Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group Meeting on December 3th

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MS BI fans, join us for the next Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group meeting on December 3th, Tuesday at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft office in Alpharetta. I will discuss Power BI dataflows. A3 will sponsor the event. For more details, visit our group page and don’t forget to RSVP (use the RSVP survey on the main page) if you’re planning to attend.

Presentation:Understanding Power BI Dataflows
Date:December 3, 2018, Monday
Time6:30 – 8:30 PM ET
Place:Microsoft Office (Alpharetta)

8000 Avalon Boulevard Suite 900
Alpharetta, GA 30009

Overview:If you’re a business user, you might know about Microsoft Flow. If you’re a BI pro, you might have used the SSIS Control Flow and Data Flow. But do you know about the Power BI dataflow? Data preparation is often the most labor-intensive component of an analytics project and getting this right is vital if the results are to be accurate. While the growth of self-service BI has empowered users to answer important questions, ensuring well managed data is available to all employees remains one of businesses biggest challenges. Requiring no additional cost, dataflows are a building block of the Power BI ecosystem, providing a no-code/low-code approach using Power Query to create curated datasets that can be easily consumed by business analysts. Attend this presentation and you’ll learn:

  • How to stage data with dataflows
  • How dataflows can be used to create curated datasets
  • How dataflows can be created with the click of a button, ingesting data from many well knows SAAS solution, such as Dynamics and Salesforce
  • More advanced integration scenarios with Power BI Premium
Speaker:Through his Atlanta-based company Prologika (https://prologika.com), a Microsoft Gold Partner in Data Analytics, Teo Lachev helps organizations make sense of their most valuable asset: their data. His strategy formulation, trusted advisory and mentoring, design and implementation services empower clients to apply effectively data analytics in order to understand, improve, and transform their business processes. Teo has authored and co-authored several bestselling books on organizational and self-service data analytics, and he has been leading the Atlanta Microsoft BI and Power BI group since he founded it in 2010. Teo has been a Microsoft Most Valued Professional (MVP) Data Platform since 2004.
Sponsor:A3 Solutions is the developer of A3 Modeling. Empower your finance team with the only tool that supercharges end-user Excel into Enterprise Excel. Why incur the risk and cost to replace your Excel models? Just add A3! The San Francisco-based company’s product is in use at some of the world’s largest manufacturers, financial firms and retailers including Honda Manufacturing, Williams Sonoma, T.Rowe Price, and Fox TV, in addition to many mid-sized organizations. http://www.a3solutions.com/
Prototypes with Pizza“New relationship view, paginated reports, and filter pane” by Teo Lachev


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Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group Meeting on October 30

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MS BI fans, join us for the next Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group meeting on October 30th, Tuesday at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft office in Alpharetta. Neal Waterstreet will tackle the important and pervasive issue of bad data quality. ZAP BI will sponsor the event. And your humble correspondent will introduce you to Power BI Home and data profiling. For more details, visit our group page and don’t forget to RSVP (use the RSVP survey on the main page) if you’re planning to attend.

Presentation:Data Quality – Plain and Simple
Date:October 30, 2018, Tuesday
Time6:30 – 8:30 PM ET
Place:Microsoft Office (Alpharetta)

8000 Avalon Boulevard Suite 900
Alpharetta, GA 30009

 

Overview:Data quality is a subject that comes up repeatedly in many organizations. Most executives are concerned about the quality of the information used in their decisions. We talk about “good data” and “bad data” but what do those terms mean? In this presentation, we will first define what data quality is and look at how to measure it with data quality dimensions. Then, we’ll explore common causes for data quality issues and how to perform a data quality assessment. Finally, we’ll review the results and discuss some strategies and tools that can help improve the quality of the data in your organization.
Speaker:Neal Waterstreet is a BI Architect/Consultant with Prologika (https://prologika.com) ad he has more than 20 years of industry experience. Neal is skilled in the entire BI spectrum, including dimensional modeling, ETL design and development using Integration Services (SSIS), designing and developing multidimensional cubes and Tabular models using Analysis Services (SSAS) and Master Data Management using Microsoft Data Services (MDS). He’s also involved with the database community with the Atlanta BI and Power BI User Group and the Atlanta Modern Excel User Group.
Sponsor:ZAP’s mission is clear: to connect your business with data. Game-changing insight that impacts business performance only happens when you analyze data by business process or team objective, as opposed to by file type or IT system. This is what ZAP enables. https://www.zapbi.com/
Prototypes with Pizza“Power BI Home and data profiling” by Teo Lachev


