This course starts with the basics then moves seamlessly to an intermediate level. It includes a comprehensive yet balanced look at the four main components that make up Power BI Desktop: Report view, Data view, Model view, and the Power Query Editor. It also demonstrates how to use the online Power BI service. It looks at authoring tools that enables you to connect to and transform data from a variety of sources, allowing you to produce dynamic reports using a library of visualisations. Once you have those reports, the course looks at the seamless process of sharing those with your colleagues by publishing to the online Power BI service. The aim of this course is to provide a strong understanding of the Power BI analysis process, by working with real-world examples that will equip you with the necessary skills to start applying your knowledge straight away. 1 Getting started The Power BI process Launching Power BI Desktop The four views of Power BI Dashboard visuals 2 Connecting to files Connect to data sources Connect to an Excel file Connect to a CSV file Connect to a database Import vs. DirectQuery Connect to a web source Create a data table 3 Transforming data The process of cleaning data Column data types Remove rows with filters Add a custom column Append data to a table Fix error issues Basic maths operations 4 Build a data model Table relationships Manage table relationships 5 Merge queries Table join kinds Merging tables 6 Create report visualisations Creating map visuals Formatting maps Creating chart visuals Formatting chart Tables, matrixes, and cards Control formatting with themes Filter reports with slicers Reports for mobile devices Custom online visuals Export report data to Excel 7 The power query editor Fill data up and down Split columns by delimiter Add conditional columns Merging columns 8 The M formula Creating M functions Create an IF function Create a query group 9 Pivot and unpivot tables Pivot tables in the query editor Pivot and append tables Pivot but don't summarise Unpivot tables Append mismatched headers 10 Data modelling revisited Data model relationships Mark a calendar as a date table 11 Introduction to calculated columns New columns vs. measures Creating a new column calculation The SWITCH function 12 Introduction to DAX measures Common measure categories The SUM measure Adding measures to visuals COUNTROWS and DISINCTCOUNT functions DAX rules 13 The CALCULATE measure The syntax of CALCULATE Things of note about CALCULATE 14 The SUMX measure The SUMX measure X iterator functions Anatomy of SUMX 15 Introduction to time intelligence Importance of a calendar table A special lookup table The TOTALYTD measure Change year end in TOTALYTD 16 Hierarchy, groups and formatting Create a hierarchy to drill data Compare data in groups Add conditional formatting 17 Share reports on the web Publish to the BI online service Get quick insights Upload reports from BI service Exporting report data What is Q&A? Sharing your reports 18 Apply your learning Post training recap lesson
In today's competitive business world firms are under unprecedented pressure to deliver value to their shareholders and other key stakeholders. Senior executives in all parts of the organisation are finding that they need some degree of financial know how to cope with the responsibility placed on them as business managers and key decision-makers; monitoring and improving business performance, investing in capital projects, mergers and acquisitions: all require some degree of financial knowledge. The key financial skills are not as difficult to learn as many people believe and in the hands of an experienced senior executive they can provide a formidable competitive advantage. After completing this course delegates will be able to: Understand fundamental business finance concepts; understand, analyse and interpret financial statements: Profit Statement, Balance Sheet and Cashflow Statement Understand the vital difference between profit and cashflow; identify the key components of working capital and how they can be managed to generate strong cashflow Evaluate pricing decisions based on an understanding of the nature of business costs and their impact on gross margin and break-even sales; managing pricing, discounts and costs to generate strong business profits; understand how lean manufacturing methods improve profit Use powerful analytical tools to measure and improve the performance of their own company and assess the effectiveness of their competitors Apply and interpret techniques for assessing and comparing investment opportunities in capital projects, business acquisitions and other ventures; understand and apply common methods of business valuation Understand the role of business finance in formulating and implementing competitive business strategy; the role of budgeting as part of the planning process and the various approaches to budgeting and performance measurement 1 Basic principles Delivering value to key stakeholders Accounting concepts, GAAP, IFRS and common terms Understanding and using the balance sheet Understanding and using the profit statement Recognising the vital difference between profit and cashflow Understanding and using the cashflow statement What financial statements can and cannot tell us 2 Managing and improving cashflow Sources of finance and their advantages and disadvantages What is working capital and why is it