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Skillwave Training
@skillwave.training
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Your #1 resource for online training on Power BI, Power Query, Power Pivot, and Excel. View our course catalog at skillwave.training/learn
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skillwave.training
#PowerQuery allows you to master you data in #PowerBI and #Excel, so you can automate your #DataCleaning 🧹 and #BusinessIntelligence processes. We help people in finance, sales, data analytics, and business owners just like you - so you don’t have to learn it on your own. 🦾 Go to skw-t.com/pqacademy
Now you can master data cleaning an transformation (Database icon with a broom sweeping the top) (Skillwave Training logo)
January 30, 2026 at 6:05 PM
skillwave.training
If you prefer to keep your #PowerPivot or #PowerBI Measures on a dedicated measure table, @excelguru.ca shows an easy way to create a measure table with #PowerQuery, and what you must do in order to avoid the dreaded "Relationships May be Needed" error in #Excel:
Creating Disconnected "Fact" Tables - Monkey Shorts Episode 011
If you prefer to keep your Power Pivot or Power BI Measures on a dedicated measure table, this video will show you how. Ken shows an easy way to create a measure table with Power Query, as well as…
www.youtube.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:05 PM
skillwave.training
Very interesting read!
January 28, 2026 at 6:13 PM
skillwave.training
In an AKA session, someone asked how to apply our #PowerQuery Approximate Match pattern to date with 2 criteria.
@excleguru.ca showed how to adapt to make it work with multiple criteria, showing how to stop thinking in terms of single-key lookups and start thinking in business logic combinations. 🧵
When One Column Isn’t Enough to Find the Right Match Q: How can you make our Power Query Approximate Match pattern work when your data has multiple criteria? A: Stop thinking in terms of single-key lookups and start thinking in business logic combinations. Instead of forcing fragile formulas or stacking lookups, try leveraging ranges, thresholds, and multiple attributes (Screenshot of 2 tables. The one on the left is titled Salaries with columns for Employee, Age, Category, and Salary, and the Category and Salary of 2 employees highlighted. The table on the right is titled Salary Grid with columns for Step/Category, III, IV, and V, and the corresponding step and salary rate for the 2 employees are highlighted.) (Skillwave Training logo
January 28, 2026 at 5:18 PM
skillwave.training
Our latest newsletter is hitting inboxes right now! 📧
If you'd like to stay up-to-date on what's new in #PowerBI and #Excel, content from our experts, and information on courses, events, and promotions, sign up at skw-t.com/news. We'll also send you our free eBook, Magic Tricks for Data Wizards. 🧙📘
News from the Data Monkey Brought to you by Excelguru and Skillwave Training (Image of a cyborg monkey in a superhero style squat) January 27, 2026 In This Issue: - New DAX Measure vs Power Query Column Video - From the AKA Sessions - What's New in Power BI - Latest Meet-up Recording and Next Event Information - Upcoming Courses and Conferences - Available Training Options We are excited to see that nominations for the 2026 Global Excel Awards is now open! Returning for its second edition, the Global Excel Awards gives you the chance to vote for those you believe most deserve recognition, with five categories up for grabs. Ken was very proud last year that his Monkey Tools Excel add-in was a finalist for the Best Excel Add-in category. And this year also includes a new category for Training Provider of the Year.
January 27, 2026 at 5:49 PM
skillwave.training
Here, @excelguru.ca tackles how to reliably identify price changes over time using #PowerQuery. Using a practical dataset, Ken walks through 3 common techniques:
➡️ Index -1 approach
➡️ Prior Row Merge method
➡️ Using the Group By clause
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu0H...

#DataAnalysis #Excel #PowerBI
Tracking Product Price Changes Using Power Query - Which Method Works Best?
In this video, Ken Puls tackles a real-world question from a Self Service BI Academy student in one of the Ask Ken Anything sessions. The question is - how do you reliably identify price changes over…
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January 26, 2026 at 5:29 PM
skillwave.training
Nothing better than hearing from happy students! 🥰
@excelguru.ca's #SelfServiceBI Academy is premium, self-paced training crafted for business professionals who demand excellence in #DataAnalytics using #Excel and #PowerBI. Plus, get live coaching and support! Enroll today at skw-t.com/ssbi
Revolutionize your company’s reporting game forever! “The course is well-structured and concepts build on top of each other. I really learned a lot of new techniques, from the data imports to publishing reports in Power BI Service. Concepts are very clearly explained. Anybody looking to upskill their Power BI and Power Query will learn a ton.” Mamadou Baldeh (5 stars) Self Service BI Academy for Excel and Power BI (Caricature of Ken Puls) Developed and delivered by Microsoft MVP and Chartered Professional Accountant, Ken Puls (Skillwave Training logo)
January 23, 2026 at 5:33 PM
skillwave.training
In this Monkey Shorts, @excelguru.ca looks at a simple #Excel #PowerPivot trick which helps:
✅Prevent users from accidentally adding a "foreign key" to a #PivotTable (resulting in cross filtering issues)
✅ Keep data organized
✅ Visibly identify tables with measures
Creating Linked "Fact" Tables - Monkey Shorts Episode 010
Ken looks at a simple Power Pivot trick in this video which helps: -Prevent users from accidentally adding a "foreign key" to a PivotTable (resulting in cross filtering issues) -Keep data…
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:40 PM
skillwave.training
Here, @excelguru.ca shows how to use #PowerQuery to perform approximate matching when working with multiple criteria. You’ll see how to:
✅Prepare data
✅Unpivot data
✅Sort data to support approximate matching logic
✅Apply the Approximate Match pattern: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZC7...