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2-Day Applied DAX with Power BI Workshop in Atlanta (Oct 15-16)

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Struggling with DAX? Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) is the expression language of Power BI, Power Pivot, and Analysis Services Tabular. It’s very powerful but it’s usually perceived as complex and requiring a steep learning curve. Taught by an established expert, this two-day workshop is designed to help you become proficient with DAX. Think of this workshop as advanced Power BI training. Reserve your seat today to attend this insightful 2-day workshop for only $999, when Teo Lachev (CEO of Prologika and Microsoft Data Platform MVP) teaches you the necessary DAX skills that you can immediately apply to your job.

Event Summary

  • Date: October 15 and 16
  • Time: 8:30 AM – 5 PM
  • Location: Microsoft Office in Alpharetta
  • Catering: lunch provided
  • Syllabus: available here
  • Price: $999 (use coupon SQL201810 for an instant 5% discount if you sign up two or more attendees from your company)
  • For more information and to register, go to http://bit.ly/daxworkshop201810

Key Benefits

  • Understand best practices for model design
  • Create advanced calculated columns
  • Master measures and evaluation contexts
  • Apply time intelligence
  • Work with advanced relationships and data security
  • Learn how to troubleshoot performance issues
  • Brainstorm your DAX puzzles
  • and much more…

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Prologika at SQL Saturday BI in Atlanta

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SQL Saturday BI in Atlanta is around the corner. Prologika will deliver two sessions at this event on September 22nd:

  • Bridge Analytics and Developer Worlds with Power BI and PowerApps by your humble correspondent, starting at 9 AM
    One of the Power BI most prominent strengths is that it’s a part of the much broader Microsoft Data Platform that spans various on-premises and cloud offerings for data storage, processing, and analysis. Join me to learn how to integrate Power BI with PowerApps and discover exciting new possibilities that redefine the meaning of a report. During this entirely hands-on, no-slides session, I’ll walk you through the steps to implement a popular report requirement for writeback, that Power BI doesn’t natively support.
  • Data Quality – Plain & Simple by our master data management guru, Neal Waterstreet, starting at 12:30 PM
    Data quality is a subject that comes up over and over again in many organizations. Most executives are concerned about the quality of the information used in their decisions. We talk about “good data” and “bad data” but what do those terms mean? In this presentation, we will first define what data quality is and look at how to measure it with data quality dimensions. Then, we’ll explore common causes for data quality issues and how to perform a data quality assessment. Finally, we’ll review the results and discuss some strategies and tools that can help improve the quality of the data in your organization.

Speaking of data quality, you should attend our next group meeting on Sep 25th at the Microsoft Office in Alpharetta where Profisee will present “Mastering data with Microsoft Master Data Services (MDS) for strategic advantage”.

I hope to meet you at one of these two events!

Where is Teo in September?

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I have a few public events in September (all in Atlanta).

These events are also on my calendar.

Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group Meeting on August 28

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MS BI fans, join us for the next Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group meeting on Monday, August 28th, Tuesday at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft office in Alpharetta (our regular venue room is being renovated). If you haven’t been at the new MS office, prepare to be impressed! Mark Tabladillo, Ph.D, from Microsoft will show you how to advanced analytics with Power BI. Accelebrate will sponsor the meeting.  For more details, visit our group page and don’t forget to RSVP (use the RSVP survey on the main page) if you’re planning to attend.

