Why Power BI Training Is More Important Than Ever

Power BI has rapidly become one of the most used business intelligence and data visualisation tools, empowering organisations and their people to transform raw data into actionable insights. But to fully leverage its potential, whether for reporting, data analysis or strategic decision-making proper Power BI training is essential.

I have helped countless clients on their Power BI journey, from developing their first semantic model, reports and dashboards, through to assisting with Power BI governance, adoption and rollout implementation. With that said, I cannot stress enough that providing some form of training to end-users is absolutely crucial for the successful adoption of Power BI. With Power BI training, I also mean an internal Power BI Community which promotes continuous learning and support, which I will touch upon within this blog.

To set the scene, some common concerns I often hear when organisations push back against training include the argument that there are plenty of free resources available online and that end-users can simply follow the Microsoft Learning Path. While both statements are very true and highlight great benefits of Power BI, they shouldn't mean leaving end-users without support and guidance.

Firstly, although I love the Power BI Community which is a thriving environment full of knowledgeable and helpful people, it can be overwhelming! I genuinely feel overwhelmed by the continuous updates and non-stop content. So, this is especially the case for users whose primary role is simply maybe to consume reports or for those users who don't live and breath Power BI. Think about it, if you direct a business user to learn Power BI purely from free online resources, they'll likely encounter topics such as star schema models, DAX optimisation, evaluation context and various other topics such as this. Business users don't need to delve into such topics and encountering them WILL lead to frustration and push them away from the tool. I've seen this plenty of times!

Also, while the Microsoft Learning Path is an excellent starting point (I always recommend it), it lacks the depth and personalised support necessary to address specific user queries as they arise. Tailored training ensures users get the right level of detail and the opportunity to ask questions exactly when they need to. Never underestimate the impact of enabling users to join a group setting, where they can openly ask questions, learn from others experiences and engage in meaningful discussions. This collaborative approach significantly enhances upskilling, a point which we'll again explore further later in this blog.

One more point, if adoption is truly a priority, then time must be carved out for learning. Expecting end-users to pick up Power BI in their own time, between meetings, deadlines and daily responsibilities, is unrealistic. Providing access to online resources is great, but without dedicated time and space to learn, adoption will stall. Learning a new tool should be seen as part of the job, not an afterthought.

Splitting Up Microsoft Power BI Training & Power BI Courses by Personas

By now, I hope it's clear why providing structured and tailored training is essential, rather than simply directing users to free content in the Power BI community. Although the community is incredibly valuable, relying solely on it can overwhelm users, potentially leading to confusion and frustration rather than the positive outcomes you're aiming for.

Now, before we explore the different topics typically covered in Power BI training, let's first define some of the core Power BI Personas essential for a successful Power BI ecosystem:

• Report Consumer: The "I just want my numbers" people, so the users who primarily consume reports, with no development responsibilities. They access, navigate and interact with Power BI reports in the Power BI Service, using features like drill-down, drill through, slicers, filters, data export (Microsoft Excel) and collaboration tools such as commenting. They spend their time in the Power BI Service as a data analyst, with little to no access to Power BI Desktop.

• Report Author: The individuals that are experts at making pie charts interesting enough to distract from last quarter’s results. These users are responsible for creating visually engaging, insightful and interactive reports from existing semantic models. They focus on data visualisation, data storytelling and the implementation of advanced report features like bookmarks, drill through, tooltips and so much more. They spend majority of their time in Power BI Desktop, but on the canvas section.

• Model Designer: The data and data analytics experts who use Power BI Desktop and actually enjoy the challenge of turning chaotic Excel sheets into structured semantic models. These users are tasked with creating and managing semantic models, usually combining data from various data sources. Their role involves ingesting data, selecting the right storage mode, transforming and shaping data, creating relationships, defining star schemas and writing DAX measures to produce accurate semantic models.

• MS Fabric Admin: The unsung heroes balancing order and chaos in the Power BI (and now MS Fabric) ecosystem. These users manage and control organisation wide options and administration. Their role involves balancing user empowerment with feature restrictions, managing security and access controls, customising tenancy settings and monitoring overall Power BI usage and performance.

