Power BI for Controlling & FP&A Training

Lesson 1 • Basic Visualizations for Finance

Builds first charts and tables suited to budget and variance reporting. Grounds visual choices in finance communication standards.

Lesson 2 • Navigating the Power BI Interface

Introduces the Report, Data, and Model views and the ribbon layout. Reduces ramp-up time by mapping the UI to familiar finance tasks.

Lesson 3 • Connecting to Financial Data Sources

Demonstrates connections to Excel, CSV, ERP exports, and databases common in controlling. Ensures analysts can import real source data from day one.

Lesson 1 • Automating Recurring Data Loads

Builds parameterized queries and folder connectors for monthly close automation. Reduces manual effort in recurring FP&A reporting cycles.

Lesson 2 • Power Query Editor Fundamentals

Introduces the Query Editor UI, Applied Steps pane, and M formula bar. Establishes the environment where all data transformation work occurs.

Lesson 3 • Reshaping Financial Tables

Uses pivot, unpivot, and transpose to convert columnar budget exports into row-based fact tables. Bridges the gap between source file layouts and model requirements.

Lesson 1 • Relational Modeling Concepts

Explains fact tables, dimension tables, and cardinality in a finance context. Provides the conceptual framework needed before building any model.

Lesson 2 • Model Performance and Best Practices

Covers column data types, unused column removal, and relationship optimization. Prevents slow reports caused by poorly structured financial models.

Lesson 3 • Building a Chart-of-Accounts Model

Structures GL account, cost center, and profit center tables into a coherent model. Directly mirrors the data architecture controllers encounter daily.

Lesson 1 • Core Aggregation and Ratio Measures

Builds SUM, DIVIDE, and conditional aggregation measures for revenue, cost, and margin. Covers the building blocks of every financial KPI dashboard.

Lesson 2 • Time Intelligence for Period Reporting

Applies TOTALYTD, SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, and DATEADD for period-over-period analysis. Enables the YTD, MTD, and prior-year views standard in management reporting.

Lesson 3 • DAX Syntax and Evaluation Context

Explains row context, filter context, and the difference between measures and calculated columns. This conceptual foundation prevents the most common DAX errors in finance.

Lesson 4 • Variance and Budget vs. Actual Analysis

Creates absolute and percentage variance measures between actuals, budget, and forecast. Delivers the core analytical output of any controlling function.

Lesson 1 • Dynamic Period and Scenario Selection

Uses slicers and field parameters to let users switch periods and scenarios interactively. Reduces the need for multiple static report versions.

Lesson 2 • Automating Monthly Report Refresh

Configures scheduled refresh and incremental refresh for monthly close cycles. Ensures reports are current without manual intervention from the finance team.

Lesson 3 • Drill-Through and Drill-Down Navigation

Configures drill-through pages for line-item detail from summary variance views. Allows controllers to investigate root causes without leaving the report.

Lesson 4 • Waterfall and Bridge Charts

Builds waterfall charts to visualize the drivers of budget-to-actual variance. Provides the bridge analysis format widely used in executive reporting.

Lesson 1 • Rolling Forecast Visualization

Builds visuals that combine actuals to date with forecast periods in a single continuous view. Supports the rolling forecast process standard in modern FP&A.

Lesson 2 • Executive Summary Page Design

Constructs a single-page executive view with headline KPIs, trend sparklines, and commentary. Delivers the one-page summary format expected by senior leadership.

Lesson 3 • Scenario and Sensitivity Analysis

Uses What-If parameters and disconnected tables to model best, base, and worst cases. Gives FP&A teams interactive scenario tools without rebuilding the data model.

Lesson 1 • Overhead Allocation Modeling

Implements allocation keys and driver-based cost distribution within the data model. Enables fully loaded cost views without relying on ERP allocation runs.

Lesson 2 • Cost Center P&L Structure

Models a cost center income statement with direct and allocated cost layers. Replicates the internal P&L structure used in management accounting.

Lesson 3 • Profitability Ranking and Segmentation

Uses RANKX and ABC segmentation to rank customers, products, and cost centers by profitability. Supports prioritization decisions in strategic controlling.

Lesson 1 • Audit, Compliance, and Data Lineage

Leverages activity logs, sensitivity labels, and lineage view to meet audit requirements. Addresses the compliance obligations finance teams face with financial reporting data.

Lesson 2 • Deployment Pipelines and Version Control

Uses Power BI deployment pipelines to promote reports from development to production. Establishes a change management process for finance-critical reports.

Lesson 3 • Workspace and Access Management

Structures workspaces by function, region, or entity and assigns appropriate access roles. Prevents unauthorized access while enabling cross-functional collaboration.