The problem
At one organisation, only developers with database access could see its data. Everyone else had to ask for it. There was no live view and there were no regular reports.
What was done
- Dashboards for each department. Power BI dashboards and reports were built around what each department needed, using Power BI's data modelling.
- A live connection. Power BI was connected to the operational database on Amazon RDS through an on-premises data gateway, with automatic data refresh.
- Reports that arrive by themselves. Scheduled report emails went to key stakeholders.
- Shared knowledge. The steps for refreshing an Amazon RDS source in Power BI were written up and published on Stack Overflow, for others with the same problem.
The result
Non-technical staff began using live data to make decisions themselves. There was less manual reporting and there were fewer errors from handling large datasets by hand.
Getting started
- Start with the questions, not the charts. Ask each team what decisions they make and what they'd need to see to make them.
- Begin with one department. A small dashboard people use is better than a large one they don't.
- Keep a single source for each number. People stop trusting reports when two of them disagree.
- Automate the refresh. A dashboard that needs someone to update it soon falls out of date.
- Think about access. Not everyone should see everything, especially personal or financial data, and reporting shouldn't slow down your live systems.
Power BI is one good option among several. The tool matters less than making sure the people who need the data can reach it.
This article draws on work by Syed Quadri, SMART5's director, while working at another organisation. It wasn't a SMART5 client project, so the organisation isn't named.