Presentation:Advanced Analytics with Power BI
Date:August 28, 2018, Tuesday
Time6:30 – 8:30 PM ET
Place:Microsoft Office (Alpharetta)

8000 Avalon Boulevard Suite 900
Alpharetta, GA 30009

Overview:Power BI has become an increasingly important data analytics tool.  This presentation focuses on the advanced analytics options currently available in Power BI.  Attendees to this talk will see:

·         Microsoft’s perspective on advanced analytics development:  the Team Data Science Process

·         What the general options are for advanced analytics on Azure

·         What the specific native advanced analytics capabilities are in Power BI

·         Some ideas on pairing Power BI with other technologies in advanced analytics architectures

See https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-expands-self-service-prep-for-big-data-unifies-modern-and-enterprise-bi/ for the latest announcements.

Speaker:Mark Tabladillo Ph.D. is a data scientist at Microsoft. His career has focused on industry application of advanced analytics, using a variety of analytics tools including SAS, SQL Server Analysis Services, Cortana Intelligence (including Microsoft R Server and Microsoft Machine Learning Services), R, and Python.  He was a founding member of the Atlanta Microsoft BI User’s Group eight years ago, and this group’s second presenter.
Sponsor:Don’t settle for “one size fits all” training. Choose Accelebrate, and receive hands-on, engaging training precisely tailored to your goals and audience! Our on-site training offerings range from ASP.NET training and SharePoint training to courses on ColdFusion, Java™, C#, VB.NET, SQL Server, and more.
Prototypes with PizzaFeatured Power BI enhancements


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Conducting Two General Enrollment Workshops in Atlanta

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I rarely teach classes open to the public so take advantage of this exclusive opportunity to increase your data IQ! After course completion and by the end of the year, all course attendees will receive a free, one-hour, follow-up consultation with me on any Power BI or SQL Server related topic. Register today for these in-person and instructor-led training events as seating is limited.

2-Day Applied Power BI Workshop

  • Date: Sep 11 and 12, 2018
  • Time: 8:30 AM – 5 PM
  • Location: Microsoft Office in Alpharetta
  • Catering: lunch provided
  • Syllabus: available here
  • Price: $999 (use coupon POWERBI20180911 for an instant 5% discount if you sign up two or more attendees from your company)
  • For more information and to register, go to http://bit.ly/pbiworkshop201809

2-Day Applied DAX with Power BI Workshop

  • Date: Oct 15 and 16, 2018
  • Time: 8:30 AM – 5 PM
  • Location: Microsoft Office in Alpharetta
  • Catering: lunch provided
  • Syllabus: available here
  • Price: $999 (use coupon SQL201810 for an instant 5% discount if you sign up two or more attendees from your company)
  • For more information and to register, go to http://bit.ly/daxworkshop201810

powerbi+dax

Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group Meeting on July 30

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MS BI fans, join us for the next Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group meeting on Monday, July 30th at 6:30 PM at the Microsoft office in Alpharetta (our regular venue room is being renovated). If you haven’t been at the new MS office, prepare to be impressed! Scott Fairbanks from CCG will show you how to create a tailored user experience with Power BI. Your humble correspondent will demonstrate Power BI killer features that will be announced at the Microsoft Business Applications Summit tomorrow. CCG will sponsor the meeting.  For more details, visit our group page and don’t forget to RSVP (use the RSVP survey on the main page) if you’re planning to attend.

Presentation:How to Create a Tailored End User Experience with Power BI
Level: Intermediate
Date:July 30th, 2018
Time6:30 – 8:30 PM ET
Place:Microsoft Office (Alpharetta)

8000 Avalon Boulevard Suite 900
Alpharetta, GA 30009

Overview:Power BI can deliver value in a variety of ways. With its ease of use, high levels of adoption, and growing market share, Power BI is being integrated into Analytics Solutions all over the world. In this session, attendees will see the power in leveraging Workspaces and Apps within Power BI to create a packaged, custom solution tailored to meet the needs of the consumer. With the end user experience in mind, this session will discuss the development process, design considerations, and the Power BI Service deployment of a collection of customized dashboards in a single App.

