How to Create a Power BI KPI Dashboard?

Creating a Power BI KPI dashboard is not an easy task. Defining your key performance indicators (KPIs) is only half the task.

You need to present the data to your stakeholders in a persuasive way.

You might have the data collected by a software application, for example, and stored in a spreadsheet.

The data could even be updated manually.

All these factors pose a challenge when it comes to creating a visually appealing yet effective dashboard.

The good news is that Power BI (PBI) provides KPI dashboard templates to get you started.

In this article, we delve into Power BI KPI dashboards. We begin by defining them. We then discuss the best visuals that you can use for your PBI KPI dashboards.

We’ll learn how to create a KPI dashboard in PBI and explore some use cases.

Table of Content:

1. What is a KPI Dashboard in Power BI?
2. Best Visuals for KPI Dashboard in Power BI
3. How to Create a KPI Dashboard in Power BI?
4. Uses of a Power BI KPI Dashboard
5. Wrap Up

What is a KPI Dashboard in Power BI?

A KPI dashboard in Power BI is a visual representation of your organization’s KPIs. It provides a centralized view of your data. This helps you see how your business is performing against your goals.

KPI dashboards are made up of KPI visuals. These visuals display a KPI’s current value, target value, and status.

You can create KPI visuals for any metric that is important to your business, such as:

• Sales
• Revenue
• Customer satisfaction
• Employee Productivity

KPI dashboards are a powerful tool that can help you identify areas for improvement.

And in Power BI for Mac KPI dashboard, you can quickly make informed decisions to help you achieve your goals.

Best Visuals for KPI Dashboard in Power BI

In this section, we explore the best visuals for your KPI dashboards on Power BI.

• Sales Dashboard

A sales dashboard is a visual representation that can be used to track sales KPIs like:

• • Sales revenue: This is the total amount of money that your sales team has generated.
  • Sales quota attainment: This is the percentage of your sales quota that your team has met.
  • Lead conversion rate: This is the percentage of leads that your sales team has converted into customers.
  • Customer holding rate: This is the percentage of customers that your sales team has retained over a period of time.

A sales KPI dashboard provides sales managers with a single view of key sales KPIs and metrics. This makes it easier to track performance and identify areas for improvement.

Here are some of the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you can track on a sales KPI dashboard in Power BI:

You can also track other KPIs that are specific to your business, such as:

• • the number of new customers acquired,
  • the number of sales calls made,
  • and the number of deals closed.

The following is a PBI dataset of sales delivery data:

Store	Category	Items	Brand	Units Sold
Online Store	Electronics	Mobile	Samsung	39
Online Store	Electronics	Tablet	Samsung	73
Online Store	Electronics	Laptop	Dell	156
Online Store	Garments	Jeans	Levi’s	46
Online Store	Garments	T-Shirt	H&M	104
Online Store	Garments	Jackets	Puma	41
Online Store	Furniture	Sofa	IKEA	73
Online Store	furniture	Chair	Kartell	46
Online Store	furniture	Desk	Stickley	43

A PBI KPI dashboard will present the above data in a very effective way.

• Financial Dashboard

A financial dashboard in Power BI is a visual representation of important KPIs for a business’s financial health.

Here are some examples of financial KPIs that you can track on a Power BI data visualization dashboard:

• • Sales: The total amount of sales that your business has generated.
  • Revenue: The total amount of money that your business has earned.
  • Expenses: The total amount of money that your business has spent.
  • Profit: The amount of money that your business has made after deducting expenses from revenue.
  • Customer satisfaction: The level of satisfaction that your customers have with your products or services.

By tracking these KPIs, you can get a better understanding of the financial health of your business.

This information can help you make data-informed decisions to help you achieve your goals.

Let’s use the following data to create a PBI KPI financial dashboard:

Locations	Revenue	Profit & Cost	Details	Amount
North America	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Sales	132000
North America	Revenue	Expenses	Salaries	159000
North America	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Marketing	170000
North America	Revenue	Profit	Tax	182000
North America	Revenue	Profit	Profit After Tax	834000
International	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Sales	162000
International	Revenue	Expenses	Salaries	158000
International	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Marketing	145000
International	Revenue	Profit	Tax	171000
International	Revenue	Profit	Profit After Tax	753000
Middle East	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Sales	155000
Middle East	Revenue	Expenses	Salaries	166000
Middle East	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Marketing	199000
Middle East	Revenue	Profit	Tax	151000
Middle East	Revenue	Profit	Profit After Tax	685000

A PBI KPI dashboard presents the above data in a visually appealing way, as shown below:

How to Create a KPI Dashboard in Power BI

In this section, we learn how to create a KPI dashboard in Power BI.

