Why do we need Power Query when Power Pivot can import from mostly used sources ? Power BI interview questions and answers 007

 Why do we need Power Query when Power Pivot can import from mostly used sources ?

You're right, Power Pivot in Excel can import data from many commonly used sources. However, Power Query (originally known as Get & Transform) offers several key advantages that make it the preferred way to prepare data for Power Pivot and other Excel analysis tools:

1. Data Transformation and Shaping:

• Power Query's visual interface and intuitive tools allow for easy data transformation. You can clean, filter, combine, and reshape data from various sources before importing it into Power Pivot. This includes removing duplicates, splitting columns, merging tables, and applying various data manipulation functions.

2. Advanced Data Cleansing and Formatting:

• Power Query provides numerous functions and tools for data cleansing and formatting. You can handle missing values, convert data types, normalize formats, and address inconsistencies before analysis. This ensures clean and consistent data for accurate insights.

3. Data Source Connectivity:

• While Power Pivot supports many sources, Power Query boasts a much wider range of native connectors and supports custom data connections through OData and web APIs. This makes it easier to access and integrate data from diverse sources, both on-premises and in the cloud.

4. Reusability and Sharing:

• Power Query queries can be saved and reused across different Excel workbooks and Power BI reports. This avoids duplicating effort and promotes consistency in data preparation. You can also share queries with colleagues for collaborative data analysis.

5. Workflow Optimization:

• Power Query enables scheduling data refreshes and automating data transformation tasks. This reduces manual work and ensures your data is always up-to-date for analysis.

6. Data Lineage and Transparency:

• Power Query provides a visual trace of applied transformations, making it easy to understand how the data was manipulated and ensuring transparency in your analysis.

In summary:

• While Power Pivot focuses on data modeling and calculations, Power Query excels in data preparation and transformation.

• Their combination creates a powerful workflow for analyzing data in Excel: Power Query cleans and shapes the data, and Power Pivot builds the data model and performs calculations for insightful reports.

Therefore, using both Power Query and Power Pivot together maximizes your data analysis capabilities in Excel.