Power Query (Part 2): Building an Instant Consolidation (Video) (Course Id 2215)

• Who is this course for?
  This course is designed for CPAs, accountants, and finance professionals who require Continuing Professional Education (CPE) and have basic knowledge of Excel and Power Query.

• What is this course about or what problem does this course solve?
  This course teaches how to build an instant consolidation system using Power Query, solving the challenge of time-consuming data consolidation and ad-hoc reporting.

• How can the knowledge from this course be used?
  Learners can use the knowledge to deploy automated data consolidations, build self-service reporting models, and enhance financial reporting efficiency.

• Why is this course important to a CPA or Accountant?
  It empowers professionals to streamline data handling processes, improving accuracy and productivity in financial reporting.

• When is this course relevant or timely?
  This course is timely for professionals handling frequent data consolidations, especially with increasing demands for real-time and automated reporting.

• How is a course like this consumed or used?
  The course is delivered via video in a self-study format, includes review and final exam questions, and is accessible online with no additional materials required.

The course is presented in four parts.

First, brief introduction to Power Query and discuss reasons it has become very popular in Finance and Accounting:

• Consolidate various types of data source files;
• Instant consolidation allows accountants to consolidate files in seconds;
• Facilitate self-service reporting by using Macro and Timeline.
• No more need to request for ad-hoc reports from report builders!

Second part demonstrates 7 intermediate formulas in data transformation with Power Query:

• 5 Text Formulas
• Date Formula
• Conditional formula

Third, we accelerate our learning with 6 advanced functions that dramatically increase our productivity. They relate to:

• How to consolidate files from same sources / file types,
• How to consolidate files from different sources / file types,
• How to fill gaps in rows,
• How to SUM without using Pivot Table,
• How to filter rows using a changing value, and
• How to quickly change folder?

Last, the course culminates through introducing the concept of “Instant Consolidation” and “Self-service Reporting”, and teaches the expert level of automating the whole data refresh cycle through controlled period selection from a Timeline!

Video - NASBA QAS - NASBA Registry - 2215

Course Learning Objectives

• Deploy a fully instant consolidation of data from different data sources
• Build a fully automated self-service reporting model from scratch
• Recognize 7 essential formulas in Power Query
• Understand 6 powerful functions in Power Query
• Enhance your financial reports with a Timeline that synchronizes your report title and statements

Chapter 1 - Power Query (Part 2): Building an Instant Consolidation

Chapter 1 Review Questions

Glossary/Index