0.1What is Power BI?
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Power BI turns raw data into interactive dashboards that drive decisions — it is the most widely deployed Business Intelligence tool in companies.
- Three building blocks: Desktop (create, free), Service (publish to the cloud) and Mobile (view) — the same vocabulary at every level of the guide.
- The flow never changes: data → model → report → publish; you drag fields into a visual, you don't type into cells.
Running mini-case — Zineb leaves behind her frozen Excel spreadsheets in Algiers
Zineb, a management controller in an agri-food SME in Algiers, used to send a frozen Excel workbook to management every month: as soon as a figure changed, everything had to be redone. She applies the section's mental map: she understands that Power BI Desktop (free) is used to create, the Service to publish and Mobile to view, and that the flow is always data → model → report → publish. She sets her goal: an interactive sales dashboard by region, connected to a model, refreshed automatically. She notes the founding reflex: you drag fields into visuals, you don't write in cells.
Standalone case for this section: it returns in the course, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge of section 0.1.
1. BI and its leading tool
Business Intelligence (BI) consists in turning raw data into decision-making information: collect, model, visualize, publish. Power BI is the most widely deployed BI tool in companies: it converts data into interactive dashboards that drive decisions. For a management-control profile like Zineb, it is the skill that replaces frozen Excel reports.
2. Three building blocks, one vocabulary
The suite can be understood in three building blocks: Power BI Desktop (the free workshop on PC where everything is built), the Service (the cloud where you publish, share and refresh) and Mobile (viewing on the go). Zineb remembers the simple phrase: Desktop = create, Service = publish, Mobile = view.
3. The flow and the field rule
The workflow is always the same: data → model → report → publish. It is the plan of the whole guide. And one rule changes everything: in Power BI, you drag fields into a visual, you don't type into cells. A report is therefore not an "improved Excel": it is an application connected to a model. Zineb thinks "model first", visuals next.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — A report is not an Excel
Zineb compares her old workbook and the Power BI report she aims for:
Excel : cells, individual calculations, a frozen file
Power BI : a MODEL (related tables) → interactive visuals
connected to it, refreshed automatically
→ you drag fields, you don't type into cells.Reading: on the Power BI side, there are no cells to fill: the visuals read a model.
Lesson: think "model first", visuals next — refresh replaces manual re-creation.
Section vocabulary
- Power BI Desktop
- The free Windows creation application: connecting to data, model, DAX measures and reports.
Simple example: Zineb builds her sales dashboard there, without paying anything.
What it is not: the Service, which publishes rather than creates.
Reflex: create → Desktop (free).
- Power BI Service
- The cloud platform (app.powerbi.com): publishing, workspaces, sharing and scheduled refresh.
Simple example: Zineb will publish her report there for management.
What it is not: Desktop, which works offline.
Reflex: publish → Service.
- Report vs dashboard
- The report = pages of interactive visuals created in Desktop; the dashboard (Service) = pins taken from reports.
Simple example: Zineb's detailed report, then a summary dashboard.
What it is not: a single frozen image pasted into a document.
Reflex: report = interactive; dashboard = compilation of pins.
- Business Intelligence (BI)
- Turning data into decision-making information: collect, model, visualize, publish.
Simple example: Zineb moves from the frozen monthly report to continuous monitoring.
What it is not: a simple export of raw rows without analysis.
Reflex: BI = from data to decisions.
- BI workflow
- The complete cycle: connect → clean (Power Query) → model → visualize → publish → refresh.
Simple example: Zineb follows each step, from the sales CSV to publishing.
What it is not: a one-off chart with no model behind it.
Reflex: always data → model → report → publish.
In practice — In practice — Spotting the three building blocks
- In your browser, open app.powerbi.com: it's the Service (just observe the page, connecting comes next), like Zineb.
- Note the guide's vocabulary: Desktop = create, Service = publish, Mobile = view.
- Draw the workflow on paper: data → Power Query → model → visuals → publish — you will attach each level to it.
- Identify in your organization who already uses Power BI (management control, management…): your future reports already have an audience.
Step-by-step script — framing your first report like Zineb (3 min)
1) Write down your quantified need: for Zineb, a sales dashboard by region for management. 2) Name the three building blocks and their role: Desktop (create), Service (publish), Mobile (view). 3) Write the target flow: data → model → report → publish. 4) Check the rule: you drag fields into visuals, you don't type into cells.
Keep this sheet: the following sections turn it into real visuals connected to a model.
Copy-paste template — my Power BI map
Need: ___ (e.g. Zineb's sales dashboard).
Blocks: Desktop = create / Service = publish / Mobile = view.
Flow: data → model → report → publish.
Rule: you DRAG fields, you don't type into cells.
Goal: an interactive report, refreshed automatically.Sales dashboard
Zineb aims for an interactive sales report by region, connected to a model and refreshed.
Production tracking
Zineb tracks the production lines of the agri-food plant: output per day and per product.
Report for management
Zineb publishes in the Service a report that management views on mobile, on the go.
Always in the same place
Zineb finds the same Desktop / Service / Mobile vocabulary at every level of the guide.
✓ Best practices
- Remember: Desktop = create, Service = publish, Mobile = view.
- Think "model first" rather than "visuals first".
- Place the PL-300 certification as a distant goal (level 5).
✗ Common pitfalls
- Seeing Power BI as an "improved Excel".
- Wanting to type values into cells.
- Skipping the model to go straight to visuals.
Key takeaways
- Desktop creates (free), Service publishes (cloud), Mobile views.
- The flow never changes: data → model → report → publish.
- A report is an application connected to a model, not an improved Excel.
- You drag fields into visuals, you don't type into cells.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Fill in the Power BI map for ONE real need (Zineb's or your own): the three building blocks, the target flow, and in one sentence what automatic refresh will save you compared with your frozen reports.
- I can explain what Power BI and Business Intelligence are.
- I list the three building blocks (Desktop, Service, Mobile) and their role.
- I know the data → model → report → publish flow.
Frequently asked questions
Power BI or Excel: which to use?
The two complement each other: Excel for ad hoc analysis and individual calculations; Power BI for large volumes, shared and automatically refreshed reports. Your Excel skills (Power Query, PivotTable, Power Pivot DAX) transfer directly — Power BI uses the same engines.
Does Power BI work on Mac?
Power BI Desktop is Windows only. On Mac: a virtual machine or cloud VM to create, or a browser (Service) to view and partially edit. The Service and Mobile work everywhere.
What is the end-to-end BI workflow in Power BI?