so important? Managing stocks, debtors and creditors Understanding how working capital drives business growth Understanding and avoiding the over-trading trap Unlocking the funds tied up in fixed assets: asset backed loans and leasing 3 Managing and improving profit Understanding how profits generate cashflow The fundamental nature of costs: fixed and variable business costs Understanding gross margin and break-even How common pricing methods affect gross margin and profit Effective strategies to improve gross margin Using value chain analysis to reduce costs Lean manufacturing methodsUnderstanding Just-in-time, 6 Sigma and Kaizen methods Improving profitEffective and defective strategies 4 Measuring and managing business performance Measures of financial performance and strength Investor behaviour: the risk and reward relationship Return on investment (ROI): the ultimate measure of business performance How profit margin and net asset turnover drive return on net assets Why some companies are more profitable that others Understanding competitive advantage: cost and differentiation advantage Why great companies failWhat happened to Kodak? Using a 'Pyramid of Ratios' to improve business performance Using Critical Success Factors to develop Key Performance Indicators 5 Budgeting and forecasting methods Using budgets to support strategy Objectives and methods for effective budgets Using budgets to monitor and manage business performance Alternative approaches to budgeting Developing and implementing Balanced Scorecards Beyond Budgeting Forecasting methods and techniques Identifying key business drivers Using rolling forecasts and 'what-if' models to aid decision-making
REFERENCE CODE 600/6511/4 COURSE LEVEL NVQ Level 2 THIS COURSE IS AVAILABLE IN Course Overview This qualification is aimed at those who are involved in plastering activities in the workplace. It is not expected that candidates working in this industry all do the same activities so the qualification has been developed to allow opportunities for those carrying out work in any one of the following broad categories: solid basic plastering, solid full plastering, basic fibrous plastering and full fibrous plastering. Those taking the qualification must also prove knowledge and competence in working at heights, calculating quantities and wastage and the use of powered and hand tools and equipment. All work completed must be done in accordance with building regulations and industry recognised safe working practices, including the disposal of waste. The qualification is structured to ensure that there is a high degree of flexibility within the units available and will allow employees from companies of all sizes and specialisms equal opportunity to complete. To provide this opportunity in addition to the core skills above, candidates will also be able to select optional units recognising skills including, working with direct bond dry linings, laying sand and cement screeds, installing mechanically fixed plasterboard and carrying out repair work. The standards cover the most important aspects of the job. This qualification is at Level 2, although some units may be at different levels and should be taken by those who are fully trained to deal with routine assignments. Candidates should require minimum supervision in undertaking the job
This course is very much a discussion, so be prepared to present and critically analyse your own and class mates work. You will also need to bring a few examples of work you have done in the past. Learning and applying best practice visualisation principles will improve effective discussions amongst decision makers throughout your organisation. As a result more end-users of your dashboards will be able to make better decisions, more quickly. This 2 Day training course is aimed at analysts with good working knowledge of BI tools (we use Tableau to present, but attendees can use their own software such as Power BI or Qlik Sense). It is a great preparation for taking advanced certifications, such as Tableau Certified Professional. Contact us to discuss the Visual Analytics Best Practice course Email us if you are interested in an on-site course, or would be interested in different dates and locations This Tableau Desktop training intermediate course is designed for the professional who has a solid foundation with Tableau and is looking to take it to the next level. Attendees should have a good understanding of the fundamental concepts of building Tableau worksheets and dashboards typically achieved from having attended our Tableau Desktop Foundation Course. At the end of this course you will be able to communicate insights more effectively, enabling your organisation to make better decisions, quickly. The Tableau Desktop Analyst training course is aimed at people who are used to working with MS Excel or other Business Intelligence tools and who have preferably been using Tableau already for basic reporting. The course includes the following topics: WHAT IS VISUAL ANALYSIS? Visual Analytics Visual Analytics Process Advantages of Visual Analysis Exercise: Interpreting Visualisations HOW DO WE PROCESS VISUAL INFORMATION? Memory and Processing Types Exercise: Identifying Types of Processing Cognitive Load Exercise: Analysing Cognitive Load Focus and Guide the Viewer Remove Visual Distractions Organise Information into Chunks Design for Proximity Exercise: