Pivotal data moment #3
From tables to models
At first I kept joining and stitching tables together. Then I started asking two different questions: what is my calculation and what are my filters?
That was the step from tables to models for me. Kimball gave me language for it. SQL helped me build it for real.
A fact table can still lead to long discussions. For this page, keep it simple. What belongs in the middle? What are we talking about? Which values do we want to calculate?
Build a small star schema yourself
Choose a domain. First you will see one wide reporting table. Then click the columns into their place in the model.
Why this moment counted for me
In my trainings this point often returns quickly. Not as a theory block, but as a practical way to bring calm into a Power BI model.
Once you start thinking in facts and dimensions, something changes in how you look at data. Questions become clearer. Models become smaller. Calculations become more predictable.
Further reading
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Workshop data modelling
Where we practise this thinking on real models, with your own data and your own questions. -
Note: data modelling
Why a solid data model is still the most important Power BI skill. -
Pivotal data moment #1: From VLOOKUP to join
The keys and joins you see here start there. -
Pivotal data moment #2: Frequently Asked Queries
Power Query is usually the step before data enters the model. - Back to all notes