So, why do these personas matter? No one enjoys attending a training session where only the first two hours are relevant, leaving the rest of the session spent doing admin tasks, scrolling through socials or fighting off sleep. To avoid this frustration and maximise value, effective Power BI training must cater specifically to each user's role and responsibilities. Think about it, what good is it sending someone who will only be designing and developing reports to learn about the fundamentals of data modelling? Quick side note, many people may fall in more then one of the above personas.

Power BI Training Benefits with Persona-Based Approach

So, following an approach that is persona based, rather than everyone for everything, it enables the below benefits

• Targeted Learning: Each role gets exactly the training they need, right from the start.
• Stay Engaged: No more wasting time on irrelevant content. Every minute is engaging, useful and hands-on.
• Better Adoption: Users feel more confident, leading to quicker and smoother adoption across teams.
• Higher ROI: Focused training ensures you maximise investment in Power BI from day one.

This is how we structure our many training module at Metis BI. We ensure users who attend Power BI training workshops or Power BI courses only receive what is relevant to them. If you want to learn more about our Power BI Training Approach with a helpful video click HERE.

What is Typically Included in Power BI Training Modules?

Power BI training equips individuals with the skills and confidence they need to effectively harness the full potential of Microsoft's Power BI platform. While exact modules vary based on persona as explained above (and other factors), here is a breakdown:

• Introduction to Power BI: Understanding the beginner and core concepts, navigation and key components.
• Designing and Developing Data Models: Creating clear, coherent semantic models from your data (Power Pivot).
• Collecting Reporting Requirements Effectively: Engaging stakeholders to gather precise requirements.
• Deriving Data Stories that Drive Decisions: Transforming data into compelling, actionable narratives.
• Ingesting and Transforming Data: Preparing, transforming and shaping your data using Power Query.
• Selecting Appropriate Storage Modes: Import, DirectQuery, LiveConnection, DirectLake and Composite (Mixed).
• Creating and Optimising DAX Calculations: Building robust measures and calculated columns for deeper insights.
• Designing Impactful Visualisations and Interactive Reports: Turning insights into visually appealing reports.
• Advanced Power BI: More enterprise features such as composite models, incremental refresh, XMLA, deployment pipelines and more.
• Power BI Service & Workspace Management: Managing workspaces, apps, semantic models and permissions.
• Row-Level Security (RLS) & Data Protection: Securing sensitive data by implementing user-level access rules.
  
• Performance Tuning & Optimisation: Enhancing report and model performance using best practices and diagnostic tools.
• Power BI Governance: Establishing policies, standards and controls for managing Power BI across the organisation
• Power BI + Excel Integration: Empowering Excel users to analyse Power BI data using tools like Analyze in Excel.
• Power BI Mobile Reporting: Designing and optimising reports for mobile consumption across devices.
• Data Source Connectivity & Gateways: Connecting to cloud and on-premises sources, and managing data refresh using gateways.
• Version Control & Deployment Pipelines: Using PBIP files and deployment pipelines to manage report versions and lifecycle stages.
• Embedding & Integration with Microsoft 365 Tools: Embedding reports
• Power BI Paginated Reports: Designing and building Paginated Reports using Paginated Report Builder.

After training, users are empowered to deliver insightful, accurate and visually engaging business intelligence reports.

To learn exactly how we at Metis BI structure our Power BI training modules based on these topics, check out our dedicated Power BI Training Approach video HERE.

What do you need from Power BI Training to Make it Engaging and Successful?

To deliver a truly impactful training workshop, you need three key ingredients:

1. A Passionate Expert: Someone who lives and breathes Power BI, stays on top of the latest features and can translate complex topics into practical know-how.
2. An Engaging Facilitator: Let’s be honest, if the room's energy is flat, the learning stops. You need someone who can read the room, keep things interactive and make the whole session feel like time well spent.
3. A Good Story: No one remembers “A slicer is a filter...” - yawn. But wrap that in a relatable, real-world scenario and suddenly everyone’s leaning in, not checking out.

This is the formula we follow at Metis BI - every session, every time. Yes, we have a script, but this is to offer some guidelines, in reality, we hate scripts.

Common Types of Power BI Training

There are several ways individuals and organisations can approach Power BI training, each with its own strengths depending on the context. Here's a breakdown of the most common options:

• Instructor-Led Training: This is often the most effective route, especially when delivered by a Power BI expert who brings not just technical knowledge, but also energy and storytelling to the session (remember those three key traits: passion, facilitation and narrative). With direct interaction, either in-person or virtually, this format allows participants to ask questions on the spot, get real-time feedback and stay engaged. When done well, instructor-led training consistently leaves end-users feeling more confident, capable and ready to apply what they’ve learned immediately.