Discussion Points Include:

• Power BI Desktop

• Power BI Service

• Workspaces

• Apps

• Visualizations

• Interactions

• Formatting

• Mobile View

• Row level security

• Publishing

• Consuming

Speaker:Scott Fairbanks is a consultant that has been involved in Data and Analytics for 12+ years. Scott has always been interested in computing technology, and fell naturally into the role of helping others get value out of their analytics investment as a consultant with CCG. Over the course of his career, Scott has worked with many of the various BI product suites, including IBM’s Cognos, SAP’s Webi, and Tableau. In recent years, he has been swept up in the demands of the changing analytics environment and has been diving into the Microsoft Azure and Power BI space along with so many companies making the move to the cloud.
Sponsor:CCG is an award-winning consulting firm with a passion for helping clients solve their operational and strategic challenges through innovative Business Intelligence (BI) services. We believe business intelligence is more than a technical solution; it’s an opportunity to create lasting cultural change across an organization. Our experts focus on quickly gaining a big-picture understanding of your business to develop optimized, tailored BI solutions that empower you to drive greater decision-making at the speed of your data.
Prototypes with PizzaPower BI killer features in the July 2018 release.


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Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group Meeting on June 25

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MS BI fans, join us for the next Atlanta MS BI and Power BI Group meeting on Monday, June 25th at 6:30 PM. Your humble correspondent will share 10 ways  Power BI can help augment your existing or envisioned Power BI strategy. DevScope will sponsor the meeting and demo their PowerBI Robots offering.  For more details, visit our group page and don’t forget to RSVP (use the RSVP survey on the main page) if you’re planning to attend.

Presentation:10 Ways to Empower Your BI Strategy with Power BI
Level: Intermediate
Date:June 25, 2018
Time6:30 – 8:30 PM ET
Place:South Terraces Building (Auditorium Room)

115 Perimeter Center Place

Atlanta, GA 30346

Overview:Not sure what value Power BI can bring to your BI infrastructure? Join me to discuss 10 ways Power BI can help augment your existing or envisioned Power BI strategy. If you’re interested in the Power BI but you’re not sure how it fits within your organizational data strategy, this event is for you. Discussion points include:

•              Organizational BI

•              Self-service BI

•              Cloud vs. on-premises deployments

•              Predictive analytics

•              External reporting

•              Integrated solutions

Get your Power BI questions answered and see demos along the way.

Speaker:Teo Lachev is a consultant, author, and mentor, with a focus on Microsoft Business Intelligence. Through his Atlanta-based company “Prologika” (a Microsoft Gold Partner in Data Analytics) he designs and implements innovative BI solutions that bring tremendous value to his clients. Teo has authored and co-authored several SQL Server BI books, and he has been leading the Atlanta Microsoft BI and Power BI group since he founded it in 2010. Microsoft has recognized Teo’s expertise and contributions to the technical community by awarding him the prestigious Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status since 2004.
Sponsor:DevScope is a young, dynamic and experienced company, specialized in mentoring and development services in Web environments, and a pioneer in the region, integrating Microsoft technology, products and solutions. DevScope implements business and technology solutions with established and emerging technologies every day. DevScope projects are usually based on the latest technologies available from Microsoft, and many times, those same technologies are not yet available in the market.
Prototypes with PizzaDevScope Power BI Robots by Rui Romano, DevScope

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10 Ways to Empower your BI Strategy with Power BI

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Standing room today for my presentation on the same subject at SQL Saturday Atlanta. I uploaded the slides to the event site and to my LinkedIn profile page. This week was packed with training events. One more event to organize for the Atlanta Power BI Group on Monday…