Reducing Cognitive Load SENSORY MEMORY Pre-attentive Attributes Quantitatively-Perceived Attributes Categorically-Perceived Attributes Exercise: Analysing Pre-attentive Attributes Form & Attributes Exercise: Using Form Effectively Colour & Attributes Exercise: Using Colour Effectively Position & Attributes Exercise: Using Position Effectively ENSURING VISUAL INTEGRITY Informing without Misleading Gestalt Principles Visual Area Axis & Scale Colour Detail Exercise: Informing without Misleading CHOOSING THE RIGHT VISUALISATION Comparing and Ranking Categories Comparing Measures Comparing Parts to Whole Viewing Data Over Time Charts Types for Mapping Viewing Correlation Viewing Distributions Viewing Specific Values DASHBOARDS AND STORIES Exercise: Picking the Chart Type Exercise: Brainstorming Visual Best Practice Development Process for Dashboards and Stories Plan the Visualisation Create the Visualisation Test the Visualisation Exercise: Designing Dashboards and Stories This training course includes over 20 hands-on exercises to help participants “learn by doing” and to assist group discussions around real-life use cases. Each attendee receives an extensive training manual which covers the theory, practical applications and use cases, exercises and solutions together with a USB with all the materials required for the training. The course starts at 09:30 on the first day and ends at 17:00. On the second day the course starts at 09:00 and ends at 17:00. Students must bring their own laptop with an active version of Tableau Desktop 10.5 (or later) pre-installed. What People Are Saying About This Course "Steve was willing to address questions arising from his content in a full and understandable way"Lisa L. "Really enjoyed the course and feel the subject and the way it was taught was very close to my needs"James G. "The course tutor Steve was incredibly helpful and taught the information very well while making the two days very enjoyable."Bradd P. "The host and his courses will give you the tools and confidence that you need to be comfortable with Tableau."Jack S. "Steve was fantastic with his knowledge and knowhow about the product. Where possible he made sure you could put demonstrations in to working practice, to give the audience a clear understanding."Tim H. "This was a very interesting and helpful course, which will definitely help me produce smarter, cleaner visualisations that will deliver more data-driven insights within our business."Richard A. "Steve is very open to questions and will go out of his way to answer any query. Thank you"Wasif N. "Steve was willing to address questions arising from his content in a full and understandable way"Lisa L. "Really enjoyed the course and feel the subject and the way it was taught was very close to my needs"James G.
There is a lot to learn in Power BI, this course takes a comprehensive look at the fundamentals of analysing data and includes a balanced look at the four main components that make up Power BI Desktop: Report view, Data view, Model view, and the Power Query Editor. It also demonstrates how to utilise the online Power BI service. It looks at authoring tools that enable you to connect to and transform data from a variety of sources, allowing you to produce detailed reports through a range of visualisations, in an interactive and dynamic way. It also includes a detailed look at formulas by writing both M functions in Power Query, and DAX functions in Desktop view. This knowledge will allow you to take your reports to the next level. The aim of this course is to provide a complete introduction to understanding the Power BI analysis process, by working hands-on with examples that will equip you with the necessary skills to start applying your learning straight away. 1 Getting Started The Power BI ecosystem Opening Power BI Desktop Power BI's four views Introduction to Dashboards 2 Importing Files Importing data sources Importing an Excel file Importing a CSV file Importing a database Connect to an SQL Server Database Import vs. Direct Query Importing from the web Importing a folder of files Managing file connections 3 Shape Data in the Query Editor The process of shaping data Managing data types Keeping and removing rows Add a custom column Appending tables together Hiding queries in reports Fixing error issues Basic maths operations 4 The Data Model Table relationships Relationship properties 5 Merge Queries Table join kinds Merging tables 6 Inserting Dashboard Visuals Things to keep in mind Inserting maps Formatting Maps Inserting charts Formatting Charts Inserting a tree map Inserting a table, matrix, and card Controlling number formats About report themes Highlighting key points Filter reports with slicers Sync slicers across dashboards Custom web visuals 7 Publish and share Reports Publishing to Power BI service Editing online reports Pinning visuals to a dashboard What is Q&A? Sharing dashboards Exporting reports to PowerPoint Exporting reports as PDF files 8 The Power Query Editor Fill data up and down Split column by delimiter Add a conditional column More custom columns Merging columns 9 The M Functions Inserting text functions Insert an IF function Create a query group 10 Pivoting Tables Pivot a table Pivot and append tables Pivot but don't aggregate Unpivot tables Append mismatched headers 11 Data Modelling Expanded Understanding relationships Mark a date table 12 DAX New Columns New columns and measures New column calculations Insert a SWITCH function 13 Introduction to DAX Measures Common measure functions Insert a SUM function Insert a COUNTROWS function Insert a DISTINCTCOUNT function Insert a DIVIDE function DAX rules 14 The CALCULATE Measure The syntax of CALCULATE Insert a CALCULATE function Control field summarisation Things of note 15 The SUMX measure X iterator functions Anatomy of SUMX Insert a SUMX function When to use X functions 16 Time Intelligence Measures Importance of a calendar table Insert a TOTALYTD function Change financial year end date Comparing historical data Insert a DATEADD function 17 Hierarchies and Groups Mine data using hierarchies Compare data in groups
