I love what I do; I get to work with an outstanding team to help hundreds of people with their challenges. I’ve learnt a lot from the teams I’ve worked with, no matter the size or industry we all have challenges to overcome, difficult customers, creating a budget or keeping a project on track.
DAX (Data Analysis eXpressions) is the function language in Power BI desktop. When DAX is used to create measures, it can hard to understand the logic sometimes. Especially one function, the Calculate function, can be challenging. This is the second part of a series of blog posts, which will investigate the mysterious Calculate function. […]
DAX (Data Analysis eXpressions) is the function language in Power BI desktop. When DAX is used to create measures, it can hard to understand the logic sometimes. Especially one function, the Calculate function, can be challenging. This is the first part of a series of blog posts, which will investigate the mysterious Calculate function. The […]
“A picture paints 1000 words”. This quote has been used to suggest that sharing information with graphics or imagery is easier to digest than written text alone. The same is true with data – a mix of text and numbers is more user friendly when we present it using graphics. Power BI desktop has a […]
The Analytics Pane in Power BI desktop is an amazing tool. You can use it to create a variety of different analytical lines inside your report visuals to highlight trends, target lines and forecasting. This blog will explain how to create these analytical lines and show how useful they are in gaining insights into your […]
Dashboards are incredibly useful in helping business users gain insights into their data. In Power BI desktop the visualisations in a report are published to the cloud and then shared with key stakeholders in the Power BI service. This blog will explain what a dashboard is and how reports, once they are published, can be […]
Conditional Formatting is an amazing tool that allows you to track and monitor data more efficiently. It highlights information of interest. For many years, it has been the ‘go to’ tool in Excel, and now it is also available in Power BI desktop. What is Conditional Formatting Conditional Formatting is based on setting rules on […]
The different versions and configurations of Power BI can be confusing. In this blog, we are comparing Power BI Desktop to Power BI Service. This will shed light on how to use each of these apps. Power BI Desktop Power BI Desktop is a free application you can download and install on your local PC. […]
Using the right tool in the Power BI Desktop can bring efficiency wins and productivity gains to users. This blog will give you a clearer understanding about how and why this is a common issue and how to solve it. “When should you use Power Query M Functions(M), and when is it better to use […]
Why is Power BI taking over the world? Why are so many organisations currently implementing Power BI? Power BI is the most efficient tool to manage business intelligence in a world where the data sets are getting bigger and bigger. The importance of making quick and correct decisions is a key factor in running a […]
You can improve efficiency and accuracy when pulling and transforming data from various sources by using the Query Editor Tool in Power BI. It’s a marked improvement on using macros in Excel for this function. Read on to see why. Why use the Query Editor The Query Editor is where data sourced from a variety […]
In conversation with one of our Excel / Power BI trainers. In this post, we sit down with one of our training delivery team to look at the pros and cons of Power Query in Excel, as a new way of working with data. Jens, how would you describe Power Query in Excel in one […]
In this article we will introduce you to Power BI’s new Navigator tools used to enhance the functionality and appearance of your multi-page reports. If you use the app, this will help you increase productivity with Power BI’s new navigator tools. The scenario So, you’ve got your data all ready to be made into visuals […]
Power BI is an ever evolving app with Microsoft releasing new features on a monthly basis as voted for by users. It’s almost a fulltime job just keeping on top of all these new developments, not to mention sifting out which features are going to be most beneficial. Well fear not, our dedicated Power BI […]
Working days are usually very full and busy. Most of us do not always complete all the tasks we set for ourselves every day, so we end up with a backlog while feeling bad about it. Many people use PowerPoint to create presentations for business purposes, but wish they knew quicker ways. In fact, some […]
(In conversation with Jens, one of our Excel/Power BI trainers) In this post we sit down with one of our training delivery team, Jens, to look at the pros and cons of Excel and Power BI when considering which reporting path is best for you and your organisation. Jens, you mentioned a frequently occurring question […]
One word That describes Power Query in Excel – MAGIC! Power Query will completely change the way you work in Excel! For most Excel users, Power Query could be the tool that reduces time spent in Excel dramatically. Power Query could also minimise the use of VBA coding in Excel. It can be seen as a […]
