Home / Non-Accredited / Microsoft Office & Computer Skills / Data Analytics Fundamentals with Excel and Power BI (3 days)
Quick Look Course Summary:Data Analytics Fundamentals with Excel and Power BI (3 days)
-
Next Public Course Date:
-
Length: 3 day(s)
-
Price (at your venue): 1 Person R 21,125 EX VAT 3 Person R 13,658 EX VAT 10 Person R 9,155 EX VAT
-
Certification Type:Non-Accredited
-
Locations & Venues: Off-site or in-house. We train in all major city centres throughout South Africa.
Get Free & personalised
Training Advice
Data Analytics Fundamentals with Excel and Power BI (3 days)
Move from collecting data to using it: ask the right question, prepare data you can trust and present findings people act on.
Every business collects data, but few teams know how to turn it into a decision. Reports pile up, numbers disagree between departments and dashboards get built that nobody reads. This data analytics course gives delegates a foundation in data thinking that holds whatever tool they use: framing the right business question, preparing and cleaning data, modelling it simply and presenting findings that a non-technical audience understands.
Day one covers the analytics process and data literacy – reading a data set critically, data types, bias, poor samples and missing data – and preparing raw data in Excel. Day two cleans data with Excel tools and Power Query, summarises it with PivotTables and links several tables into a simple model. Day three introduces Power BI Desktop: importing and shaping data, building a first interactive report, choosing the right chart, avoiding misleading dashboards and telling a short, evidence-based story with data.
The course is the step between BOTI's Excel courses and Microsoft Power BI Basics, and no prior experience of PivotTables or Power BI is needed. Delegates finish by applying the whole process to a realistic workplace data set.
Why this course
For your organisation
- Decisions based on evidence rather than gut feel
- Staff who question data before trusting it
- Reports and dashboards designed for the people who use them
- A shared analytics process across departments
For your delegates
- A step-by-step process for any analysis question
- Hands-on practice in both Excel and Power BI Desktop
- Confidence choosing charts that inform rather than mislead
- A clear next step for building further skills
What delegates will be able to do
- Frame a business question that data can answer
- Describe the stages of an analytics project and the pitfalls at each one
- Assess a data set for type errors, bias, poor samples and missing values
- Prepare and clean data in Excel with built-in tools and Power Query
- Summarise data with PivotTables, grouping, filters and calculated fields
- Link related tables with keys and build a simple data model
- Build a first interactive report in Power BI Desktop with visuals, filters and slicers
- Choose charts that match the question and avoid misleading designs
- Present a short, evidence-based recommendation to a non-technical audience
Who should attend
Team leaders, coordinators, administrators, supervisors and junior analysts who work with spreadsheets or reports and want to move from data entry to data-informed decisions. No analytics background is needed; delegates should be comfortable entering data and using basic formulas in Excel.
Course outline
Day 1 – Thinking like an analyst
The business case for data analytics
- Why data-driven decisions beat gut feel
- What analytics can and cannot tell you
- Descriptive, diagnostic and predictive questions
- Where this course sits between BOTI's Excel and Power BI courses
The analytics process
- Ask, prepare, clean, model, visualise and tell
- Framing the right business question first
- Agreeing how success will be measured
- Common pitfalls at each stage
Data literacy foundations
- Reading a data set critically before trusting it
- Data types and why they matter
- Spotting bias, poor samples and missing data
- Personal information in data sets and POPIA basics
Preparing data in Excel
- Structuring raw data for analysis: one record per row
- Common formatting and data-entry errors
- Importing and inspecting data from the Data tab
- Turning lists into Excel Tables
Day 2 – Cleaning, summarising and modelling data
Cleaning data with Excel tools
- Removing duplicates, blanks and inconsistent entries
- Text to Columns, Flash Fill and TRIM
- Data validation to stop errors at the source
- An introduction to Power Query for repeatable cleaning
Summarising data with PivotTables
- Building a first PivotTable from a clean data set
- Grouping dates and categories
- Filters, slicers and calculated fields
- When a PivotTable answers the question, and when it does not
Modelling data: relationships and structure
- Fact tables and lookup tables
- Primary keys and why structure matters
- Linking tables in the Excel Data Model
- Checking a model before visualising it
Day 3 – Power BI, visuals and the story
Introduction to Power BI Desktop
- The Power BI interface and basic workflow
- Importing and shaping data from Excel
- How Power BI relates to Excel and to the Power BI Basics course
Building a first Power BI report
- Simple, clear visuals
- Filters and slicers for interactivity
- Organising report pages for a non-technical audience
Choosing charts and avoiding misleading dashboards
- Matching the chart type to the question
- Scale, colour and context traps
- Over-summarising versus information overload
- A checklist before sharing a dashboard
Telling the story with data
- Structuring a short, evidence-based narrative
- Supporting a recommendation with the right visual
- Presenting findings to a non-technical audience
Capstone and next steps
- Applying the full process to a workplace data set
- Presenting findings and peer feedback
- Where to go next in Excel and Power BI
- Personal action plan
How it is delivered
Three days, 08:30-16:00. In person at your offices anywhere in South Africa, at a BOTI venue, or live online. One delegate or a group of up to 20. Hands-on in Excel and Power BI Desktop (free, but Windows only); laptops with the software can be supplied on request. Workbook and practice data sets included.
What our clients say
“We were particularly impressed by the quality of facilitation and the practical relevance of the content presented. The programme was delivered with professionalism, clarity, and a strong emphasis on real-world application.”
“The facilitator effectively encouraged participation and used practical examples, discussions and interactive activities to ensure that the concepts were understood and could be applied in the workplace.”
“Business Optimization Training Institute facilitated Microsoft Excel Training for our company. The course was efficiently scheduled and planned around our timetable. We were impressed by the quality of training.”
Frequently asked questions
Can you run this course at our offices?
Yes. Most groups are trained at the client's premises anywhere in South Africa; we can also host it at a BOTI venue or deliver it live online.
How many people can attend?
From one delegate to groups of 20. The price per delegate drops as the group grows – see the price table, or ask us for a quote.
Is it accredited?
No – it is a non-accredited short course and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
Do delegates need Power BI licences?
No. Power BI Desktop is free to install on Windows and is all the course needs. Publishing and sharing reports through the Power BI service needs a licence, which is not required here.
How is this different from Microsoft Power BI Basics?
This course is tool-agnostic: it teaches the analytics process, data preparation in Excel and a first Power BI report. Microsoft Power BI Basics (3 days) goes much deeper into Power BI itself and is the natural next step.
Can we use our own data?
Yes. Send us an anonymised data set beforehand and the facilitator uses it for the capstone exercise.