Select Page
In The Trenches

The Best Articles and Tutorials About Cloud Analytics, BI and Management 

Hi! I’m Paul. I’m a data nerd from the beautiful suburb of Durbanville, Cape Town.
I’m available for short term BI / data engineering projects and Cloud data migrations on Azure, AWS or Google Cloud.

To view my resume, please access it here:
Paul Hansen – Business Intelligence Professional 2023

Contact Me

Business Intelligence and Analytics Blog

In the dynamic and constantly evolving realm of data analytics, the integration of Excel and CSV file support directly into the report creation experience in Fabric, which is now in public preview, marks a significant leap forward. This development in Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics is streamlining workflows for data analysts and other information workers, making […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/excel-and-csv-connectors-in-fabric-a-game-changer-for-data-analysis/. The author is Kristi Cantor

Read More

Read More

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, staying ahead means constantly updating your skills. This is where Microsoft Certifications come into play, acting as a beacon for professionals aiming to validate their technical expertise. Among the myriad options, from the easiest Microsoft certifications to the most challenging ones, making an informed choice can be daunting. But […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/what-is-the-hardest-microsoft-certification-to-get/. The author is Kristi Cantor

Read More

Read More

In the realm of business analytics, the ability to quickly sift through complex analytics and transform vast datasets into insightful, actionable intelligence has always been crucial. Power BI stands as a pillar of innovation in this space, offering a comprehensive suite of tools that make data analysis both accessible and deeply informative. This blog takes […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/power-bi-visual-calculations/. The author is Kristi Cantor

Read More

Read More

In the ever-changing world of business intelligence, mastering the art of dashboard creation in Power BI is an important skill for translating complex datasets into actionable business insights. Through adept Power BI consulting, organizations are equipped to craft dashboards that not only simplify data analysis but also transform it into an engaging narrative. These dashboards […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/how-do-i-create-a-power-bi-dashboard/. The author is Kristi Cantor

Read More

Read More

It’s time for another short post on the free books that various authors have been kind enough to send me over the last few months. Full disclosure: these aren’t reviews as such, they’re more like free publicity in return for the free books, and I don’t pretend to be unbiased; also the Amazon UK links […]

This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/04/21/power-bi-data-books-roundup/. The author is Chris Webb

Read More

Read More

We are excited to announce the April 2024 release of the on-premises data gateway! This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/on-premises-data-gateway-april-2024-release/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/on-premises-data-gateway-april-2024-release/. The author is 

Read More

Read More

We have some exciting announcements to share regarding Copilot in Microsoft Fabric. The information in this blog post has also been shared with Fabric tenant administrators. Below are the highlights of the changes. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/copilot-in-power-bi-soon-available-to-more-users-in-your-organization/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/copilot-in-power-bi-soon-available-to-more-users-in-your-organization/. The author is 

Read More

Read More

In the rapidly evolving world of business intelligence, the integration of AI tools like CoPilot with Microsoft Power BI has opened new avenues for data analysis and decision-making. However, unlocking the full potential of CoPilot demands a well-prepared data model—a task that often necessitates a deeper dive into Power BI expertise or working with a […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/getting-your-data-ready/. The author is Marketing

Read More

Read More

Microsoft Fabric helps you build scalable and robust applications, which is crucial in today’s data-driven landscape. It simplifies development work and, equipped with Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics, gives you the tools to create applications capable of analyzing and processing data in real-time. Mastering Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics is a vital step for those looking to […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/navigating-the-learning-curve-of-microsoft-fabric-a-comprehensive-guide/. The author is Marketing

Read More

Read More

In the current data-driven landscape, the capability to harness insightful analytics is more than a luxury—it’s a necessity. Microsoft Power BI stands out as a pivotal tool in this arena, with Power BI Consulting emerging as a critical ally for businesses aiming to transform vast data lakes into actionable insights. Amidst the many features Power […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/what-is-the-difference-between-power-bi-dashboards-and-reports/. The author is Kristi Cantor

Read More

Read More

There are a couple of nice new features to do with table joins (or merges as they are known in M) and query folding in Power Query in the April release of Power BI Desktop that I want to highlight. Anti Joins now fold This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/04/14/new-semi-join-anti-join-and-query-folding-functionality-in-power-query/. The author is Chris WebbRead More

This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/04/14/new-semi-join-anti-join-and-query-folding-functionality-in-power-query/. The author is Chris Webb

Read More

Read More

This is the blog on how to deliver Power BI and paginated report subscriptions to OneDrive and SharePoint. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/deliver-report-subscriptions-to-onedrive-sharepoint-preview/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/deliver-report-subscriptions-to-onedrive-sharepoint-preview/. The author is 

Read More

Read More

Last week we published a new version of our Mailchimp Power BI App: Analytics for Mailchimp (previously known as “Mailchimp Email Marketing”). The app is available on Microsoft AppSource. Install Analytics for Mailchimp on Power BI This post first appeared at https://datachant.com/2024/04/11/mailchimp-in-power-bi-new-version/. The author is DataChant TeamRead More

This post first appeared at https://datachant.com/2024/04/11/mailchimp-in-power-bi-new-version/. The author is DataChant Team

Read More

Read More

Power BI April 2024 Feature Summary This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-april-2024-feature-summary/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-april-2024-feature-summary/. The author is 

Read More

Read More

Earlier this year, we announced Copilot preview for all customers with Premium/Fabric capacity in Power BI web. We’re thrilled to share that the same Copilot experience for report creation is now available for preview in Power BI Desktop. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-copilot-pane-in-power-bi-desktop-preview/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-copilot-pane-in-power-bi-desktop-preview/. The author is 

Read More

Read More

PowerPoint lets you play a presentation continuously. This is handy when you want to show information on public screens without anyone having to control it. In this update, we added a new configuration to Storytelling add-in that ensures that you get the latest data from Power BI when running in a continuous slide show. When […]

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/supporting-continuous-slide-shows-in-power-bi-storytelling-add-in/. The author is 

Read More

Read More

The built-in mapping functionality in Power BI paginated reports is fairly basic. However the integration of Power Query into Power BI paginated reports gives you an interesting new way of creating maps in paginated reports: you can call the Azure Maps API using Power Query and display the image returned in an Image report item. […]

This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/04/07/displaying-azure-maps-in-a-power-bi-paginated-report/. The author is Chris Webb

Read More

Read More

In the era of data-driven decision-making, having a robust analytics tool is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity. Power BI, Microsoft’s premiere business intelligence (BI) platform, stands out for its powerful dashboard capabilities, transforming raw data into actionable insights. Through Power BI Consulting, businesses can harness these capabilities to not only visualize their data […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/power-bi-dashboards-for-your-business/. The author is Kristi Cantor

Read More

Read More

In the ever-changing world of data analytics, Microsoft Fabric stands out as a pioneering technology that is reshaping how businesses approach data integration, analysis, and visualization. At its core, Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics represents a suite of tools and services designed to enhance and streamline the processing of vast amounts of data across various sources. […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/microsoft-fabric-data-analytics-certification/. The author is Kristi Cantor

Read More

Read More

The digital grapevine is buzzing with news that could reshape the landscape of data analytics within your organization. Microsoft has announced the retirement of legacy Power BI apps, ushering in an era of apps tailored for audiences. If you’re wondering about the ripple effects this change might have on your current data tools—or if you’ve […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/have-you-heard-power-bis-legacy-apps-are-being-retired/. The author is Marketing

Read More

Read More