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Power Platform Finance (PPF) Conference 2022

In September 2022 we ran a free full day in-person conference at the Microsoft Reactor in London where dozens of Finance/BI professionals had the opporutnity to learn from recongised industry experts (and of course eachother!) through engaging presentations/demos and hands-on workshops.

The presentations were all recorded and are available below. Click on the PPF conference flyer to see the speaker line-up and review the sessions below!

Session 1 (9.30-10am): Fostering a Learning Culture in Finance [Ian Pike Microsoft UK]

In this session Ian Pike (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ipike/) - a Cloud Solutions Architect at Microsoft UK - reveals the secret sauce of how Microsoft have managed to achieve phenomenal growth whilst maintaining a near static headcount in their finance function! Whilst they of course use their own tools (including Power BI!) to achieve this efficiency, it's not all about the technology! Rather, a large part is about individuals cultivating a growth mindset, developing user-created learning content and building a community focused on innovation and personal growth!

Session 2 (10.30-11am): Building What-if Models in Excel and Power BI [Mark Wilcock, Microsoft MVP]

In this session Microsoft MVP and London Business Analytics Group (LBAG) Community Leader Mark Wilcock (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zomalex/) covers how to :

  • Use the new functions and features of Modern Excel - including LAMDA, LET, XLOOKUP functions, Data Table and dynamic array formulas - to build financial models!
  • Build financial statement models which - with the right inputs and variables - can predict the probability of making a loss, ranges of profit and what your profit margins might be in the coming years!
  • Build proper scenario models and use techniques such as Monte Carlo Analysis (including in DAX!) - you can even model how to win at Roulette with it!
  • This is a unique type of session in the Excel/Power BI domain and is one not to be missed!

Session 3 (11-11.45am): P&L Fundamentals in Power BI [Chris Barber, Microsoft MVP]

In this session, Chris Barber (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph...) shows that:

  • An Income Statement (P&L) report can be built using the matrix visual in Power BI but there are a number of unique considerations/features such as subtotals, percentages/currency number formats in the same column, fixed hierarchies and specific sort orders
  • Whilst it may be possible to build this all using DAX (which can get very complex) or custom visuals (which give you lots of formatting options), a metadata driven approach with inputs/variables as "helper" tables is the most flexible
  • The main input table contains all the rows you want on the P&L report with a clear sort order and hierarchy which links into the sub-ledger/chart of accounts and transaction table through a chain of 1: Many relationships

Session 4 (11.45am-12.30pm): Data Modelling Considerations for General Ledger Data [Belinda Allen, Microsoft MVP]

In this video Belinda Allen shares 25 tips for financial reporting and modelling with Power BI including how to work with the Chart of Accounts, creating measures for chart/page titles and calculating financial KPIs such as AP/AR Turnover, Inventory Turnover and Current Ratio

Sessions 5/6: Financial Reporting with Power BI [Rishi Sapra] - these are included as part of the PPF Financial Reporting with Power BI Course

Session 7: A Workflow-Based Approach to Data Consolidation for Financial Reporting with Acterys [Mike Zack, COO Acterys]

In this session Mike Zack (COO of Acterys) presents a self-service solution for financial consolidation, planning and reporting. With 700+ connectors to common source systems and pre-built template accelerators for specific industries and business problems, with Acterys you can build a unified data model for Enterprise wide consumption

Session 8: Actionable insights with Zebra BI [ Andrej Lapajne, CEO Zebra BI]

For a Power BI report to deliver actionable insights it shouldn't just make data look pretty - it should allow you to understand whether your performance is good or bad, how good/bad, why and what you can you do about it! Andrej's top tips for achieving actionable insights are: (i). Right choice of charts, (ii).Proper Labels, (iii). Consistent colours/labels/shapes, (iv). Always display variances, (v). Add comments,(vi). Add forecasts and (vii). correct scaling. By following IBCS standards for data visualisation and focusing on highlighting variances, Zebra BI custom visuals make it easier to ensure your data story is delivering these actionable insights. Watch this session to learn more about Zebra BI and how to tell an impactful story with your data!