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Charles Sutton

Insights from the 2024 Power BI Summit



The Challenge of Balancing IT and Business Needs

Developing Power BI solutions can be a complex and frustrating process for everyone involved. Business intelligence (BI) professionals often find themselves caught between two opposing forces within an organization: IT and Business. These departments operate very differently, with IT following a structured, calendar-driven approach and Business requiring immediate, ad hoc solutions. IT is tech-savvy and operates within set frameworks, while Business prefers to avoid technical complexities whenever possible. The role of BI professionals is to mediate between these groups, delivering analytical solutions that meet business needs while adhering to IT constraints.


Solutions from the Power BI Summit

At the Power BI Summit, experts shared strategies to address the challenges BI professionals face. To foster better relations with the business side, BI departments should:


  • Engage stakeholders positively: Simplify the request submission process, clearly communicate project priorities, and be transparent about decision-making.

  • Align with IT processes: Develop a clear change management strategy, prioritize requests effectively, and have a solid execution plan.


Presenters at the conference highlighted several key practices for BI professionals:


  1. Start small and iterate: Enhancements are easier than retractions.

  2. Communicate statuses clearly: Set expectations and meet them.

  3. Stay focused: Maintain clarity on business objectives.

  4. Provide detailed information: More upfront details reduce future disappointments.

  5. Support users: Training and documentation are essential for adoption.


Improving Requirements Gathering and Development Processes

One workshop emphasized the importance of involving stakeholders early and often during the design process. Simplifying the development process for business stakeholders reduces their apprehension about working with the BI department. Key recommendations include:


  • Standardize the request submission process and provide timely responses.

  • Explain the process and set clear commitments and project dates.

  • Involve all relevant stakeholders in early discussions to document desires, constraints, and commitments thoroughly.

  • Use diverse methods (interviews, wireframing, brainstorming) to gather user requirements and align projects accordingly.

  • Build and test demos quickly, using feedback to iterate until a final version is agreed upon.


Leveraging Azure DevOps for BI Development

The Summit recommended using Azure DevOps to streamline the BI development lifecycle through a DataOps approach. This involves a standardized set of practices and processes to deliver high-quality BI solutions quickly. Key tools highlighted for enhancing BI development include:


  • Tabular Editor: Standardizes development and publishes bulk changes.

  • DAX Studio: Optimizes DAX calculations with a query editor and stored procedures.

  • PBI Tools: Facilitates version control using JSON and .pbit files.


Structuring Development for Efficiency

Developing an enterprise BI environment requires balancing speed and quality. The Power BI Summit suggested several strategies to improve efficiency:


  • Adopt a thin report structure: Separate datasets from reports to allow parallel work on dataset updates and report development.

  • Utilize Power BI dataflows: Create reusable assets for common data transformations.

  • Implement a dev, test, prod structure: Prevent unintended impacts on production data.


Managing Large Datasets and Automation

Large datasets can slow down BI tools, so it’s essential to minimize dataset size. Power BI offers incremental refresh capabilities to manage large datasets efficiently. Key recommendations include:


  • Develop a second copy of any incrementally refreshed report.

  • Use parameters to set start and end times for data refreshes.

  • Verify data accuracy when setting incremental refreshes.


To aid in report development and version control, the Summit recommended tools such as:


  • Azure DevOps: For source control and standardized deployment pipelines.

  • PowerShell: Automates administrative tasks.

  • Tabular Editor: Uses JSON files for versioning control.

  • PBI Tools: Offers source control features, code comparison, and governance.


Enhancing Data Modeling Practices

Good data modeling is crucial for optimal Power BI performance. The Summit provided several insights:


  • Understand the importance of good data models: They improve data understanding, performance, and resilience to change.

  • Utilize new features: Updated properties pane, reduced refresh steps, and bulk model changes.

  • Leverage DAX for maintenance: Use virtual tables for segmenting views, X functions for calculations, and calculated groups for slicers.


Recommended tools for data model management include:


  • Power BI and Power Automate: Automate administration.

  • ALM Toolkit: Manage bulk incremental changes.

  • DAX Studio: Enhance measure writing efficiency.

  • Power BI Helper: Reduce file size and simplify models.

  • Measure Killer: Identify and remove unused columns.

  • Tabular Editor: Facilitate fast editing and measure management.


Optimizing Power BI Administration

Power BI administrators face the challenge of balancing ease of data access with security. Key responsibilities include:


  • Ensuring simple access to and understanding of data.

  • Monitoring access, incidents, gateways, capacity, and support requests.


Conclusion

The Power BI Summit provided valuable insights and practical solutions for BI professionals. By adopting recommended practices and leveraging the right tools, BI departments can navigate the complexities of development, improve stakeholder relations, and deliver high-quality BI solutions efficiently.


This post is based on my own conference experience, but I leveraged ChatGPT for writing efficiency

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