Introduction

This book is intended for anyone with a basic knowledge of Excel who wants to analyze and visualize data in order to get results. It focuses on understanding the underlying structure of data, so that the most appropriate tools can be used to analyze it. The early working title of this book was “Big Data for the Masses,” implying that these tools make Business Intelligence (BI) more accessible to the average person who wants to leverage his or her Excel skills to analyze large datasets.

As discussed in Chapter 1, big data is more about volume and velocity than inherent complexity. This book works from the premise that many small- to medium-sized organizations can meet most of their data needs with Excel and Power BI. The book demonstrates ...

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