Stage 1: Logging in to Power BI

• Log in to Power BI.
• Enter your email. Click the “Submit” button.

• Enter your password and click “Sign in.”

• Choose whether to stay signed in.

Stage 2: Create a Data Set and Select the Data Set to Use in Your Sankey Chart

• Click on the “Create” option on the left-side menu.
• Select ”Paste or manually enter data.”

• We’ll use the following data for this example.

Locations	Revenue	Profit & Cost	Details	Amount
North America	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Sales	132000
North America	Revenue	Expenses	Salaries	159000
North America	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Marketing	170000
North America	Revenue	Profit	Tax	182000
North America	Revenue	Profit	Profit After Tax	834000
International	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Sales	162000
International	Revenue	Expenses	Salaries	158000
International	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Marketing	145000
International	Revenue	Profit	Tax	171000
International	Revenue	Profit	Profit After Tax	753000
Middle East	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Sales	155000
Middle East	Revenue	Expenses	Salaries	166000
Middle East	Revenue	Expenses	Cost of Marketing	199000
Middle East	Revenue	Profit	Tax	151000
Middle East	Revenue	Profit	Profit After Tax	685000

• Paste the above data table into the “Power Query” window.
• Select the “Create a dataset only” option.

• Click on the “Data Hub” option on the left-side menu.
• Power BI populates the data set list. (If you have not created a data set, refer to the Error! Reference source not found section.)

• Choose the data set you want to use to create your Sankey diagram.
• Power BI populates the screen as shown below:

• The data set and its fields are shown on the right side. The middle area shows report and data set options.
• Click on the “Create a report” dropdown.
• Select “Start from scratch.”

• You should see the Report Canvas screen as shown below:

Stage 3: Adding the Power BI Sankey Diagram Extension by ChartExpo

• To finish creating our Sankey Diagram, we’ll use an add-in or Power BI visual from AppSource.
• Navigate to the Power BI Visualizations panel.
• Click the ellipsis (…) highlighted above to import the Power BI Sankey Diagram extension by ChartExpo.

• The following menu opens:
• Select the “Get more visuals” option.
• The following window opens:

• • Enter “Sankey Diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo” in the highlighted search box.

• You should see “Sankey Diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo” as shown in the image below.

• Click the highlighted “Add” button.

• Power BI will add the “Sankey Diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo” icon in the visualization panel.

Stage 4: Drawing a Sankey Diagram with ChartExpo’s Power BI extension

• Select the “Sankey Diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo” icon in the visualization panel.
• The following window opens in the report section of your dashboard:

• You can resize the visual as needed.
• Navigate to the right side of your Power BI dashboard. You should see “Fields” next to “Visualizations.”

• You’ll select the fields to use in your Sankey Chart here.
• The ChartExpo visual needs to be selected, though.
• Select the fields in the following sequence:
  • Locations
  • Revenue
  • Profit and Cost
  • Details
  • Amount

• You’ll be asked for a ChartExpo license key or email address.

Stage 5: Activating your ChartExpo Trial or Applying a Subscription Key

• Select the ChartExpo visual. You should see three icons below “Build Visual” in the Visualizations panel.

• Select the middle icon, “Format visual.”
• The visual properties will be populated as shown below.

• If you are a new user,
  • Type in your email under the section titled “Trial Mode”.
  • This should be the email address that you used to subscribe to the ChartExpo add-in. It is where your ChartExpo license key will be sent.
  • Ensure that your email address is valid.
  • Click “Enable Trial.” You’ll get a 7-day trial.

• You should receive a welcome email from ChartExpo.
• The Sankey Diagram you create under the 7-day trial contains the ChartExpo watermark (see below).

