As organizations generate increasing volumes of data, accounting professionals need tools that support efficient analysis, reporting, and decision-making. This certificate program provides a practical introduction to Power Query, Power Pivot, and Power BI, helping participants build reliable, scalable, and interactive reporting solutions. Through hands-on learning, participants will develop the skills to automate data preparation, analyze information from multiple sources, and create meaningful reports and dashboards that deliver timely business insights.

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ADVISORY

To receive the Data Analytics Certificate, you must attend all the live sessions. Sessions will not be recorded.

Accounting and finance professionals are increasingly expected to deliver faster reporting, deeper insights, and more flexible analysis of large and complex data sets. Traditional spreadsheet-based approaches can be time-consuming, difficult to maintain, and prone to manual errors. This program introduces Microsoft Power Query and Power Pivot, enabling participants to streamline data preparation, automate reporting processes, and build more robust analytical models.

Participants will learn how modern data modeling tools can improve efficiency, enhance data quality, and support more reliable reporting and analysis. The program explores techniques for integrating and transforming data from multiple sources, creating interactive reports and dashboards, and enabling deeper investigation of business information through drill-down capabilities and self-service reporting solutions. The program also demonstrates how structured data models can be used to support both traditional reporting and flexible, customized report layouts within Excel. Participants will gain practical experience using the same powerful data engine that supports Power BI while maintaining the reporting flexibility many organizations require.

Through a hands-on case study based on real-world scenarios, participants will apply a proven methodology for building data models and reporting solutions from raw data. The practical approach helps develop skills that can be applied immediately to workplace reporting, analysis, and business intelligence initiatives.

This program is designed for CPAs and accounting professionals who build reports, perform data analysis, or support organizational decision-making, particularly those who want to:

• Automate data processing to reduce manual effort, improve efficiency, and minimize the risk of errors.
• Connect, combine, and transform large or diverse data sources for analysis and reporting purposes.
• Create interactive reports, dashboards, and visualizations that support deeper exploration of business information.
• Expand their Excel capabilities and apply those skills to developing solutions in Power BI.

• Apply a method and design rules to create effective, efficient, and reliable data models, reports and dashboards
• Connect to data sources (including databases and folders with multiple files) using Power Query for data extraction, transformation, and loading. Record a script to extract and transform the desired data, load it into the data model or other queries, and then automate the process to run it with just a click, eliminating manual work
• Design and build diverse data structures, from simple single tables to complex normalized multi-table models that ensure data integrity and ease of maintenance. Create key metrics and measures including some examples using DAX coding
• Use data visualization and dashboards to enhance interpretation and insights, and structure dashboards for storytelling
• Create free format reports in Excel using the Power Pivot data engine that are not limited to pivot table or pivot chart layouts
• Apply the knowledge of Power Query and Power Pivot to build data models in Power BI Desktop
• Troubleshoot common problems, reuse data queries in other models and develop strategies for tackling more complex models and problems.

 Nov 17, 9:00am-12:30pm

• Data analytics transformation
• Getting data: extract, transform and load with Power Query

Nov 18, 9:00am-12:30pm

• Data modelling: building data models with Power Pivot

Nov 24, 9:00am-12:30pm

• Data visualisation: reporting, exploration and analysis using Pivot charts and dashboards
• Flexible hybrid models: combining Power Pivot data and charts with traditional Excel

Nov 25, 9:00am-12:30pm

• Power BI: applying what you learnt already to Power BI
• Next steps

For more details, please see the Data Analytics Certificate Program page.

Live webinars have varying levels of expected interaction, with some requiring microphone and camera capabilities to support a proper learning experience – please email pdreg@bccpa.ca if you have concerns. 

In general, we encourage participants to have their cameras turned on to enhance their virtual learning experience. This practice promotes a stronger connection with the instructor and fellow participants, and fosters improved communication and collaboration.

Live Webinar FAQs can be found here.  

Registration terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy can be found here. If you require further assistance, please contact the PD Department.