Using Live Events efficiently in Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams meetings are great for a few people to meet, but for a larger scale online webinar, the option of a Live event will be more efficient. This blog discusses how to use Live Events efficiently in Microsoft Teams. The organisers can line up content for a […]
When managing a project using Microsoft Project, stakeholders often need to receive progress updates. Because not everyone can read a Gantt chart, MS Project comes with a set of pre-designed reports and dashboards to help you better understand your data. You can easily create amazing reports with Microsoft Project. Below is an explanation of the […]
What is Power BI? Perhaps you have heard it said that everybody should be using Power BI. But what is it, exactly? Power BI is a collection of software services, apps, and connectors. These work together to turn unrelated data sources into coherent, visually immersive, and interactive insights. The application consists of several elements that […]
Changing to Office 365 Office 365 has more applications, as well as faster and more collaborative ways to work and communicate than ever before. There are both online and desktop versions available for most of the apps. Office 365 also offers amazing new tools and features. Are you upgrading to Office 365 but finding that […]
The Secret to High Performing Teams: Do I have a High Performing Team? The aim of any manager should be to create an effective team, also known as an HPT (High Performing Team). After all, the performance of a team reflects upon whom? Technically, everyone, but the manager or leader of the team in particular! […]
We take many steps to ensure you have a productive and engaging learning experience in our online (virtual) classroom but we need you to check three simple areas on your IT setup before your training session. Contact us on 02079873777 or info@stl-training.co.uk if you need support with the below. Please note that if you are […]
A lot of people out there think that the story of Power BI is too good to be true. Here is a list of the reasons that we think you should consider Power BI as a self-service and/or Enterprise Business Intelligence Solution. It’s like the new Microsoft Microsoft have not been the best at listening […]
With the Analytics Pane in Power BI, you can quickly and easily make dynamic reference lines, which can be extremely helpful when analysing data and making key business decisions. From simple trend lines to more complex forecast lines, there are so many options to choose from! First, find the analytics pane by going to the […]
Are you getting the best out of your OneDrive for Business? With storage of more than 1TB per user, OneDrive provides a fantastic cloud service to work with your documents and images. Read these tips to learn how to maximise your use of this amazing application! Add Content Quickly You can easily create new documents […]
Emails, emails and more emails – we’re bombarded by them almost constantly! We waste so much effort in Outlook taking time to read, time to organise, time to process and time to action. Follow the quick steps below to embrace some of the fantastic features of Microsoft Outlook and learn to manage your email time […]
If you’re working from home and not using MS Teams to co-ordinate your efforts, you’re possibly not being as productive as you could be. In this article learn more about Microsoft Teams and how this super-app could save you and your team not just time, but also probably a few headaches too! 1. Improve your […]
Why use What if? Have you ever wanted to quickly demonstrate how your data changes in different scenarios? The What if parameter in Power BI is a powerful tool that allows you to do just this, by dynamically transforming your data. For example, maybe you want to know how much your profits will increase if […]
I can use What If analysis, how can I make this even better? In Part 1 we learnt how to create a simple What if parameter in Power BI. However, you will have more options for analysing your data if you create the parameter tables yourself. This lets you not only work with nonlinear incremental […]
Employees in the UK are struggling to deal with a major IT skills gap, with the average UK office worker spending more than half an hour a day struggling to figure out how to work their tech or IT systems. For most office workers in the United Kingdom, dealing with things like spreadsheets, presentations and […]
There’s a reason why firms spend millions investing in data sets or in curating their own data recovery and organisation methods. Maximising the use of collected business data is an important proofing system required at every stage of your decision-making process . Statistics and an informed look at results will always be your friends. If […]
A lot of people out there think that the story of Power BI is too good to be true. Here is a list of the reasons that wE think you should consider Power BI as a self-service and/or Enterprise Business Intelligence Solution. Power BI has mobile apps Microsoft have released mobile applications that are […]
For many years, Microsoft Excel has been the tried and tested reporting tool for many businesses. In 2019. more and more organisations are turning to Power BI as an alternative with its strong analytics and reporting functions. With faster visualisations, statistical functions and calculations across broad datasets, it’s obvious that Power BI can […]
