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Courses/Audit & Assurance/Data Analytics

Power BI Foundations for Audit and Forensic Work

Turn raw financial data into clear visual evidence and spot hidden fraud patterns with professional-grade analytics.

Created byAlessio Facciaworkspace_premium
5.0
(7 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Apr 1, 2026
Power BI Foundations for Audit and Forensic Work

What You'll Learn

check_circleApply Power Query techniques to clean and standardize disparate financial datasets.
check_circleBuild robust relational data models to link ERP sources, invoices, and master data.
check_circleDevelop DAX measures to identify anomalies, duplicate payments, and unusual transaction patterns.
check_circleDesign interactive audit dashboards that facilitate rapid forensic investigation and risk prioritization.

About This Course

Data analytics has become essential in modern fraud examination, internal audit, and forensic investigations. While many professionals rely on spreadsheets, large and relational datasets often exceed the capabilities of traditional tools.

This session provides fraud examiners with a practical, plain-language introduction to Power BI, focusing on how it differs from Excel and Power Pivot, and how it can be leveraged for audit and investigative work. Participants will gain clarity on relational database fundamentals — including tables, keys, and relationships — and learn how sound data model design reduces errors and improves analytical reliability.

The webinar then moves into visualization strategy, demonstrating when to use tables, matrices, charts, and filters to surface anomalies, trends, and exceptions. Finally, attendees will explore essential DAX concepts, including measures, filter logic, context, and common analytical patterns used in fraud detection and transaction review.

Real-world use cases include journal entry analysis, transaction screening, trend analysis, and exception reporting — equipping fraud examiners with practical techniques to strengthen data-driven investigations.

What You Will Learn:

  • The Investigative Data Pipeline: Understand the Power BI ecosystem (Power Query, Data Modeling, and Data Visualization) through the lens of an auditor.
  • Automating Data Preparation: Master Power Query to extract, transform, and load (ETL) messy trial balances, general ledgers, and bank statements without manual manipulation.
  • Relational Data Modeling: Learn to connect disparate datasets (e.g., employee records to vendor master files) to uncover conflicts of interest and hidden relationships.
  • Foundational DAX for Forensics: Write fundamental Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) to flag suspicious transactions, identify gaps in check sequences, and calculate round-number anomalies.
  • Visualizing the Evidence: Design interactive, drill-down dashboards that effectively communicate risk profiles, fraud indicators, and audit findings to stakeholders and management.

Who Should Attend:

  • Internal and External Auditors seeking to modernize their data analytics capabilities.
  • Forensic Accountants and Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) dealing with large volumes of financial evidence.
  • Compliance Officers and Risk Managers.
  • Financial Analysts looking to transition into audit or investigative roles.

Your Instructor

Alessio Faccia
Alessio Faccia

Assistant Professor in Finance | University of Birmingham Dubai

menu_book33 courses
star119 reviews

Dr. Alessio Faccia, an accomplished academic and corporate trainer, has a distinguished finance, accounting, and business background. His expertise spans over 16 years, during which he has notably contributed to finance and accounting through his roles as an assistant professor, auditor, chartered accountant, CFO advisor, and corporate trainer. Dr. Faccia’sacademic journey includes prestigious roles at several universities, including the University of Birmingham and Coventry University, where he taught various finance and accounting modules. His extensive involvement in corporate training further enriches Dr. Faccia’s professional experience. He has provided training in diverse areas such as finance and accounting, management and HR, technology, oil and gas, and legal matters to many organizations. These organization encompass various sectors, including government bodies, financial institutions, energy companies, and real estate firms.. These organizations encompass various sectors, including government bodies, financial institutions, energy companies, and real estate firms. His proficiency is further demonstrated by his numerous publications, research contributions, and a strong academic record, underscoring his commitment to advancing knowledge in his field. Dr. Faccia’s work is a testament to his dedication to enhancing the skills and knowledge of professionals across various industries globally.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

5.0
Student's Choice
7 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.