termination of product and/or site access without notice.

How to I receive my complimentary Monkey Tools license?

Simply fill out the form in the Monkey Tools License lesson in the first module of the course. The annual license is free for as long as you are part of the course. Thus, if you choose to renew your subscription to the course, we will also renew your Monkey Tools license for another year at no charge. (If you choose not to continue your course access next year, you may choose to either cancel or renew the Monkey Tools license separately.)

What if I already have a Monkey Tools license?

For existing Monkey Tools license holders, we will extend your Monkey Tools pro license renewal date until one month after the course subscription renewal/expiration date. No refunds or other extensions will be provided for overlapping subscription terms.

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