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Create a Dashboard in Power BI

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Updated Jan 30, 2025
Read Time 4 min

Creating a Dashboard in Power BI

Dashboards can tell the story in a single page view and are also an interactive tool. So, Power BI is best suited to create such kinds of interactive dashboards. So, we will show you how to create an interactive sample sales dashboard in Power BI.

Download FREE Dashboard in Power BI Template and Follow Along!
Download Excel Template

Below is the data we are using to build a dashboard. It is the dummy data of various mobile phones sold in different cities of India. You can download the Excel workbook to create a dashboard in Power BI.

Power-BI-Dashboard-Sample-Data

How to Create a Sample Sales Dashboard in Power BI?

Follow the below steps to create a sample sales dashboard in power bi.

Upload Data to Power BI

Step 1: Open the Power BI file, and go to the โ€œHomeโ€ tab. Click โ€œGet Dataโ€ and choose the data source as โ€œExcel.โ€

Upload Data to Power BI - Step 1

Step 2: Choose the file from the saved location and click โ€œOpen.โ€

Upload Data to Power BI - Step 2

Step 3: Before you upload the file, it will ask you to choose the Data Table, so choose the table name (My table name is โ€œMobile_Salesโ€) and click on โ€œLoadโ€ to upload the selected table data to Power BI.

Upload Data to Power BI - Step 3

It will take some time to upload.

Now, we can see the data in the โ€œDataโ€ view.

Upload Data to Power BI - data in the โ€œDataโ€ view

Create New Calculated Column

  • From the Data Table, we have only โ€œUnits Soldโ€ and โ€œPrice Per Unitโ€ only, so we need to calculate โ€œTotal Sales.โ€ Right-click on the table name and choose โ€œNew Column.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 1
  • It will ask you to name the column first, so give it a name as โ€œTotal Sales.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 2
  • This column will be calculated by multiplying โ€œUnits Soldโ€ by โ€œSale Price.โ€ So from the table, choose the โ€œUnits Soldโ€ and โ€œSale Priceโ€ columns.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 3

It will create a new column in the table as โ€œTotal Sales.โ€

Create New Calculated Column - Step 4
  • We need to format this column as โ€œCurrency,โ€ so select the column, go to โ€œModeling,โ€ and choose the format as โ€œRupee.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 5
  • Come back to the โ€œReportโ€ view now.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 6

In this โ€œReportโ€ view, we will create a dashboard now.

  • First, insert the title bar for the dashboard. Next, go to the โ€œHomeโ€ tab, click on โ€œShapes,โ€ and choose the โ€œRectangleโ€ shape.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 7
  • Draw this shape at the top of the page.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 8
  • Change the background color of this shape, and select the shape. It will open up the โ€œFormat Shapeโ€ option to the right side.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 9
  • Click on Fill >>> Fill Color >>> Custom Color.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 10
  • Power BI works on HEX color codes so that we can get the color codes from the โ€œcolor-hex.comโ€ website. So, you can choose the color code (without #) you wish to have and paste it.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 11
  • Now, our shape is filled with a blue color.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 12
  • Now, from the โ€œHomeโ€ tab, insert the โ€œText box.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 13
  • Type the text as โ€œSales Dashboard.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 14
  • Place this on the shape, and change the font color to white.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 15
  • Now, we need to create slicer visuals. From the Visualization tab, insert a blank slicer, and select the โ€œDateโ€ column from the data table for the slicer โ€œField.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 16
Create New Calculated Column - Step 16.1
  • We need to design this slicer, so choose the slicer and click on the โ€œFormatโ€ option. Next, choose โ€œData inputsโ€ and apply the below changes.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 17
  • Now, our start and end dates are formatted like the below.
18Create New Calculated Column - Step 18
  • Now, change the background color.
18Create New Calculated Column - Step 19

Like this, you can change the border and other things. So, now our โ€œDateโ€ slicer looks like this.

18Create New Calculated Column - Step 20

Like this, we need to create four more slicers to have โ€œCity,โ€ โ€œProduct,โ€ โ€œManager,โ€ and โ€œDateโ€ columns. Copy and paste the same slice but change the field column and header of the slicer, respectively. We have created similar slicers, and below is the same image.

Create New Calculated Column - Step 21
  • Let us insert the Card visual to show the โ€œTotal Salesโ€ value.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 22

The Card visual shows the total sales value.

Create New Calculated Column - Step 23
  • Now, design the card through the formatting section, which looks like this.
Create New Calculated Column - Step 24
Create New Calculated Column - Step 25
  • Insert the โ€œDoughnutโ€ chart to show โ€œCity-wise Sales Value.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 26
  • Insert โ€œTreeMapโ€ to show โ€œManager-wise Sales Value.โ€
Create New Calculated Column - Step 27

One final visual we will add is the โ€œDate-wiseโ€ sales value.

Create New Calculated Column - Step 28

So, finally, our โ€œSales Dashboardโ€ in Power BI looks like this.

Create New Calculated Column - Step 29

Like this, by using Power BI, we can create interactive dashboards.

Things to Remember

  • If the required column is not in the data, we must create it using the DAX function.
  • To get attractive colors, search on the web about Hex color codes.
  • We must always maintain the dashboard with the most important data.

This article has been a guide to Power BI Dashboard. Here, we discuss creating a sample interactive dashboard in Power BI and an example. You can learn more about Power BI from the following articles: –