Logan's Analytics Bootcamp
Dashboard β€Ί Phase 2: Power BI
M2.6

Visuals and Report Design

⏱ 6 hoursπŸ“… Weeks 12–13❓ 4 quiz questions
Phase 2 goal

Build governed, refreshable, interactive program dashboards. Get data in shape with Power Query M, model it as a star schema, calculate it with DAX, present it well, and publish it securely.

🎯 Learning objectives

Tick each one when you can actually do it.

πŸ’‘ Key concepts

  • Visual choice:
    Question Visual
    Are we on cost/schedule? KPI cards with RAG, bullet/gauge (sparingly)
    How is it trending? Line (S-curve), combo column + line
    Where is the variance? Bar sorted by variance, waterfall (plan β†’ actual drivers)
    What's late? Table/matrix with conditional formatting
    Schedule view Gantt-style (matrix + conditional formatting, or a certified custom visual if allowed)
    Risk 5Γ—5 heatmap via matrix + background color measure
  • Interactivity: Cross-filtering, edit interactions, drill-through (portfolio β†’ program detail page), report-page tooltips, bookmarks + buttons (toggle views), field parameters (let users swap metric: CPI/SPI/CV).
  • Design system: Theme JSON (agency palette), grid alignment, consistent titles, a "last refreshed" timestamp, data-as-of date shown on every page.
  • Accessibility: Alt text, tab order, don't use color as the only signal (add β–²β–Ό or text labels for RAG), sufficient contrast.
  • Custom visuals: Check your organization's policy. Many government tenants only allow certified or org-approved visuals.

πŸ›  Hands-on exercise: Program Detail Page

⬇ Practice data for this module
D1 programsProgram dimension (12 rows)CSVXLSX
D2 milestonesMilestones (~150 rows)CSVXLSX
D3 evm_monthlyMonthly EVM by control account (~2,000 rows)CSVXLSX
D4 contractsContracts (30 rows)CSVXLSX
D5 budget_executionBudget execution by appropriation (1,296 rows)CSVXLSX
D6 schedule_tasksIMS task export (1,500 rows)CSVXLSX
D7 risksRisk register (80 rows)CSVXLSX

Data: full model and measure library.

  1. Portfolio Overview page: KPI cards (CPI Cum, SPI Cum, Obligation Rate FYTD, Late Milestones), a matrix of programs with RAG formatting, and a bar of EAC Gap by program.
  2. Program Detail page (drill-through on ProgramID): S-curve (BCWS/BCWP/ACWP Cum + BAC line), a milestone table (baseline vs. forecast, slip, status icons), a risk heatmap, and contract info cards.
  3. A tooltip page that shows a mini S-curve when hovering over a program.
  4. A field parameter to switch the bar chart between CV, SV, and EAC Gap.
  5. Add a dynamic title: "Program Detail: " & SELECTEDVALUE(dim_Program[ProgramName]).

πŸ“¦ Mini-project: Leadership-Ready Report v1

Three pages (Overview, Program Detail, Execution/Budget). Apply a custom theme JSON, add a "Data as of" card driven by MAX(fact_EVM[PeriodEnd]), alt text on every visual, and a "How to use this report" info button (bookmark overlay). Ask a colleague to try it for 5 minutes and write down where they get confused.

🧠 Self-check quiz

Answer in your own words, then check. Grade yourself honestly; your score is saved.

Q2.6.1
What is drill-through and how would you use it here?
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Q2.6.2
Why shouldn't RAG be shown only with color?
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Q2.6.3
What problem do field parameters solve?
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Q2.6.4
Why show a "Data as of" date on every page?
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