Start a conversation ↗

Description

Excel and Business Intelligence: Importing, Modelling and Publishing a Dashboard

Replace monthly copy-and-paste routines with an Excel data chain that refreshes on its own

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

The tracking file has grown layer by layer. Every month, extracts from several systems must be stitched back together, then formulas and charts reworked by hand. A single extra row in the source is enough to distort a total, and nobody is certain which tab is the reference.

These two days introduce a different way of working. Participants learn to import and clean their data with Power Query, then to link their tables within a model rather than stacking everything onto one sheet. They go on to build a dashboard that updates with a single refresh.

Learning objectives

  • Import and transform heterogeneous data with Power Query
  • Clean an extract so that it becomes usable as a structured table
  • Link several tables within a data model
  • Build calculated indicators that are readable and documented
  • Publish a dashboard that updates through a simple refresh

What makes this programme different

Each participant works on an extract taken from their own management system
The full chain is built from source file through to a refreshable dashboard
Dedicated time is given to refresh errors and how to resolve them independently

Programme

1Preparing Your Data

Stop correcting by hand what can be automated

  • Difference between a data entry range and a structured table
  • Identifying unstable columns and mixed formats
  • Naming conventions that survive a change of source
  • Separating raw data from presented data

2Power Query

Record the transformation once, then replay it

  • Connecting to a file, a folder and a database
  • Cleaning steps: pivot, unpivot and merging queries
  • Managing data types and missing values
  • Automatically adding new files from a folder

3Data Model and Calculations

Link the tables rather than retyping the labels

  • Building relationships between a fact table and reference tables
  • Creating measures rather than columns of formulas
  • Cumulative calculations and comparison with the previous period
  • Consistency checks between the model and the source

4Dashboard

Make the result readable and sustainable

  • Choosing visuals according to the question being asked
  • Filters, slicers and conditional formatting that add value
  • Documenting sources and calculation rules
  • A refresh procedure that can be handed over to a colleague

Who is it for

Regular Excel users who produce reporting, along with administrators and support staff required to consolidate data from several sources.

Prerequisites

Use Excel on a daily basis and be able to build a simple PivotTable.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.