#Excel #PowerBI
Approximate Match Based on Multiple Columns (Power Query)
In this video, Ken demonstrates how to use Power Query to perform approximate matching when working with multiple criteria. Inspired by a question from a Skillwave course attendee in the Discussion…
www.youtube.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:08 PM
skillwave.training
In our 1st AKA call of the year, @excelguru.ca shared a great teaching moment sparked by a performance issue someone had while detecting price changes in #PowerQuery. A clever-looking index -1 trick to compare rows seemed to work… until it didn’t. Slow previews. Frozen #Excel. Non-responsive loads.🧵
The ‘Clever’ Power Query Trick That Kills Performance A clever-looking index minus one trick to compare rows seemed to work in a student’s solution… until it didn’t. Ken Puls explained what caused the performance issue and provided some faster alternatives. Sometimes writing code is worse than using built-in tools. (Screenshot of the Power Query Editor with the Custom Column dialog open. The Index -1 formula in the Custom Formula box is highlighted with "Never do this!!!") (Skillwave Training logo)
January 20, 2026 at 6:06 PM
skillwave.training
The more you learn, the more you earn! Kickstart your #DataAnalytics career with our #Excel and #PowerBI training. Our expert trainers will teach you how to get the most from your data, automate processes, and make better business decisions. Check out our course catalog at skillwave.training/learn/
Learning = Power (Line drawing of a brain with a circle in the middle containing a lightening bolt) (Skillwave Training logo)
January 19, 2026 at 5:16 PM
skillwave.training
Woot woot! Another 5 ⭐ for our flagship course, #PowerQuery Academy!
We'll help you unlock the true power of your data in #Excel and #PowerBI! Say goodbye to hours of manual #DataManipulation and hello to quick #DataInsights and informed decisions. Join now to make data work for you: skw-t.com/pqa
January 16, 2026 at 5:04 PM
skillwave.training
In this Monkey Shorts, @excelguru.ca shows how to get your #PivotTables to show dates, even if there are no values present for the chosen Fact/Measure column. It's easy with #PowerPivot backed PivotTables, but regular pivot tables involve a little magic. 🧙
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa-z...
January 15, 2026 at 5:41 PM
skillwave.training
In a previous AKA session, one attendee asked a question that opened the floodgates: “Is there a reliable way to automate data coming from PDF bank statements?”
@excelguru.ca didn’t rush to show a clever trick. 🙅‍♂️ Instead, he slowed things down and explained why PDFs fundamentally fight automation. 🧵
When Automation Isn’t the Answer (and That’s Okay) A student asked if there is a reliable way to automate data from monthly PDF statements. Ken explained that PDFs fight automation at a fundamental level. They’re visual layouts, not structured data, so what works one month can quietly fail the next. (PDF icon inside a circle with a line through it) Takeaway: Expertise isn’t just about knowing how to automate, but knowing when not to. (Skillwave Training logo)
January 14, 2026 at 5:22 PM
skillwave.training
Our first newsletter of the New Year has been sent, containing the latest expert content and information on courses, events, and more! 📬
If you're not subscribed, sign up today at skw-t.com/news and we'll send your our free #PowerQuery eBook, "Magic Tricks for Data Wizards". 📗
News from the Data Monkey Brought to you by Excelguru and Skillwave (Image of a cyborg monkey in a superhero style crouch) January 13, 2026 In This Issue: - New Forecasting Dynamically from Data Model Video - From the AKA Sessions - What's New in Excel - Meet-up Event Information - Upcoming Courses and Conferences - Available Training Options Wow, the first newsletter of the New Year - we're still trying to get used to writing 2026 instead of 2025! The Skillwave and Excelguru teams are getting back into the swing of things after a bit of a break in December, and Ken is busy working on more new YouTube videos (like the one featured below), hosting our Vancouver Power BI and Modern Excel Meet-ups, welcoming new students to his premium coached courses, and gearing up for group training sessions and conferences through to the spring. We're looking forward to another great year!
January 13, 2026 at 5:25 PM
skillwave.training
Join @excelguru.ca and the Data Monkey as they explore how to enhance an #Excel #PowerPivot #DataModel to handle commissionable items. This video walks through the practical process of retrofitting an existing data model and when to use #DAX vs #PowerQuery:
DAX Measure vs Power Query Column
Join Ken Puls and the Data Monkey as they explore how to enhance an Excel Power Pivot Data Model to handle commissionable items. Sparked by a student’s question during an Ask Ken Anything session,…
www.youtube.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:06 PM
skillwave.training
Students looking to taking their #DAX skills to the next level love our Demystifying DAX course! ✨
This advanced training will help you become self-sufficient with your #DataModeling capabilities using DAX in #PowerBI Desktop, #PowerPivot for #Excel, and/or #SSASTabular. Go to skw-t.com/demystifydax
Testimonial "I liked that the instructor explained the thought process for writing DAX. He also provided methods to break down the problem, and then connected it to DAX language for solving it." F.F. (5 stars) Demystifying DAX - Intermediate to Advanced (Caricature of Matt Allington) Developed and delivered by reknown DAX expert and best-selling author, Matt Allington (Skillwave Training logo) skillwave.training
January 9, 2026 at 5:44 PM
skillwave.training
Not satisfied with Compact Form for your #Excel PivotTables? Tired of changing it to your preferred format every time you create one? There's a better way! In this video, @excelguru.ca shows you how to modify your #PivotTable defaults: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCut...

