Custom visuals from marketplace in Power BI - Real Business Scenario

Scenario Mode

👤 Your Role: You are a business analyst at a retail company.

📋 Request: Your manager wants a sales report with engaging visuals that are not available by default in Power BI. They ask you to use custom visuals from the Power BI marketplace to make the report more insightful and visually appealing.

📊 Data: You have monthly sales data by product category and region, including sales amount and units sold.

🎯 Deliverable: Create a Power BI report using at least two different custom visuals from the marketplace to show monthly sales trends and category performance.

Sample Data

Month	Region	Category	Sales Amount	Units Sold
Jan	North	Electronics	12000	100
Jan	South	Clothing	8000	150
Feb	North	Electronics	15000	120
Feb	South	Clothing	7000	130
Mar	North	Electronics	13000	110
Mar	South	Clothing	9000	160
Jan	East	Home	5000	80
Feb	East	Home	6000	90
Mar	East	Home	5500	85

1

Step 1: Open Power BI Desktop and load the sales data table.

Import the sample data into Power BI using 'Get Data' and load it into the model.

Expected Result

Sales data table is loaded and visible in the Fields pane.

2

Step 2: Create a basic line chart to show monthly sales amount by category.

Insert a Line Chart visual. Set Axis to 'Month', Legend to 'Category', and Values to 'Sales Amount'.

Expected Result

Line chart shows sales trends for each category across months.

3

Step 3: Open the Power BI marketplace to find custom visuals.

Click on the ellipsis (...) in the Visualizations pane, select 'Get more visuals', and browse the marketplace.

Expected Result

Marketplace window opens showing available custom visuals.

4

Step 4: Search for and add the 'Bullet Chart' custom visual from the marketplace.

Search 'Bullet Chart', click 'Add' to import it into your report.

Expected Result

'Bullet Chart' visual appears in the Visualizations pane.

5

Step 5: Use the Bullet Chart to show sales amount against a target for each region.

Insert the Bullet Chart visual. Set 'Category' to 'Region', 'Value' to 'Sales Amount', and set a target value (e.g., 12000) in the visual's settings.

Expected Result

Bullet Chart displays sales performance per region compared to the target.

6

Step 6: Add another custom visual called 'KPI Indicator' from the marketplace.

Repeat marketplace search for 'KPI Indicator' and add it to the report.

Expected Result

'KPI Indicator' visual is added to the Visualizations pane.

7

Step 7: Configure the KPI Indicator to show total units sold with a trend arrow.

Insert KPI Indicator visual. Set 'Indicator' to sum of 'Units Sold', 'Trend axis' to 'Month'.

Expected Result

KPI Indicator shows total units sold and trend over months.

8

Step 8: Arrange the visuals on the report page with clear titles and labels.

Place the Line Chart, Bullet Chart, and KPI Indicator neatly. Add text boxes for titles.

Expected Result

Report page is visually balanced and easy to understand.

9

Step 9: Save and publish the report to Power BI Service for sharing.

Click 'Publish' and select the workspace.

Expected Result

Report is published and accessible online.

Final Result

Monthly Sales Report

+-----------------------------+
| Line Chart: Sales by Month  |
|  Electronics  Clothing  Home |
|  Jan  Feb  Mar             |
+-----------------------------+

+-----------------------------+
| Bullet Chart: Sales vs Target|
| Region: North, South, East   |
| Target: 12000               |
+-----------------------------+

+-----------------------------+
| KPI Indicator: Units Sold    |
| Total Units and Trend Arrow  |
+-----------------------------+

✓Electronics category shows steady sales growth from January to February.

✓South region sales are below the target of 12000, while North exceeds it.

✓Units sold trend is increasing overall, indicating growing demand.

Bonus Challenge

Add a custom visual that shows sales distribution by category and region on a map.

Show Hint

Search for 'Map' or 'Choropleth' visuals in the marketplace and use 'Region' as location and 'Sales Amount' as value.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using custom visuals from the Power BI marketplace?

easy

A. To create data tables without any visuals

B. To replace all default visuals permanently

C. To export data to Excel automatically

D. To add new and unique ways to display data beyond default charts

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand default visuals in Power BI

   Power BI offers standard charts like bar, line, and pie charts by default.