An insightful, enjoyable and experiential programme to help you analyse data and information and make a balanced decision based upon sound commercial reasoning. It will enable you to identify options, make decisions and take actions based on a thorough analysis combined with instinct and intuition to make a positive effect on profitability. This programme will help you: Identify ways to analyse data and sort relevant from irrelevant information Develop analytical and numerate thinking, and consider the financial implications of a decision Make decisions based on sound commercial reasoning - a mix of intuition and analysis Select from a range of tools to analyse a situation and apply these effectively Understand how costs and profits are calculated Use tried-and-tested techniques to manage and control your budgets Appreciate the fundamentals of financial analysis Focus on the bottom line Identify the basics of capital investment appraisal for your business Evaluate results and seek opportunities for improvement to your business 1 The commercial environment What do shareholders and investors want? What do managers want? Profit v non-profit organisations Investor expectations 2 Financial and non-financial information Risk and reward considerations Drivers of commercial decisions 3 Running a business A practical exercise to bring financial statements to life Different stakeholder interests in a business The impact and consequences of decisions on financial statements 4 Where do I make a difference to the organisation? How can I contribute to an improved business performance? Key performance indicators - measuring the right things A 'balanced scorecard' approach - it's not all about money! 5 A 'balanced scorecard' approach Analysing and reviewing my contribution to the business direction What is the current focus of my commercial decisions? Developing the business in the right way - getting the balance right! Where should/could it be in the future? Do my decisions support the overall vision and strategy? 6 Making commercial decisions Left-brain and right-brain thinking Convergent and divergent thinking Analysis and instinct Interactive case study exercise - emotional and rational decisions Reflection - what is my style of making decisions 7 Let's consider the customer! Identifying target markets Differentiating propositions and products Customer service considerations Marketing considerations and initiatives Pricing strategies and considerations 8 Strategic analysis The external environment The internal environment LEPEST analysis SWOT analysis Forecasting Group activity - analysing markets and the competition How do these improve your decisions? 9 Comparing performance Analysing key financial ratios Ways to compare performance and results Break-even analysis 10 Profit and loss accounts and budgeting Managing income and expenditure The budgeting process How does this link to the profit and loss account? Managing and controlling a cost centre/budget The role of the finance department Different ways of budgeting Incremental budgeting Zero-based budgeting 11 Understanding the balance sheet Purpose of balance sheets Understanding and navigating the content What does a balance sheet tell you? How do you affect your balance sheet? Links to the profit and loss account A practical team exercise that brings financial statements to life 12 Business decisions exercise How does this improve your decisions? A practical exercise to apply new knowledge and bring commercial thinking to to life The impact and consequences of decisions on financial statements 13 Working capital Why is this important? The importance of keeping cash flowing Business decisions that affect cash Calculating profit 14 Capital investment appraisal Capex v Opex Payback Return on investment The future value of money The concept of hurdle rate 15 Lessons learned and action planning So what? Recap and consolidation of learning The decisions that I need to consider Actions to achieve my plan