Having the right business intelligence at your fingertips is crucial in the drive to become agile and competitive. As businesses grow, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage data being generated regularly. With a siloing effect and biased reporting structures, it leads to the decision makers in business to make their judgement on data that may […]
Moving to Office 365 and migrating your desktop to the Microsoft Cloud is nearly always a move in a positive direction for any business. There are more applications available, faster and more collaborative ways to work and communicate, slicker and easily accessible portals but has anyone spared a thought for the end user? They must […]
Our FEBUARY Power BI blog had some great insights and tips into creating power bi tooltips – so what else is new for Power BI? Python Visuals In February 2019, Microsoft have announced an update of Power BI where you can now share, publish and view Python visuals in your reports and dashboards. This update […]
Tooltips pages can add visually powerful information to your reports and dashboards. Not only are they visually stunning, they’re also incredibly simple to implement! Follow our guide below to enhance your Power BI dashboard, and instantly reap the rewards of greater analytical power. An Example of Tooltips: The tooltips will appear when you hover over […]
Excel charts are great visual tools to show changes in data. You can build dynamic charts in Excel with a few easy steps. Below is an example of a table which can be used to build an interactive chart. The Quantity column’s values are simply entered into the cells, but the Revenue figures are the […]
We all wish we could do more with the time we had, but our inbox tends to get in the way of the productivity boost we’re craving. Here, we’re going to take a look at 10 effective email management tips that can help you save time, get productive, and even get a step closer to the […]
Office 365 has been around for a long time, but should your business start using it? The short answer is yes, particularly if you care about productivity! To embellish on this, here are 15 reasons your company needs to use Office 365, starting today: Improved Planning With the calendar requests feature, you can schedule and plan […]
If you’re searching for ways to boost productivity, then using Office 365 is a brilliant place to start. Even the basic version will help you be more productive and improve efficiency, but the real benefits come when you download additional apps for the platform. With these apps, you can take your business performance to a […]
Power BI is Microsoft’s powerful business intelligence tool. It’s a fantastic tool for visualising data, offering a range of benefits for analysts who want to be able to present their information in a more digestible way. Of course, there are other tools for visualisation, so why should you choose to use Microsoft Power BI instead […]
Forecasting is important in many circumstances to be able to do effective and efficient planning. The future electricity needs forecast vital to planning building more power stations; scheduling employees in a call centre next week requires forecasts of call volume; just imaging how much forecasting the planners behind London 2012 Olympic Games must have done. Forecasts can be needed months or years […]
Charts from a dropdown list in Excel Many people who use Excel can generate a chart or two on their spreadsheets. This is a relatively easy task to perform in Excel. These charts will either sit in data sheets or in their own sheets. Don’t you sometimes wish you had a button to click in Excel […]
Many users have questions about Office 365 With so many companies moving to Office 365 and embracing the cloud, you might still have questions about reliability and security. Here are few questions that have been asked. Is Office 365 reliable and secure? Office 365 is built from the ground up for reliability, availability, and performance […]
What’s new in Access 2016? Access is a technical tool to store data and that’s all. And do we need more tools in Access? My answer is no and it seams that Microsoft agree 🙂 History of Access If we look at the history of Access Microsoft has not added much over the years. Microsoft […]
What’s new in Visio 2016 Believe it or not, Visio has been around for 20 years! Things have certainly moved on and improved since the first launch. Now, we are eagerly awaiting the release of Visio 2016. In this blog post, we shall be looking at what will be new in the next version. Tell […]
What’s New in PowerPoint 2016 If you are currently using Powerpoint 2013, you will know what a big improvement it is on earlier versions, with some great new features such as the ability to insert pictures and videos directly from websites such as Bing Images and YouTube, and the Merge Shapes tool which allows you […]
How to add Multiple Timelines in Project 2016 One of the new features of Project 2016 is being able to add more than one Timeline for a project. If the Timeline is not displayed just select the View tab and click Timeline. What is a Timeline? The Timeline was introduced with Project 2010 and has […]
The 2016 version of Office is available to preview now and this look at what’s new in Word 2016 focuses on two main features: Insights Real-time collaboration Word has been around for many years so much of its functionality is already established. New releases of Office tend to focus on expanding Excel’s repertoire – but this time the […]