Power BI reports help you tell great stories by making your data visible and real. Visio diagrams help you communicate more effectively by providing visual representations of the real world.

Too often though, Power BI reports and Visio diagrams exist in isolation. What if you could combine the data connectivity and visualizations of Power BI with the graphical context of a Visio diagram? That’s the purpose of this workshop: to create Power BI reports that use Visio to provide visual context for your data.

Bring a Mac or a PC to this hands-on workshop! (Visio and Power BI will be provided; details below.)

We’ll begin by exploring the data capabilities of Visio by itself: storing data in Visio shapes; visualizing data in Visio diagrams; and linking diagrams to live data sources so the diagram always reflects the real world. Along the way, you’ll learn tips and tricks that will enhance your diagramming skills considerably, regardless whether you’re new to Visio or have been using it for years.

Next we’ll use instructor-supplied data to create a Power BI report that is useful… but has a hole in it. Literally! We’ll fill that hole with a Visio diagram that adds visual context to the report.

We’ll explore use cases like empowering facility managers with data-driven floor plans; using HR data and an org chart to locate employees with specific skills or training; and leveraging inventory and sales data to adjust retail store layout.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have built multiple Visio diagrams and Power BI reports. You’ll leave knowing more about Visio, more about Power BI, and more about combining these products to derive insights you might have overlooked without this powerful combination.

Logistics: Bring a Mac or PC to this hands-on workshop. If you have the desktop version of Visio installed on your computer, that’s a bonus. However, you’re not required to have either a Visio or Power BI license; the instructor will provide access to Visio Plan 2 and the Power BI service, both of which run in any browser on any device. Some experience with Visio and Power BI would be helpful but is NOT required.

Wifi is required for this workshop.

The session description is for a full-day workshop. It's easy to modify the workshop for a half-day format, if required.