Course Outline: Data Analysis with Excel: From Beginner to Data Analyst

or Business Analyst
Objective: Equip learners with essential data analysis skills, from understanding data
fundamentals to advanced tools like Power Query, Power Pivot, Pivot Tables, and DAX for
creating impactful reports and dashboards.

Module 1: Fundamentals of Data Literacy Skills

• What is Data?

o Definition and importance of data.

o Types of data: structured vs. unstructured.

• Data Formats:

o Text, Numbers, Dates, and Categories.

• Data Sources:

o Internal vs. External Sources.

• Importance of Data in Decision-Making:

o How data informs business strategies.

o Real-world examples of data-driven decision-making.

• Overview of the DIKW Model (Data → Information → Knowledge → Wisdom):

o Understanding how raw data transforms into actionable insights.

• Basics of Data Collection:

o Common methods and best practices for data gathering.

• Basic Data Profiling:

o Introduction to data profiling and its role in quality management.

• Data Quality Management:

o Handling missing and inconsistent data.

• Data Cleaning Techniques:

o Common techniques for preparing data for analysis.

• Data Privacy and Ethics:

o Best practices for responsible data handling and privacy regulations (GDPR, etc.).
Module 2: Data Cleaning and Preparation

• Text Functions:
o LEFT, RIGHT, MID: Extract parts of a text string.
o LEN: Count the length of a text string.
o TRIM: Remove extra spaces.
o SUBSTITUTE: Replace text in a string.
o PROPER, UPPER, LOWER: Format text case.
• Logical Functions:
o IF: Perform conditional calculations.
o AND, OR, NOT: Combine logical conditions.
o ISERROR, IFERROR: Handle errors in formulas.
• Lookup & Reference Functions:
o VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP: Retrieve data from a table.
o INDEX, MATCH: Advanced lookup for flexibility.
o CHOOSE: Select a value from a list.
• Error Handling:
o ISBLANK: Check for empty cells.
o IFNA: Handle #N/A errors specifically.
• Practical Applications:

o Conditional calculations and error trapping for data cleaning.

• Case Study:

o Clean and prepare a dataset with missing values, duplicates, and inconsistencies.

Module 3: Basic Statistics for Data Analysis

Descriptive Statistics

• Measures of Central Tendency:

o Mean, Median, Mode.

• Measures of Dispersion:

o Range, Variance, Standard Deviation, IQR.

• Shape of Data:

o Skewness (symmetry of data distribution).

o Kurtosis (peak and tail heaviness).

Data Distributions

• Normal Distribution: Analyze standard deviations and Z-scores.

• Histograms: Visualize frequency distribution.

• Calculate correlation coefficients (e.g., CORREL).

• Visualize relationships using scatter plots.

Sampling

• Types of Sampling:

o Random Sampling.

o Stratified Sampling.

o Systematic Sampling.

• Sampling Bias: Identify and mitigate errors in sample selection.

Module 4: Data Models, Power Pivot, Power Query, and Pivot Tables

Objective: Introduce data modeling, Power Pivot, Power Query, Pivot Tables, and their role in
advanced data analysis and transformation.

• What is a Data Model?

o Relational data concepts and linking tables in Excel.

• Power Pivot Overview:

o Loading data into Power Pivot and managing it within the Data Model.

o Creating relationships between tables.

• Power Query for Data Transformation:

o Introduction to Power Query and its role in data extraction and transformation.

o Connecting to data sources (Excel, CSV, databases, etc.).

o Cleaning and transforming data with Power Query Editor: filtering, sorting, grouping,
and merging queries.

o Basic transformations: Text formatting, column splitting, replacing values.

o Data transformation examples: Date format changes, filtering rows, removing

o Automating data transformations using Power Query.

• Pivot Tables in Excel:

o Introduction to Pivot Tables: what they are and how to create them.

o Summarizing data with Pivot Tables: counting, summing, and averaging data.

o Grouping data in Pivot Tables: Date grouping, custom groupings, and more.
 o Using Pivot Table fields for advanced data analysis.

o Calculated fields in Pivot Tables.

• Hands-On:

o Build a data model, perform data transformations with Power Query, and
summarize data using Pivot Tables for a sales report.

Module 5: Introduction to DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

Objective: Learn the basics of DAX for writing complex calculations and measures.

• What is DAX?

o Introduction to DAX and its role in advanced Excel analysis.

• Basic DAX Formulas:

o Writing basic DAX formulas: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNTROWS, DISTINCT.

• Logical Functions in DAX:

o IF, SWITCH, and nested functions in DAX.

• Time Intelligence in DAX:

o Creating Year-to-Date (YTD), Month-to-Date (MTD), and Previous Year (PY)

• Measures vs. Calculated Columns:

o Understanding the differences and when to use each.

• Hands-On:

o Write DAX measures for common business metrics like sales growth and customer
retention.
Module 6: Advanced Analysis and Interactive Dashboards

Objective: Use Power Pivot, DAX, and Pivot Tables to build dynamic, interactive dashboards for
decision-making.

• Advanced DAX Functions:

o CALCULATE, FILTER, and other complex functions.

o RELATED and RELATEDTABLE for working across tables.

o RANKX and advanced ranking functions.

• Creating Interactive Dashboards:

o Using Pivot Tables, slicers, and timelines in Power Pivot.

o Customizing and visualizing data with advanced charts.

• Dynamic Reports and Key Metrics:

o Building dashboards to track KPIs and trends.

• Case Study:

o Create an interactive sales or financial performance dashboard using Power Pivot,

Module 7: Scenario Analysis, Forecasting, and Final Project

Objective: Apply forecasting techniques and integrate all learned skills into a capstone project.

• Scenario Analysis:

o Using What-If tools (Goal Seek, Data Tables, Scenario Manager) to model business
scenarios.

• Forecasting in Excel:

o Trendlines and predictive models using Power Pivot.

• Guided Project - Sales Analysis with the AdventureWorks Database:

o Analyze the AdventureWorks database for sales performance.

o Build a dynamic sales dashboard using Power Pivot and DAX.

o Perform data transformations with Power Query (e.g., cleaning, shaping, and
merging data).

o Perform forecasting and scenario analysis to predict sales trends and optimize
strategies.
Final Deliverables

• Guided Project: Complete the AdventureWorks Sales Analysis project using the
AdventureWorks database, incorporating Power Query, Power Pivot, Pivot Tables, and
DAX.

The course projects

#Project 1
#Project 2

Data Model Sample

FoodMart Data Model