A Practical Case Study Using Microsoft Power BI
In today’s fast-moving eCommerce world, data is the fuel that powers decision-making. This case study showcases how I built an interactive Power BI dashboard to track and analyze sales performance, customer behavior, and product trends for an eCommerce business. The project was part of a hands-on workshop led by Dr. Aditi Gupta, and it reflects the exact kind of business intelligence solutions companies seek today.
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| eCommerce Sales Performance |
Project Objective
Visualize key sales metrics such as revenue, orders, and returns
Understand product performance and customer preferences
Identify trends, seasonality, and underperforming segments
Enable real-time decision-making through dashboards
Business Problem
An eCommerce business was experiencing fluctuations in monthly sales and wanted to understand:
What products are performing well?
Which customer segments bring the most revenue?
Where are the losses due to returns or cancellations?
What regions or channels need more attention?
Dataset Used
The dataset mimics a realistic eCommerce business and included:
Order Details (Order ID, Product, Category, Price, Quantity)
Customer Info (Customer ID, Region, Gender)
Sales Metrics (Revenue, Discounts, Returns, Profit)
Time Series (Order Date, Shipping Date)
Data was sourced from sample open datasets & modified for this project.
Tools & Technologies
Project Workflow
1. Data Cleaning with Power Query
Removed nulls and duplicate entries
Standardized formats (dates, currency, categories)
Split columns (Category > Subcategory)
Merged multiple tables (Orders + Customers + Products)
2. Data Modeling
Defined relationships between tables (1-to-many)
Created a star schema with fact and dimension tables
Ensured slicers and filters worked across visuals
3. DAX Calculations
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| Sales by Month and Profit Trend |
Key Measures Created:
Total Sales = SUM(Revenue)
Total Orders = COUNT(Order ID)
Average Order Value = [Sales] / [Orders]
Return Rate = Returned Orders / Total Orders
Profit Margin % = Profit / Sales
4. Dashboard Design
I used a clean, intuitive layout with 3 main sections:
Executive Summary
Total Sales, Profit, Returns
Sales Trends Over Time (Line Chart)
Monthly Performance (Bar Chart)
Product Analysis
Top Selling Products (Bar Chart)
Category-wise Sales Breakdown (Pie Chart)
Profitability by Category (Stacked Column)
Customer & Region Insights
Sales by Region (Map Visual)
Revenue by Customer Gender (Donut Chart)
Customer Count & Average Order Value
Each section was interactive and filterable using slicers (Date, Category, Region).
Dashboard Preview
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| Top 10 Products by Sales Volume |
“Sales by Month and Profit Trend”
“Top 10 Products by Sales Volume”
“Interactive Map of Regional Sales Performance”
Key Insights
Top 3 Categories accounted for 70% of total revenue
High Return Rate seen in electronics category (15%)
South Region had highest AOV but lower volume
Repeat customers generated 40% more revenue
Holiday season spike in November–December
Business Impact
The dashboard helped the business:
Prioritize inventory for top-selling products
Identify and reduce return rates through better product info
Improve regional marketing strategies
Focus retention efforts on high-value customers
Learning Outcomes
From a data analyst’s perspective, I learned to:
Transform messy, raw data into clean insights
Build KPIs that answer real business questions
Use DAX to enhance dashboard interactivity
Design for clarity, storytelling, and decision-making
Communicate insights effectively to non-technical stakeholders
For Hiring Managers & Clients
I bring a business-first mindset, backed by technical skills in Power BI, SQL, and Excel. Whether you're:
A company looking to hire a data analyst
A startup that needs reporting and BI support
A solo entrepreneur who wants to understand your numbers better
👉 Let’s connect — I can help you turn your data into a strategic asset.
Let’s Connect
📧 Reach out for collaborations, freelance projects, or data analytics roles.
🔗 [ LinkedIn | GitHub | Portfolio link here]
Tags
#PowerBI #eCommerceAnalytics #DataVisualization #BusinessIntelligence #DashboardDesign #FreelanceDataAnalyst #AnalyticsCaseStudy #MicrosoftPowerBI #DAX #DataStorytelling
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