1. Dynamics AX & Power BI
Overview of integration

2. BI Landscape

3. Limitations of Power BI
I want better Reports ≠ I want Power BI
Power BI Reports:
Can’t be printed easily
Can’t be distributed easily
Can’t define their own calculations (when using SSAS)
Don’t know who “you” are
Have static design
Have limited click-through functionality
A Power BI Report has far more limitations than a standard report

4. Benefits of Power BI
I wish it was easier to get reports = I want Power BI
Power BI Development example:
I want my team’s sales last year by week.
These are the folks on your team.
Jim doesn’t work here anymore.
Ok, here’s your current employees by week.
Why is week 1 so low?
There’s only 1 day in that week last year, let’s try Fiscal Year.
Looks better, but I was expecting it to be closer to this result
That’s showing Net Revenue. Here how’s this look?
Looks good, can you send me this next month too?
I just published it, you can run it whenever you want.
A Power BI report costs far less to develop than standard reports

5. Having your cake and eating it too
I want better Reports ≠ I don’t want Power BI
Power BI enables data exploration and rapid analysis for end users
Standard reporting enables granular security, specific design, and custom deployment
Hybrid approach:
Enable key users to explore data and create reports
If advanced features are needed, wait until a Power BI prototype passes data validation/testing before developing standard report
Use prototype for rapid standard development by pointing to the same pre- tested data sources/fields

6. Our Roadmap – Step 0: Planning
Power BI is designed to transfer ownership of reporting from IT to the business*
We chose an IT-directed foundation with a slow transfer of responsibility to the business over multiple years
Your road map will depend on the particulars of your business
Power BI is the future, but don’t forget you live in the present *

7. Our Roadmap - Step 1: Data-having business
IT builds the data warehouse
Measures are codified, named, and documented
IT builds all new reports from the data warehouse/cubes
Power BI is an internal prototyping tool for IT’s report specs

8. Our Roadmap - Step 2: Data-aware business
Warehouse/cubes pretty much complete
Select power users learn Power BI report creation
Users’ reports are directed through IT for QA/testing before deployment
New IT report requests require a Power BI prototype from Power User
Select end users start viewing Power BI reports

9. Our Roadmap - Step 3: Data-loving business
Power users begin to train apprentices
IT QA becomes optional
End users comfortable viewing Power BI reports
Power Users learn to join other data sets with the warehouse
End users begin to prefer Power BI reports to legacy reports

10. Our Roadmap - Step 4: Data-driven business
End users are comfortable browsing cubes
QA/deployment process is fully owned by the business
Legacy reports become a niche practice that nobody likes
IT only gets involved when new data is required