Course Overview

Good Excel models don’t simply store data — they empower you to make smarter, faster, and more confident decisions. Whether you’re preparing detailed management reports, analysing large and complex datasets, or creating meaningful KPIs for performance tracking, having access to the right Excel tools makes a decisive difference.

That’s precisely what the Advanced Excel: Power Query & Power Pivots course by Transformentors Academy is designed to deliver. It goes far beyond knowing individual formulas (though we absolutely cover those). It’s about strategically using Power Query and Power Pivot to transform, model, and analyse data with genuine efficiency — creating reports that are accurate, dynamic, and truly ready for real-world business application.

Over five intensive days, you’ll explore everything from systematically cleaning and combining diverse datasets to building sophisticated multi-table data models, applying advanced DAX calculations, and producing automated PivotTables and interactive dashboards. You’ll engage in hands-on practical exercises, streamline repetitive and time-consuming tasks, and develop the capability to deliver trusted insights that your organisation can confidently rely upon for strategic decision-making.

Agenda

Day — 1 Advanced Excel Foundations and Data Preparation Concepts

• Introduction to advanced Excel capabilities and understanding the transformative role of Power Query and Power Pivot
• Reviewing essential data concepts and principles required for conducting advanced analysis effectively
• Exploring data quality principles and identifying common data issues that can undermine analysis accuracy
• Introducing the fundamental concept of data modelling and how it contrasts with traditional spreadsheet-based analysis approaches
• Exploring the critical role of automation and repeatability in creating efficient and maintainable advanced Excel workflows
• Practical Exercise: Preparing a raw dataset for transformation and modelling by identifying issues and applying initial cleaning techniques

Day — 2 Power Query: Data Connection and Transformation

• Introducing Power Query and understanding its pivotal role in Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processes within Excel
• Ways for combining and integrating data from multiple diverse sources into a unified dataset
• Exploring core transformation techniques that prepare data for analysis, including:
  • Filtering and sorting data effectively
  • Splitting and combining columns strategically
  • Removing duplicate records
  • Pivoting and unpivoting data for optimal structure
• Understanding query steps, their dependencies, and the refresh logic that ensures data currency
• Strategies for managing data cleansing tasks using repeatable and reusable transformations that save time
• Practical Exercise: Building a complete Power Query workflow that consolidates and transforms data from multiple source files

Day — 3 Power Query: Advanced Transformation and Automation

• Introduction to advanced transformation techniques that enable sophisticated data manipulation, including:
  • Conditional logic for data-dependent transformations
  • Custom columns for calculated fields
  • Calculated Fields for advanced expressions
• Exploring how to work with dates, text functions, and numeric transformations to prepare data accurately
• Strategies for handling complex data structures effectively, including:
  • Nested tables and hierarchical data
  • Grouping and aggregation for summary reporting
• Discussing query performance considerations and identifying optimisation techniques that enhance efficiency
• Defining the concepts of the Power Query formula language and how to apply it for implementing custom logic
• Case Study: Automating a recurring data preparation and reporting task to demonstrate efficiency gains and practical applications

Day — 4 Power Pivot: Data Modelling and DAX Fundamentals

• Introducing Power Pivot and understanding the Excel Data Model architecture that underpins advanced analytics
• Exploring the fundamental principles of designing effective data models that support sophisticated analysis, including:
  • Fact tables and dimension tables and their distinct roles
  • Relationships and cardinality between tables
• Discussing calculated columns versus measures and understanding when each is most appropriately applied
• Understanding Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) fundamentals that enable powerful calculations, including:
  • Basic calculations and aggregations
  • Evaluation context and filter behaviour in DAX expressions
• Steps for building simple yet effective analytical measures that support comprehensive reporting requirements
• Practical Exercise: Creating a multi-table data model and developing basic DAX measures to support analytical queries

Day — 5 Advanced Power Pivot Analysis and Reporting

• Understanding advanced DAX concepts that unlock sophisticated analytical capabilities, including:
  • Time intelligence functions for temporal analysis
  • Context manipulation for dynamic calculations
  • Conditional calculations for complex business logic
• Methods for designing meaningful KPIs and performance metrics within Power Pivot that drive accountability
• Techniques for designing dynamic PivotTables and PivotCharts that respond to changing data and user selections
• Best practices for model maintenance, scalability, and auditability that ensure long-term reliability and governance
• Tips for developing professional reports and interactive dashboards based on analytical outputs and business insights
• Practical Exercise: Combining Power Query and Power Pivot to deliver a complete automated analytical solution from raw data to polished reporting

Post-Course

• Three (3) x hour-long Executive Coaching sessions at monthly intervals following Course Completion

Target Audience

• Senior Executives and C-level Leaders
• HR Directors and Organisational Development Managers
• Leadership Coaches and Mentors
• Change Management Specialists
• Managers and Department Heads
• Business Unit Leaders
• Talent Development and Leadership Development Professionals
• Employee Engagement and Culture Managers
• Strategic Planners and Decision Makers
• HR Business Partners
• Team Leaders and Supervisors involved in change initiatives
• Organisational Psychologists and Behavioural Experts
• Business Advisors

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to implement a successful strategy that enables you to:

• Identify and understand key characteristics of great leadership.
• Develop behaviours and habits that build credibility and influence.
• Analyse and evaluate leadership styles using real-world benchmarks.
• Recognise core traits that enable effective leadership in complex environments.
• Cultivate and apply growth-oriented mindsets.
• Adapt leadership behaviours through cognitive flexibility.
• Implement strategies to maintain leadership stability.
• Recognise and manage personal leadership triggers.
• Use techniques to sustain focus and clarity under pressure.
• Strengthen key dimensions of executive presence: credibility, clarity, and composure.
• Ensure alignment between self-perception and external signals of leadership.
• Utilise verbal and non-verbal techniques to enhance leadership impact.