Introduction

In the complex world of electrical engineering projects, efficient data management and insightful reporting are crucial for staying on schedule, within budget, and ensuring successful project delivery. Traditional reporting methods often involve static spreadsheets and fragmented data, making it challenging to gain real-time visibility into project progress, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions. Power BI, Microsoft's leading business intelligence tool, offers a transformative solution by enabling electrical project managers and engineers to connect disparate data sources, create interactive dashboards, and generate dynamic reports that provide actionable insights at a glance. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, powerful data modeling capabilities, and rich visualization options empower users to transform raw project data into compelling visual narratives, significantly improving transparency and decision-making across all project phases. Without proficiency in Power BI for Electrical Project Reporting, professionals risk being overwhelmed by data, making reactive decisions, and struggling to effectively communicate project status to stakeholders, underscoring the vital need for specialized training in this powerful analytical tool. This comprehensive training course focuses on equipping professionals with the expertise to master Power BI for Electrical Project Reporting.

This training course is meticulously designed to empower electrical project managers, project engineers, data analysts, planning and control specialists, and even technical directors with the theoretical understanding and practical skills necessary to effectively leverage Power BI for Electrical Project Reporting. Participants will gain hands-on experience in importing and transforming data from various project management tools (e.g., Excel, Primavera, MS Project), building robust data models, creating interactive dashboards for key performance indicators (KPIs), and developing insightful reports for various project stakeholders. The course will delve into topics such as data cleaning and preparation using Power Query, developing DAX formulas for complex calculations, designing effective visualizations for project schedules and budgets, integrating electrical-specific data (e.g., equipment procurement, testing results), and publishing and sharing reports securely within an organization. By mastering the principles and practical application of Power BI for Electrical Project Reporting, participants will be prepared to enhance project visibility, improve decision-making accuracy, optimize resource allocation, and contribute significantly to the successful execution of complex electrical engineering endeavors.

Duration: 10 Days

Target Audience

• Electrical Project Managers
• Electrical Project Engineers
• Planning and Control Specialists (Electrical Projects)
• Data Analysts in the Electrical Industry
• Project Schedulers and Cost Controllers
• Construction Managers (Electrical Focus)
• Technical Directors (Electrical Companies)
• Procurement Specialists (Electrical)
• Quality Control Engineers (Electrical Testing)
• Anyone involved in managing or reporting on electrical engineering projects.

Objectives

• Understand the fundamental concepts of business intelligence and its application in electrical projects.
• Learn to navigate the Power BI interface and understand its core components.
• Acquire skills in connecting to various data sources relevant to electrical projects.
• Comprehend techniques for cleaning and transforming data using Power Query.
• Explore strategies for building robust data models and managing relationships.
• Understand the process of creating DAX formulas for complex project calculations.
• Gain insights into designing effective and interactive visualizations for project data.
• Develop a practical understanding of building dynamic dashboards for key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Learn to integrate electrical-specific data such as procurement, testing, and progress.
• Master publishing and sharing reports securely within an organization.
• Acquire skills in creating calculated columns and measures for advanced analysis.
• Understand the application of time intelligence functions for project tracking.
• Explore advanced data modeling techniques for complex project scenarios.
• Develop proficiency in optimizing report performance and user experience.
• Prepare to transform raw project data into actionable insights for electrical projects.

Course Content

Module 1: Introduction to Power BI for Project Reporting

• Overview of Business Intelligence (BI) concepts.
• Introduction to Power BI Desktop, Service, and Mobile.
• Benefits of Power BI for electrical project reporting.
• Key components of Power BI: Get Data, Transform Data, Model, Visualize.
• Understanding the Power BI workflow for project managers.

Module 2: Connecting to Project Data Sources

• Connecting to common project data sources: Excel, CSV, SharePoint lists.
• Importing data from Project Management Software (e.g., MS Project, Primavera P6 exports).
• Connecting to databases relevant to electrical projects (e.g., SQL Server, ERP systems).
• Understanding different data connection modes (Import, DirectQuery).
• Refreshing data for up-to-date reports.