This workshop will help you improve the impact, clarity, accuracy and effectiveness of your sales proposals. It takes bid and proposal teams right through the process, from start to finish - from forming the team and gathering the information, through to writing and reviewing the proposal document, and on to presenting it to the client. The learning points shared in the programme come from the trainer's extensive real-world experience with a wide variety of businesses. As a result of attending this programme, participants will be able to: Write more clearly, more grammatically and more persuasively Structure their written communications more effectively Avoid the 'howlers' that can cost you business Impress your clients Win more business 1 Bid strategy How to combine your knowledge of the market or customer, your products and services, and your competitors, to create a quality bid New insights into your comparative advantages and competitive position in the marketplace Understanding more about how your client views you and other suppliers A plan of attack to build on your strengths and attack the weaknesses of your competition Dealing with RFP/ITT situations 2 Teamwork How a bid or proposal team needs to prioritise and manage preparation time Co-ordinating input from team members Agreeing responsibilities 3 The importance and role of a well-written sales proposal Why bother? - the value of the sales proposal to you and to the customer What the customer wants and needs to make a decision in your favour Understanding and delivering on customer expectations Review and discussion of different proposals - with real-life examples 4 The best way to structure your sales proposals A section-by-section, page-by-page review of best practice in structuring great sales proposals How to improve the way you match your proposal to the customer's objectives and requirements Plan your sales documents systematically - to make them easy to read and more persuasive How to make your proposal look like the 'least risky' option 5 Making your proposal a compelling and persuasive proposition Choosing the right words that sell effectively Selecting the right content and information for your document or proposal Using an option matrix to summarise complex choices and increase final order value How to write an executive summary 6 Well-written and error-free Developing your writing style for maximum impact Expressing the content (ie, selling points) clearly, concisely and correctly Proof-reading and editing work effectively, using formal marks and techniques Improving visual layout, format and appearance Keeping it customer-focused 7 Presenting to the client - overview Presentation options Understanding the client's objectives - as well as your own The proposal review meeting - logistics Managing to the next step Designing and delivering a compelling presentation Isolating objections and concerns Follow-up and follow-through 8 Positioning your final proposal Finalising your bid - presenting the right 'best few' USPs, features and benefits and making them relevant and real to the customer Smart ways to position price and be a strong player - without being the cheapest How to differentiate yourselves by how you present, as well as what you present How to design and deliver a successful bid presentation 9 Bid presentation practice session with structured feedback Participants work in small groups or pairs to prepare and later present a sample section from a real life bid or proposal presentation The trainer will provide assistance and input During group review and discussions, input from others will be encouraged and many best practice ideas summarised 10 Managing the end game How best to draw-out, understand, isolate and answer customer objections, negotiate points and concerns How to read the situation to plan the next step Identifying negotiation tactics - and how to deal with them Planning for a negotiation and how to get the customer feel they have the 'best deal' 11 Workshop summary and close
Our ‘Professional Behaviour – A workplace Priority’ training programme provides delegates with a set of tools and increased knowledge to deal with the issues of bullying and harassment appropriately as they arise. These issues are far from easy and for many managers, the reality of dealing with complaints of this nature is both time consuming and stressful Currently it is estimated that bullying and harassment costs the UK economy £18 billion a year in lost productivity, staff retention and legal costs. Our bespoke and specialized services, developed to meet your organizational requirements in these challenging areas, can reduce stress levels, develop increased awareness, and better understanding. In addition to this face to face training, NGT will assess your organisation’s current position and where you would like it to be as its future unfolds; we will help your organization to identify improvements and assess the benefits to you of making them; we will work with you to implement the agreed solutions, at a time and in a way that fits with your operational needs; we will help you track the benefits both long term and short term via regular monitoring, evaluation, and continued discussion. Our facilitator is highly experienced in delivering this training to all levels of staff and NGT welcomes your enquiry to take this matter forward. How is this course delivered and how long is it? This is a face to face course only and lasts a full day Is the course accredited? Yes, it is a CPD accredited course Who is it for? Although it will benefit managers of all grades it is equally important that all staff are made aware of these issues How much does it cost? Course fees are fixed at a fair daily rate, details of which are available upon enquiry. Travel costs are extra. How large are the groups? We can only effectively deliver this course to groups of 15 people or less. Will you be able to deliver the course at my workplace? Based in the Midlands, we are well suited to travelling to all corners of the UK, enabling us to deliver this programme to you at your location.
