7 simple steps to master data visualization

Step 1: Layout your Data

To effectively visualize your data, you need to arrange them in the correct layout.

Step 2: Improve data quality

Dates, Text and Numbers are treated differently when you visualize data. You can't put them into the same column. For example, price column cannot have text like FOC or NA. Dates column cannot have text like Jan. It needs to be a proper date like 1-Jan 2020.

Step 3: Master pivot Table

Pivot Table is a good tool to help you learn the basics of visualization. If you can't visualize data with Pivot Table, you can't do it with others. And most people have not master Pivot Table yet.

Step 4: Merge and Append data

Some data needs to be merged while others have to be appended. Knowing the difference between 2 will make sure that you do not corrupt the data in the process of visualization.

Step 5: Simple Dax

DAX is used to summarize data beyond the simple sum and count available in Pivot Table. Learning DAX brings you into the next level of data visualization.

Step 6: Advanced DAX

Comparing data across periods requires the use the advanced DAX formula. It will help you compute MTD, QTD, YTD with the previous periods. It can even calculate the numbers for financial year that does not start from 1 Jan.

Step 7: Visualization

Visual representations of data, making complex info easier to share and digest. Once you have master the first 6 steps, you will be able to use different tools such as Power BI, Tableau or Qlik Sense for data visualization.