Module 3: Data Transformation and Cleaning with Power Query

• Introduction to Power Query Editor.
• Cleaning and shaping project data: removing duplicates, handling errors, changing data types.
• Merging and appending queries for integrated datasets.
• Pivoting and unpivoting data for better analysis.
• Creating custom columns and conditional columns.

Module 4: Data Modeling Fundamentals

• Understanding data modeling concepts: tables, columns, relationships.
• Creating and managing relationships between tables.
• Importance of star schema vs. snowflake schema for project data.
• Hiding unnecessary columns and tables for a cleaner model.
• Best practices for efficient data models.

Module 5: Introduction to DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

• Understanding calculated columns vs. measures.
• Basic DAX syntax and common functions (SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN).
• Creating basic measures for electrical project KPIs (e.g., total cost, number of tasks).
• Introduction to context transition and evaluation context.
• Best practices for writing readable DAX.

Module 6: Advanced DAX for Project Metrics

• Using CALCULATE function for powerful filtering.
• Time intelligence functions (TOTALYTD, SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR) for historical project analysis.
• Calculating progress percentages, variance, and forecast completion.
• Creating measures for earned value management (EV, PV, AC, SV, CV).
• Advanced conditional logic in DAX.

Module 7: Visualizing Electrical Project Schedules

• Choosing appropriate visuals for project schedules (e.g., Gantt charts, waterfall charts).
• Visualizing critical path analysis.
• Tracking schedule variance and delays.
• Creating interactive filters for project phases, work packages, or resources.
• Custom visuals for project timelines.

Module 8: Visualizing Electrical Project Costs and Budgets

• Designing visuals for cost breakdown structures (CBS).
• Tracking actual costs vs. budgeted costs.
• Visualizing cost variance and cost performance index (CPI).
• Creating interactive dashboards for budget oversight.
• Drill-down capabilities for detailed cost analysis.

Module 9: Resource Management and Allocation Visuals

• Visualizing resource utilization and availability.
• Tracking resource assignments and workloads.
• Identifying resource over-allocation or under-utilization.
• Creating dashboards for labor hours, equipment usage.
• Integrating HR data for resource capacity planning.

Module 10: Electrical-Specific Data Integration and Visuals

• Incorporating procurement data (e.g., equipment delivery status, vendor performance).
• Visualizing testing and commissioning progress and results.
• Tracking material quantities and inventory for electrical components.
• Reporting on quality control metrics specific to electrical installations.
• Visualizing safety incidents on electrical projects.

Module 11: Creating Interactive Dashboards

• Principles of effective dashboard design.
• Arranging visuals for maximum impact and readability.
• Using slicers, filters, and cross-highlighting for interactivity.
• Adding drill-through pages for detailed analysis.
• Designing dashboards for different user roles (e.g., executive, engineer).

Module 12: Publishing and Sharing Reports

• Publishing reports from Power BI Desktop to Power BI Service.
• Understanding Power BI Workspaces and Apps.
• Sharing reports and dashboards with colleagues securely.
• Setting up data refresh schedules.
• Embedding reports in SharePoint or other applications.

Module 13: Row-Level Security (RLS) for Project Data

• Implementing Row-Level Security to control data access.
• Defining roles and rules for different users.
• Managing RLS within Power BI Desktop and Service.
• Best practices for securing sensitive project data.
• Testing RLS implementation.

Module 14: Report Performance Optimization and Best Practices

• Strategies for optimizing data models for performance.
• Efficient DAX writing techniques.
• Best practices for visual design and layout.
• Reducing file size and refresh times.
• Troubleshooting common performance issues.

Module 15: Advanced Power BI Features and Future Trends

• Introduction to Power BI Premium capacities.
• Using Power BI with other Microsoft tools (e.g., Power Apps, Power Automate).
• Integrating AI visuals and features (e.g., Q&A, key influencers).
• Building dashboards for predictive analytics in project management.
• Future trends in project BI and data visualization.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org  Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 10 working days before commencement of the training.