'Selling' doesn't work. You've got to help customers buy. And that means engaging with the customer in a positive way, showing that you understand their requirement and giving them confidence that your product or service is the best possible way of meeting that requirement. This may sound painless but there's more to it than meets the eye and it's all too easy to get it wrong. You need to follow a process. This programme will help participants: Understand 'how buyers buy' and align their selling activities accordingly Recognise the difference between 'latent pain' and 'active vision' opportunities Conduct effective pre-call planning and research Stimulate interest and establish credibility with your prospects Get prospects to share / admit high priority pain Engage in consultative dialogue that promotes the differentiating strengths of your offerings Gain access to 'power' people within an opportunity Effectively qualify and disqualify opportunities based on objective decision criteria Better control and manage sell cycles Improve their chances of winning competitive opportunities Shorten sales cycles and avoid 'no decision' Negotiate the steps leading to a successful sale 1 An introduction to selling Understanding the key points that encourage a customer to purchase from us The difference between consultative selling and a transactional sale Understanding the roles that trust and empathy play in a sale Understanding how tricks and manipulation can sink a sale Vital pre-meeting research that must take place before a conversation Understanding how the customer sees us and why positioning is important 2 Structuring the sales conversation process Defining a set process for structuring a sales call with a chance to demonstrate understanding How the first minute of a conversation can destroy a sale Understanding BPO objectives for a sale How a step-by-step sales conversation process helps win more sales Understanding the mis-match between the customers buying process How our sales processes can lead to mistakes 3 How and why people buy An insight into the emotional factors behind how people arrive at purchasing decisions Using research from neuroscience that shows how sales people can really make mistakes Understanding how people make decisions about larger purchases Understanding the stakeholders in companies and their buying motives How to analyse the stakeholders and determine a win-plan 4 Understanding the funnel Studying the sales and buying process to understand the ratios of sales to prospects and better forecasting Understanding the role of forecasting in sales analysis Why many forecasts are nearly always wrong Understanding the stages of a sales process How 'verifiable outcomes' can really change forecasting 5 Questioning techniques Understanding the different questioning techniques and when they should be used Using the 'knowledge tree' as a framework for questioning Understanding the use of real empathy to help customers uncover their needs How effective research can really empower your questions How to ask 'high gain' questions How to ask difficult questions without feeling intrusive 6 Features and benefits How to practically apply them in a sales scenario How to align the benefits to customers' business goals Really understanding the difference and how to demonstrate true economic benefits to a customer How to discover business goals, and align value propositions to these How to craft an effective value proposition for a customer Using the SAR storytelling method to really engage customers to align their thinking patterns Using the latest neuroscience research that explains what customers are really thinking 7 Overcoming objections How 'confirmation bias' can hinder any sales conversation How the CLARA method of responding to customer concerns can dramatically improve the chances of customers responding to us in a positive way Practising the method to become comfortable and congruent with it 8 Closing the sale A deep dive into what closing is How different sales have different closes How too many closing methods can destroy a sale How to lead up to a close with a logical sequence of questions Using the ACSAT trust method of closing A clear methodology with a chance to practise the skills in a fun way
Explore the key concepts of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) with our expert-led course designed for professionals. Learn how to seamlessly incorporate sustainable practices into your business strategy and enhance your corporate responsibility. Gain the tools and insights necessary to effectively implement ESG initiatives within your organisation. Join now and lead the change towards a more sustainable future!