Dashboard Basics (aka: "Please don't do this")
This is the first thing you should define before building any dashboard, even before opening Power BI or Tableau.
What is the business question (or audience)?
This SQL keyword is used to retrieve data from a table.
What is SELECT?
This is the superior BI tool.
What is Power BI?
In DAX, this type of calculation responds to slicers and filters.
What is a measure?
Power Query is primarily used for this step in the data process.
What is data transformation?
This common mistake happens when a dashboard tries to show everything and ends up answering nothing.
What is scope creep?
This clause limits rows returned based on conditions, like filtering to active projects only.
What is WHERE?
In Tableau, this feature is similar to Power BI slicers and allows users to interact with visuals.
What are filters (or parameters)?
This DAX function is used to modify filter context, and beginners both love and fear it.
What is CALCULATE()?
This Power Query step removes extra spaces that cause “duplicate” values like “Project A ” and “Project A”.
What is Trim?
This principle suggests users should understand a chart in under 5 seconds, or it’s probably too complex.
What is cognitive load (or visual simplicity)?
This SQL operation combines rows from two tables based on a related column, such as Project ID.
What is JOIN?
In Power BI, this model structure separates facts and dimensions for better performance and clarity.
What is a star schema?
This function returns the single value currently selected in a slicer — or blank if there’s more than one.
What is SELECTEDVALUE()?
This Power Query feature lets you repeat steps automatically when new data arrives.
What are applied steps?
In capital project dashboards, this metric is often confused with “budget,” but actually reflects approved changes over time.
What is revised budget?
This type of join returns all rows from the left table, even when no match exists on the right.
What is LEFT JOIN?
Tableau users write these expressions to control calculation behavior across dimensions.
What are Level of Detail (LOD) expressions?
This DAX problem occurs when totals don’t equal the sum of visible rows.
What is context transition (or incorrect filter context)?
This best practice avoids breaking reports when column names change slightly in source systems.
What is referencing columns by position or using defensive transformations?
This is where all users actually want their data.
What is Excel?
This SQL concept explains why joining a fact table to a dimension incorrectly can suddenly triple your costs.
What is a many-to-many relationship (or row multiplication)?
This shared concept explains why a measure changes when you click a chart, but a calculated column does not.
What is filter context?
This letter in the alphabet is used to describe the curve often requested for showing accumulative plan vs actual.
What is S?
This performance concept explains why filtering early in Power Query makes dashboards refresh faster.
What is query folding?