Error Fetching Data

[dsj8wksnnckk]

Hi all,

I have a bit of a challenge.

I have created Report 1 that uses various data sources.
In this report my final product is a table with the following columns
Customer, Project Margin

Where the Project Margin is a calculated column built on calculated columns

Project Margin can also be created by measures, so I tried that too.

Now the problem arises when I use this semantic model for Report 2 where I create a relationship between Customer columns and pull the Project Margin data.
The Project Margin is further used for a calcualted column Project Margin Score, which is used in the column Customer Score.

This is a part of a matrix I am presenting.

This new "Project Margin" is the last part of the matrix, but whenever I upload it to the PBI Service, I keep getting error fetching data.

Note: I turned on granularity on both workspaces
I tried with both calculated columns and measures

Any ideas?

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @dsj8wksnnckk ,

If you need any additional details or clarification, please let us know. We encourage you to stay connected with the community for future discussions and updates

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @dsj8wksnnckk ,

Is everything working fine now, or are you still facing any issues? Please let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thank you.

[dsj8wksnnckk · Accepted solution]

At this point, I just merged the two reports due to short timeline. After hours of searching I couldn't locate the reason.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Thank you for the update. I understand sometimes meeting deadlines takes priority. Merging the reports is a reasonable workaround, especially if it helps move things forward. Composite model issues between reports can be difficult to identify and may not always be obvious in the Service.

If you decide to revisit this, testing with a smaller sample model could help pinpoint the cause. For now, it’s good to hear you found a workable solution.

Thanks for letting me know the outcome.

[Murtaza_Ghafoor]

Why This Happens (Simple Explanation)

The issue is because:

Calculated columns are evaluated during data refresh

Measures are evaluated when the report runs (query time)

When Report 2 connects to Report 1 (semantic model chaining), the Service cannot properly evaluate a calculated column that depends on a measure from another semantic model.

Desktop sometimes allows it because it is more flexible locally.

But Power BI Service is strict — it does not allow this dependency chain.

So the model works in Desktop, but fails in Service.

Recommended Solution

Convert all logic to measures only.

Instead of:

Project Margin Score → calculated column

Customer Score → calculated column

Create them as measures.

Because:

Measures are calculated at query time

Measures work properly across semantic models

Power BI Service fully supports this

This follows best practices.

If this helps, ✓ Mark as Kudos | Mark as Solution| Help Others

[dsj8wksnnckk]

The same error happens.

The measure I need to use in Report2:

Measure:
Current Margin % =

DIVIDE(

    [Current Margin in EUR],

    [Contracted Price in EUR]

)

This is all from Report1:

Measure:
Current Margin % =

DIVIDE(

    [Current Margin in EUR],

    [Contracted Price in EUR]

)

Measure:
Current Margin in EUR =

[Contracted Price in EUR] -

[Total Direct Project Staff Costs]

Measure:

Total Direct Project Staff Costs = SUM('Direct Project Staff Costs'[Direct Project Staff Costs])

Measure:

Contracted Price in EUR =

DIVIDE(

    SUM('Project Table'[Contracted Project Price]),

    SUM('Project Table'[FX Rate EUR to Currency])

)


Only calculated column:

FX Rate EUR to Currency =

LOOKUPVALUE(

    'FX Rates'[FX Rate EUR to Currency],

    'FX Rates'[Currency],

    'Project Table'[Contracted Currency],

    'FX Rates'[Month],

    'Project Table'[Month of Actual Start]

)

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @dsj8wksnnckk ,

Since you've already tested both measures and calculated columns and the issue persists in the Service, it likely isn't related to a column versus measure issue.

It seems that Report 2 could be extending the semantic model of Report 1, such as through relationships or added logic. This can sometimes cause the Service to behave differently than Desktop.

Please double check the following

1. Are there any new relationships in Report 2?

2. Have any calculated columns been added?

3. Is the Currency + Month combination unique in the FX Rates table for the LOOKUPVALUE function?

If possible, consider keeping Report 2 as a thin report and moving the scoring logic to Report 1.

Let us know what you find.

[FBergamaschi]

Please include, in a usable format, not an image, a small set of rows for each of the tables involved in your request and show the data model in a picture, so that we can import the tables in Power BI and reproduce the data model. The subset of rows you provide, even is just a subset of the original tables, must cover your issue or question completely. Alternatively, you can share your .pbix via some cloud service and paste the link here. Do not include sensitive information and do not include anything that is unrelated to the issue or question. Please show the expected outcome based on the sample data you provided and make sure, in case you show a Power BI visual, to clarify the columns used in the grouping sections of the visual. Please show images of the issue in the service, too

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