One Semantic model VS Multiple Semantic Models

Hi robertozsr ,

This is a very common design question, and there’s no single “always right” answer — it depends on how similar your clients really are.

If all clients share the same business logic, KPIs, and relationships, then a single semantic model with RLS can work well.

However, in your case you mention client-specific rules, metrics, and calculations. Once that happens, a single model usually becomes very complex: lots of conditional DAX, inactive relationships, heavy RLS, and harder performance tuning.

In practice, a separate semantic model per client is often the better choice:

Simpler DAX and relationships

Better performance (smaller, cleaner models)

Easier testing and troubleshooting

Safer changes (one client’s change doesn’t impact others)

Reusability doesn’t have to be lost — it’s best handled at the Gold layer (shared tables) and via model / DAX templates and naming conventions, rather than forcing everything into one model.

For standard dashboards, you can still reuse the same report layout and KPIs by binding the same report template to each client’s semantic model.

In short:
same logic → one model + RLS
different logic → multiple semantic models

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If I misunderstand your needs or you still have problems on it, please feel free to let us know. Thanks a lot!