The article discusses the process of converting a wide Excel table into a good data model in Power BI. It emphasizes the benefits of a “good” data model and provides a step-by-step guide on how to achieve it, including identifying dimension tables, cleaning and restructuring the data, and building relationships. The author advocates for utilizing a star schema for efficient data modeling. For more details, please refer to the original article.
“`html
Converting a Flat Table to a Good Data Model in Power Query
Introduction
When loading a wide Excel table into Power BI, we often end up with a suboptimal data model. But what can we do to create a good data model, and why is it important?
Why a Good Data Model?
A good data model can significantly improve efficiency and usability. By separating data into separate tables and connecting them with relationships, Power BI can work more efficiently and reduce file size by removing redundancies. This enables easy access to all columns grouped in separate tables, making it more user-friendly.
What is a Good Data Model?
A good data model is a Star Schema. This involves moving certain columns into separate tables to create shorter, more distinct tables, resulting in a more organized and efficient data model.
Practical Steps
1. Find columns with low cardinality and group them.
2. Define names for each Dimension table.
3. Replace all empty cells.
4. Duplicate the table with the data and perform necessary data preparations in Power Query.
Final Result
The final data model is a clean Star Schema with improved efficiency and usability. Although the resulting file may be slightly larger, the benefits in terms of organization and usability far outweigh the increase in file size.
Conclusion
Creating a good data model may require some effort, but it is well worth exploring to achieve a better solution in Power BI. By optimizing the data model, companies can benefit from improved performance and user experience.
AI Solution for Middle Managers
If you want to evolve your company with AI, stay competitive, and identify automation opportunities, consider the AI Sales Bot from itinai.com/aisalesbot. This AI solution is designed to automate customer engagement 24/7 and manage interactions across all customer journey stages, redefining sales processes and customer engagement. For more insights into leveraging AI, follow us on Telegram t.me/itinainews or Twitter @itinaicom.
For more information and AI KPI management advice, you can connect with us at hello@itinai.com.
“`