• If you have obtained a license key:
  • Enter your license key in the “ChartExpo License Key” textbox in the “License Settings” section (see below).
  • Slide the toggle switch next to “Enable License” to “On.”

• Your Sankey diagram should now be ready (see below). Note that it does not have a watermark.

• To add colors, expand the “Level Colors” properties and select a color.
• Do this to change the color of each node.
• All changes are automatically saved.

• Click on the “Pin” icon at the top of the Sankey Chart.

• Select the dashboard on which you want to pin the chart.
• Click on the “Pin” button.

• Your final Sankey Chart looks like the one below:

• You can add more charts and graphs to this dashboard according to your use case.

Insights

• Level 1 (locations) shows that North America is a major contributor to revenue. North America’s revenue was $1.48m, which is around 35%. The Middle East contributed the least in revenue ($1.38m), which was 32%.
• At level 2, (revenue), the company’s total revue was $4.22m.
• At level 3, (profit and expenses), $1.45m was spent on expenses. This left the company with a $2.87m profit.
• At level 4. (details), the $2.87m profit was split between $2.27m profits and $504K taxes.
• Expenses were divided into three nodes: sales costs, salaries, and marketing costs. This translated to $449K, $483K, and $514K respectively.

Uses of a Power BI KPI Dashboard

Here are some of the uses of a Power BI KPI dashboard:

• Tracking key metrics

KPI dashboards provide a central location for users to track important metrics for their business. By utilizing a Power BI data connector, users can seamlessly integrate and visualize their data, helping them stay up-to-date on performance and identify areas where improvement is needed.

• Identifying trends

KPI dashboards can be used to identify trends in performance over time. This can help users make better decisions about how to allocate resources and improve their business.

When choosing a tool for creating KPI dashboards, it’s worth comparing options like Looker vs. Power BI to determine which best meets your needs for data analysis and visualization.

• Help in making data-informed decisions

KPI dashboards can help users make data-informed decisions. This is because they provide a clear picture of how the business is performing.

• Improving communication and collaboration

Sharing KPI data with employees, managers, and other stakeholders can get everyone on the same page. This helps in working towards common goals.

• Increased efficiency

KPI dashboards can help you save time by automating the process of collecting and analyzing data.

FAQs:

In this section, we answer some questions you might still have regarding Power BI KPI dashboards.

How do I create a KPI dashboard in Power BI?

To create a KPI dashboard in Power BI, follow these steps:

1. Open the Power BI Desktop application.
2. Click on the “File” menu and select “New”.
3. Select the “Blank Report” option and click on the “Create” button.
4. In the “Fields” pane, select the measures and metrics that you want to use for your KPIs.
5. Drag and drop the measures and metrics onto the canvas to create a visual.
6. To convert the visual into a KPI, click on the “KPI” icon in the Visualizations pane.
7. In the “KPI Properties” dialog box, configure the following settings:

• Goal: The goal is the desired value for the KPI.
• Current Value: The current value of the KPI.
• Trend: The trend of the KPI over time.
• Status: The status of the KPI, such as “Good”, “Bad”, or “Neutral”.

1. Click on the “OK” button to save your changes.
2. Repeat steps 4-8 to create additional KPIs.
3. To arrange the KPIs on the dashboard, drag and drop them into the desired position.
4. To format the KPIs, right-click on them and select “Format”.
5. In the “Format” dialog box, you can change the font, color, and other properties of the KPIs.
6. When you are finished creating and formatting your KPIs, click on the “File” menu and select “Save”.

What is the difference between a KPI report and a KPI dashboard?

A KPI report and a KPI dashboard are both tools used to track and measure KPIs.

However, there are some key differences between the two.

A KPI report is a static document that is typically distributed to stakeholders on a regular basis. It usually includes a summary of performance data as well as analysis and insights into the data.

A KPI dashboard, on the other hand, is a dynamic visual representation of KPI data. It usually monitors performance in real time.

Wrap Up

We have explored Power BI KPI dashboards. We began by defining them and looking at the best visuals you can use in KPI dashboards.

We then learned how to create KPI dashboards in Power PBI. Eventually, we looked at Power BI KPI dashboard uses.

We also answered some questions you might have had about KPI dashboards in Power BI.

We hope that you’re now ready to create effective and visually appealing KPI dashboards on Power BI.`