Power BI training at taod
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"Discussing what you've just learned over a coffee consolidates the new knowledge."
Sophia Schubert enjoys working with data just as much as with people. As a data consultant and Power BI trainer, she sees her goal achieved when not only knowledge is imparted, but data and its analysis possibilities are discussed in a lively way.
Sophia, do you like Excel?
That's a good question, and with my background in controlling, I can't really answer it in the negative. You can cover many use cases with Excel, but Power BI is clearly the cooler tool for data analysis and reporting purposes.
The question was of course aimed at exactly that. You yourself have been working with Power BI for many years and regularly give user training sessions. What do you like about your work as a trainer?
What I particularly like about the training courses is the challenge of bringing together the different levels of knowledge, learning types, expectations and use cases of the participants. Two questions that always concern me during the training courses are: How can I convey new, complex issues to the participants in a way that is easy to understand? And how can I make working with data fun and exciting? I really enjoy responding to participants with different levels of ability.
"You can cover many use cases with Excel, but Power BI is clearly the cooler tool for reporting purposes."
As a Data Consultant at taod, you not only train customers, but also take care of very varied and complex data projects. How did you get your job?
I came to BI consulting through my previous job as an ERP consultant in FI/CO, i.e. Finance and Controlling, in an ERP software company. After a few years of implementing ERP software, I wanted to expand my expertise in the area of data analysis and reporting. My move to taod resulted from the fact that I wanted to broaden my horizons in terms of the type of data to be analyzed and the technologies used. Whereas I used to mainly work on analyzing ERP data from manufacturing companies, the spectrum at taod ranges from web tracking data to streaming data from apps and traffic data evaluations. This has increased my enthusiasm for data many times over.
How did you learn Power BI?
I attended training courses to learn the basics of Power BI and in-depth DAX calculations. I gained practice in using Power BI, tricks and hacks mainly through practical experience in the projects and the constant exchange with my colleagues from the BI area.
How much time does the average numerate person need to plan in order to understand and use Power BI?
16 hours of training with us! No, joking aside. That depends on many factors, first and foremost how in-depth you want to learn and use Power BI. The basics, which we also teach in our basic training courses, are understood in one to two days and you can already create your first dashboards.
Can you create meaningful reports with basic knowledge?
Yes, dashboarding based on well-modeled data is quite easy to understand and implemented in Power BI in a user-friendly and easy-to-understand way. The greater challenge usually lies in data preparation and modelling, i.e. the preparatory work for data visualization. The more in-depth use of the software and complex data analyses require a little more time, patience and brainpower.
There are lots of tutorials and webinars online that promise to help you learn Power BI quickly. How helpful can such offers be?
That's right, you can't get enough of documentation, YouTube videos, forum posts, blog articles and so on about Power BI on the Internet. I think it's great to be able to educate yourself via web articles. However, you first have to be able to find your way through the flood of information in order to classify the various sources and "buzzwords" correctly and "google them properly". To do this, you first need a basic understanding. However, the information on the Internet can be quite helpful in building up this basic knowledge and providing inspiration for alternative solutions.
Are there typical challenges that training participants regularly encounter?
I think the biggest challenge is to show patience and perseverance, especially when starting out with Power BI. The fact that not everything always works straight away and you can't immediately figure out where the error is can be frustrating for some participants. We make every effort in the training courses to ensure that this understanding of how Power BI or DAX and M-Code work is also applicable to more complex, specific use cases in the workplace.
"Every lively and further discussion in the context of data makes me happy."
What is the best way to learn: in an online seminar or together in a room?
Personally, I see more advantages in on-site training. For me as a trainer, it is much easier to get non-verbal feedback from the participants via their facial expressions and gestures, to look over the shoulders of all participants during the exercises and thus be able to provide better support for each individual. For the participants, I see the main advantages of a higher attention span and a lower risk of distraction from external disruptive factors. In addition, socializing during the joint training breaks creates a pleasant atmosphere between all participants. The discussions about what has just been learned over a coffee consolidate the new knowledge and the company's participants often network with each other so that nothing stands in the way of an exchange about challenges in Power BI even after the training.
When do you leave a training session with a good feeling?
I am delighted with every lively and continuing discussion in the data context that goes beyond the training content. It gives me the feeling that I have conveyed the topics in an understandable way, made data fun and pushed the participants forward. And, of course, I love every personal thank-you email that often comes from the participants afterwards.
The interview first appeared in issue 02/23 of our magazine data! You can find all issues and articles here:
About Sophia Schubert
After studying business administration with a focus on banking, finance and investment management and corporate taxation, Sophia Schubert worked as a controller, ERP consultant and BI consultant in medium-sized companies and corporations. As a Data Consultant at taod, she lives out her passion for logical and data-driven topics anew in every project. She is enthusiastic about the immense possibilities that can be opened up with data in so many different use cases across all industries and implemented in a technology-driven way.