• Self-Paced Online Courses: These offer the flexibility to learn anytime online training, anywhere through pre-recorded videos and interactive exercises. Perfect for those who prefer learning at their own speed. The trade-off? Without someone to answer questions or keep you motivated, it’s easy to stall or misunderstand key concepts. We often see this become a blocker for progress, especially when the learner has no one to turn to for clarification.

• Custom/Tailored Training: This is where Power BI training becomes highly effective, when it’s built around the specific needs, data and use cases of your organisation. It’s also what we specialise in at Metis BI. That said, custom training isn’t something you rush into. From personal experience, it works best when a few key parameters are met. For instance, is your data landscape rich and representative enough to support scenario-based learning? Do you have internal SMEs who can help shape relevant content and support the session? Tailoring takes time, but when done right, the results are great.

From Frustration to Impact: Upgrading Your Power BI Training

Below are some of the most common Power BI training challenges we come across, especially when organisations rely on generic workshops or outdated material:

• Training feels too broad or irrelevant for most attendees
• Sessions are packed with slides and light on interaction
• Learners leave more confused than confident
• There's no real upskilling, so users stay dependent on external help
• Content is one-size-fits-all, with no connection to real business problems

At Metis BI, we do things differently. Our Power BI training is designed around what actually works. It’s hands-on, interactive and tailored to your people. We focus on:

• Training Key Personas: So everyone learns exactly what’s relevant to their role
• Engaging Material: Because nobody remembers slide 47 of 112
• Interactive Sessions: Real learning happens when people are involved
• Hands-On Learning: Less theory, more “show me how”
• Creating Power BI Super Users: So your team becomes confident and self-sufficient

This approach doesn’t just train, it transforms how your team works with data.

Beyond Power BI Training: Power BI Community & Continuous Learning

At the start of this blog, I highlighted the importance of an internal Power BI Community which promotes continuous learning and supports users. Well, I stand by this! Training is just the beginning. To truly embed Power BI within your organisation, you need to create an ecosystem that supports users long after the workshop ends. That’s where community, feedback loops and internal enablement come in.

Power BI Community Portal to Learn Power BI

A well-structured internal portal is one of the most powerful tools for empowering users. It’s not just a place to dump files, it becomes a central hub for support, knowledge sharing and continuous learning. FAQs, starter templates, data access guidelines, video walkthroughs, drop-in clinic info and recordings from internal events should all live here. It creates a sense of belonging and reduces pressure on the reporting team by enabling users to self-serve and find answers when they need them.

Learn How to Use, User Feedback

Governance isn’t a one-way broadcast, it should be a two-way conversation. Listening to your users, understanding their pain points and adjusting your guidance accordingly builds trust and improves adoption. Involving users in shaping policies makes them feel heard, valued and more likely to stay engaged. After all, the best way to promote Power BI across the business is to make users feel like they’re part of the journey - not just passengers.

Power BI Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Best Practices:

A CoE can be a game changer for Power BI adoption, but only if it’s done right. And by “right,” we don’t mean building a rulebook enforced by data gatekeepers. A good CoE promotes business value, not just data policies. It encourages internal champions, provides coaching, shares best practices and creates consistency without suffocating creativity. It takes feedback as from the above point, and makes that a topic of discussion. Starting small (even within one team) is fine, but the real impact comes when you involve business users across departments and create a community that supports each other. You may also think of it as a forum of people coming together, especially if you have a decentralised approach to reporting.

Want to know more about the Metis BI Training Approach? Here is a helpful video:

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How Metis BI Approaches Power BI Training

Metis BI provides bespoke training tailored to your organisation’s exact needs, delivered by industry-leading Power BI consultants. Our courses offer:

• Custom curriculums aligned with your business objectives.
• Practical sessions using your own data scenarios.
• Post-training follow-up to ensure continuous improvement.

If any of this sounds familiar, we can help! We’re end-to-end Power BI experts, with proven approaches, who know how to get it right.

Book a free call using the link below or click “Discuss my project.”

‍Power BI Help | Free Consultation & Support | Schedule a Call with Metis BI

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