The Clearly Podcast
Stop Replicating Excel in Power BI
Summary
Today, the discussion focuses on breaking bad Excel habits when using Power BI. A common issue is emailing versions of Excel spreadsheets, leading to confusion about the correct version. This same problem occurs with Power BI files (PBIX) on SharePoint, where multiple versions create uncertainty about which one is the latest.
Emailing PBIX files leads to version confusion and outdated data, similar to Excel files. Multiple users making tweaks result in numerous different versions labeled the same. Versioning problems also arise when publishing reports to the Power BI service, leading to multiple versions that clog the system and create confusion.
To avoid these issues, it's essential to implement a lifecycle management process for reports, including development, testing, and production stages, with controlled access to workspaces. This prevents workarounds and ensures a centralized data source. Governance and workspace management are crucial, using repository control and pipeline management to maintain order. While stopping people from emailing files is challenging, centralizing file storage can help.
Starting with good habits is essential. Users should only have viewer access unless necessary, ensuring proper interaction with reports without altering filters or other settings. Engaging key stakeholders and identifying power users help establish proper roles and responsibilities. Delivering quality reports that are responsive, accurate, and well-branded encourages users to rely on centralized data rather than creating their own versions.
Avoid replicating Excel reports in Power BI, as it often leads to inefficiencies and confusion. Using virtual machines (VMs) for different clients helps segregate work and maintain consistency. Encouraging the use of the right tool for the job, whether Excel or Power BI, is crucial for effective data management.
Communication and user education are vital in helping users understand the importance of proper PBIX file management to avoid confusion and ensure data accuracy. Governance, proper roles, and responsibilities, and delivering high-quality reports are key to successful Power BI implementation. Starting with good practices prevents bad habits from forming, ensuring a smooth and efficient Power BI environment.
You can download Power BI Desktop from here.
If you already use Power BI, or are considering it, we strongly recommend you join your local Power BI user group here.
Transcript
Andy:
Today, we discuss breaking bad Excel habits in Power BI. I've been seeing a lot of these habits lately, which might explain my agitation on the subject.
Shailan:
We see these bad habits all the time, regardless of the tool used.
Andy:
What do we mean by bad Excel habits? Let's start with emailing versions of Excel spreadsheets around, which creates confusion about the correct version. The same issue arises with Power BI files (PBIX) on SharePoint, where no one is sure of the latest version.
Tom:
Emailing PBIX files is problematic because, like Excel files, they can become outdated and create version confusion. Multiple people might make their own tweaks, resulting in numerous different versions labeled the same.
Shailan:
Versioning problems proliferate even when published to the Power BI service. Multiple versions clog the service, causing confusion about which is correct. This issue extends to different workspaces (Dev, UAT, Prod) if not managed consistently.
Andy:
Improper workspace management leads to numerous reports with different calculations, causing chaos and undermining the reliability of Power BI.
Tom:
To avoid these issues, implement a lifecycle management process for reports, including development, testing, and production stages, with controlled access to workspaces. This helps prevent workarounds and ensures a centralized data source.
Shailan:
Governance and workspace management are crucial. Using repository control and pipeline management can help. It's challenging to stop people from emailing files, but centralizing file storage can mitigate this.
Andy:
Starting with good habits is essential. Users should only have viewer access unless necessary, ensuring proper interaction with reports without altering filters or other settings.
Tom:
Engage key stakeholders and identify power users to ensure proper roles and responsibilities. Quality reports that are responsive, accurate, and well-branded encourage users to rely on centralized data rather than creating their own versions.
Shailan:
Avoid replicating Excel reports in Power BI. Power BI is not Excel, and attempting to recreate Excel reports in Power BI often leads to inefficiencies and confusion.
Andy:
Using VMs for different clients helps segregate work and maintain consistency. Encouraging the use of the right tool for the job, whether Excel or Power BI, is crucial for effective data management.
Tom:
Communication and user education are vital. Help users understand why managing PBIX files properly is important to avoid confusion and ensure data accuracy.
Andy:
Governance, proper roles, and responsibilities, and delivering high-quality reports are the keys to successful Power BI implementation.
Tom:
Starting with good practices prevents bad habits from forming, ensuring a smooth and efficient Power BI environment.