David J Swofford

Digital Marketing | Marketing Management | Data & Analytics


Tailwind Traders: Tailspin Toys – Power BI Report

Sample data visualization project as part of professional portfolio demonstrating ETL, data modeling, and reporting skills using SQL Server & Microsoft Power BI.

Click here for the direct link to the report.

The following steps were taken to complete the project.

Preparation & Setup

  1. Database Environment
    • MS SQL Server local instance
    • SSMS installation & configuration
    • Download database backup files (link)
    • Restore database with backup files
  2. Power BI Configuration
    • Confirm installation
    • Connect to database
    • Confirm data access & availability
  3. ETL Process
    • Select Tables: (Dim) Product, Region, State & (Fact) Sales
    • Review Colum quality, distribution, & profile
    • Remove unnecessary columns
    • Add Custom Columns to Sales (fact) table: Gross Revenue, Discount, Net Revenue, Days to Ship
    • Transform data types & Configure formats
    • Load (import mode) to PBI Data Model
  4. Data Modeling
    • Create Star (Snowflake) Schema
    • Create Relationships (diagram or list)
    • Group Metrics & Measures into Display folders
    • Do not mark OrderDate & ShipDate as Date Tables (implicit)
  5. Report Build
    • Story flow
      • Pages
      • Visualization Groups
      • Layout
    • Funcitonality
      • Navigation
      • Slicers
      • Interactions
        • Cross-filtering
        • Highlighting
  6. Fine-tuning
    • Fonts & Colors
    • Labels & spacing
    • Images & Text
  7. Mobile Optimization
    • Layout & Sizing
  8. Publishing
    • Power BI Service
      • Registration & Setup
      • Permissions & Settings (Publish to Web)
      • Embed Codes
    • WordPress Site Integration