#DataAnalyticsTools
Setting PivotTable Defaults - Monkey Shorts Episode 008
Not satisfied with Compact Form for your Excel PivotTables? Tired of changing it to your preferred format every time you create one? There's a better way! In this video, Ken shows you how to modify…
www.youtube.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:59 PM
skillwave.training
When notes are added to a table generated by #PowerQuery in #Excel, refreshing the data can cause those notes to shift and no longer align with the correct records. In this video, @excelguru.ca explains why this happens and how to fix it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg1x...

#BusinessIntelligence
Tracking Notes
Join Ken Puls in this episode as he addresses a common challenge raised during a Self-Service Business Intelligence Academy, Ask Ken Anything session. When notes are added to a table generated by…
www.youtube.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:31 PM
skillwave.training
Recently, @excelguru.ca walked at student through a #PowerQuery solution to:
✅Extract the correct year from a header
✅Isolate it as its own value
✅Merge it back into the transaction data before converting everything into proper dates.
The result? Accurate timelines without manual #DataCleanup. 🧵
What do you do when the data is “technically there”... but still wrong? (Image of a woman sitting at a desk holding a pen with her head in her hands) (Skillwave Training logo)
January 6, 2026 at 5:46 PM
skillwave.training
If your goal this year is to become a better #DataAnalyst and up your #BusinessIntelligence game, Skillwave Training has you covered! 👊
Our courses are created by the best instructors in the business, who have real-world experience and business knowledge. View our catalog: skillwave.training/learn
January 5, 2026 at 5:06 PM
skillwave.training
In our last Ask Ken Anything (AKA) session, a student asked the question that always follows a great #Excel or #PowerBI report: “Okay… but how do I update this every month without breaking it?” 😬

Ken Puls broke the answer into three real-world update strategies using #PowerQuery. 🧵
Three Ways to Update Data (and When Each One Wins) A student had built a great report but then asked, “How do I update this every month without breaking it?” Ken Puls broke the answer into three real-world update strategies using Power Query: 1. Overwrite a cumulative file 2. Manually appending monthly files 3. Loading from a folder (the fan-favorite) Takeaway: There’s no single “best” method, each option makes sense depending on consistency, human input, and reporting needs. (Skillwave Training logo)
January 2, 2026 at 5:36 PM
skillwave.training
Do you typically spend a bunch of time trying to position your slicers in an #Excel report "just right"? Ever been frustrated with those perfectly placed slicers moving around as you slice or update your #PivotTable?😡 This will definitely help you out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTBj...

#DataAnalysis
Slicer Formatting Tricks - Monkey Shorts Episode 007
Do you typically spend a bunch of time trying to position your slicers "just right"? Have you ever been frustrated with those perfectly placed slicers moving around as you slice or update your Pivot…
www.youtube.com
December 31, 2025 at 5:42 PM
skillwave.training
The last newsletter of the year has just gone out! 📬
Subscribe today to stay up-to-date on the latest content from our experts, what's new in #Excel and #PowerBI, and information on courses, events, and promotions. You'll also get our free #PowerQuery eBook.
👉Go to skw-t.com/news
News from the Data Monkey Brought to you by Excelguru and Skillwave (Image of a cyborg monkey in a superhero-type crouch) December 30, 2025 In This Issue: - New Pivot Consistency Video - From the AKA Sessions - What's New in Power BI - Meet-up Event Information - Upcoming Courses and Conferences - Available Training Options With the New Year just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to send a heartfelt "thank you" to YOU! We are so very grateful to everyone who reads our newsletters and articles, enrolls in courses, and follows us on our social channels, because without you all, neither Skillwave nor Excelguru would be here. 2025 has been a busy and productive year, and we're looking forward to 2026. Wishing everyone the best for a productive and prosperous New Year!
December 30, 2025 at 5:29 PM
skillwave.training
In this video, @excelguru.ca shows how to build a dynamic forecast sheet in #Excel that connects directly to a #PowerPivot #DataModel. 📉
This tutorial provides a practical, step-by-step approach to building an advanced, interactive forecasting solution in #Excel:
Forecasting - Dynamically from Data Model
Build a fully interactive forecast sheet in Excel that is tied to the Data Model. In this video, Ken Puls demonstrates how to build a dynamic forecast sheet that connects directly to an Excel Power…
www.youtube.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:14 PM