2. Step 2: Role of custom visuals

   Custom visuals from the marketplace provide additional, unique ways to show data that default visuals don't offer.

3. Final Answer:

   To add new and unique ways to display data beyond default charts -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Custom visuals = new display options [OK]

Hint: Custom visuals extend default charts with new display types [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking custom visuals replace default visuals permanently
• Confusing custom visuals with data export features
• Assuming custom visuals create data tables only

2. Which of the following is the correct way to add a custom visual from the Power BI marketplace?

easy

A. Right-click on a chart and choose 'Convert to custom visual'

B. Download visuals from an external website and import manually without Power BI

C. Click on the 'Get more visuals' icon in the Visualizations pane and select a visual

D. Use the 'Export' option in the File menu

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the Visualizations pane in Power BI

   The Visualizations pane has an icon to get more visuals from the marketplace.

2. Step 2: Use 'Get more visuals' to browse and add

   Clicking this icon opens the marketplace where you can select and add custom visuals directly.

3. Final Answer:

   Click on the 'Get more visuals' icon in the Visualizations pane and select a visual -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Marketplace visuals added via 'Get more visuals' [OK]

Hint: Use 'Get more visuals' icon inside Power BI to add custom visuals [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to convert default charts to custom visuals directly
• Downloading visuals outside Power BI without import
• Looking for export options to add visuals

3. You added a custom visual from the marketplace to your report. What will happen if you share this report with someone who does not have that custom visual installed?

medium

A. The visual will show as a blank or error icon

B. The visual will display correctly without any issue

C. The report will not open at all

D. The visual will convert automatically to a default chart

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand custom visual dependencies

   Custom visuals require the receiving user to have the visual installed or supported in their Power BI environment.

2. Step 2: Behavior when visual is missing

   If the visual is missing, Power BI cannot render it, so it shows a blank or error icon instead.

3. Final Answer:

   The visual will show as a blank or error icon -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Missing custom visual = blank/error icon [OK]

Hint: Missing custom visual shows blank or error icon [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming visuals convert automatically to default charts
• Thinking report won't open at all
• Believing visuals always display correctly without installation

4. You tried to add a custom visual from the marketplace but received an error saying the visual is not certified. What should you do to fix this?

medium

A. Delete all visuals and start a new report

B. Check if the visual is certified and consider using a certified alternative

C. Restart Power BI to clear the error

D. Ignore the error and continue using the visual anyway

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand certification in Power BI visuals

   Certified visuals have passed Microsoft checks for security and quality; uncertified ones may cause issues.

2. Step 2: Respond to certification error

   It's best to check certification status and choose a certified visual to avoid risks and errors.

3. Final Answer:

   Check if the visual is certified and consider using a certified alternative -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Certification error = use certified visual [OK]

Hint: Use certified visuals to avoid errors and security risks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring certification warnings
• Restarting Power BI without fixing the issue
• Deleting visuals unnecessarily

5. You want to create a sales report that uses a custom visual to show product sales by region with interactive filters. Which steps should you follow to achieve this?

hard

A. Add the custom visual from the marketplace, connect it to sales and region data, then add slicers for filtering

B. Create a table visual, export data to Excel, and use Excel filters

C. Use only default visuals and avoid custom visuals for interactivity

D. Import data into PowerPoint and add charts manually

Solution

1. Step 1: Add custom visual from marketplace

   Use the 'Get more visuals' option to add the desired custom visual to your report.

2. Step 2: Connect visual to sales and region data

   Bind the custom visual fields to your sales and region columns to display relevant data.

3. Step 3: Add slicers for interactive filtering

   Add slicer visuals to let users filter the report by region or other criteria interactively.

4. Final Answer:

   Add the custom visual from the marketplace, connect it to sales and region data, then add slicers for filtering -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Custom visual + data + slicers = interactive report [OK]

Hint: Add visual, connect data fields, then add slicers for interactivity [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Exporting data instead of using visuals
• Avoiding custom visuals for interactivity
• Using unrelated tools like PowerPoint