Exploring Hidden Gems: Lesser-Known Power BI Features

[manoj_0911]

Hello Power BI Community,

As I transition from Tableau to Power BI, I'm curious to uncover some of the lesser-known or hidden features in Power BI that the community finds particularly useful or impactful in day-to-day usage. In Tableau, I've come across several hidden gems that significantly enhanced my workflow and productivity.

Could you please share any lesser-known Power BI features or functionalities that you find valuable in your day-to-day usage?

Whether it's a lesser-known visualization option, a hidden setting, or a unique capability, I'm eager to discover and leverage these features to enhance my Power BI skills.

Your insights and recommendations on this topic would be immensely helpful.

Thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,
Manoj Prabhakar

[amitchandak · Accepted solution]

@manoj_0911 ,

1. Use star Schema

2. Use only numeric keys to join

3. Do not use bi-directional joins

4. Prefer measures whenever possible.

5. For complex calculation check if part of that can be moved as calculated columns

6. Try not to use related in measure unless it is most needed

7. Prefer Window, Offset, Index, Rank and Rownumber, wherever possible

8. Use Import mode

9. Create a dataset file and publish without visuals and then use that as source for visual file

10. Use date table 

11. Use time intellignece

12. Do not use measure as filter unless most needed

13. Use dataflow for common dimesions 

Dataflows and Dataset Design Pattern implementation: https://youtu.be/zwhJ1hWPcrA

14. Use deployement pipeline

Refer

Tableau Vs Power BI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAmg00Wf_cw&list=PLPaNVDMhUXGYzjFASXjdY7GNoFxvlkR54

Best Practices
https://maqsoftware.com/expertise/powerbi/power-bi-best-practices
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/power-bi-optimization
https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/power-bi-best-practices-part-1/
https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/business-intelligence-and-visualization/power-bi-best-practices
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Microsoft-Power-BI-The-Do-s-and-Don-ts-of-Power-BI-Rel...
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Microsoft-Power-BI-My-Power-BI-report-is-slow-What-sho...
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Aggregation-and-composite-model-Microsoft-Power-BI-fas...
direct query performance
https://insightsquest.com/2020/05/25/simple-directquery-performance-tips/
https://locusit.com/performance-management/power-bi-directquery-performance-improvements/
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Aggregation-and-composite-model-Microsoft-Power-BI-fas...

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi @manoj_0911 ,

First of all, many thanks to @amitchandak  for your very quick and effective replies, and I will give some additions below:

1. Cognitive Services Integration: Power BI allows you to enrich your data using Azure Cognitive Services directly within dataflows. This includes capabilities like sentiment analysis, key phrase extraction, and image tagging, enabling you to add advanced analytics to your reports without needing a separate Azure subscription. This feature is particularly useful for gaining deeper insights from your data. For more details, check out the documentation on Use Machine Learning and Cognitive Services with dataflows - Power BI | Microsoft Learn.

2. Personal Workspace as an Analytical Sandbox: Your personal workspace in Power BI can serve as an analytical sandbox where you can experiment and develop BI solutions with minimal governance. It's a great place to test new ideas or build reports before sharing them with a wider audience. More on this can be found in the Power BI usage scenarios: Personal BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn.

3. Customizing the Parameters Pane in Paginated Reports: In Power BI Report Builder, you have the ability to customize the Parameters pane of your paginated reports. This allows for a more organized and user-friendly interface, making it easier for end-users to interact with your reports. This feature is often overlooked but can greatly enhance the usability of paginated reports. Learn more about it here .

4. Power BI Copilot: Leveraging generative AI, Copilot in Power BI can assist in creating reports, generating narrative visuals, and suggesting report outlines based on your dataset. It's a powerful tool to enhance your workflow and make report creation more efficient. Ensure your tenant admin has enabled Copilot for your workspace. You can find more information on Copilot here.

5. Integration of R Scripts for Custom Visuals: Power BI supports the integration of R scripts, allowing you to create custom visuals. This is particularly useful for users looking to leverage statistical or predictive analytics within their reports. The process includes creating R scripts and integrating them as visuals in Power BI. For a guide on this, refer to the Funnel Plot from R documentation.

Best regards,
Community Support Team_Binbin Yu
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[amitchandak · Accepted solution]

@manoj_0911 ,

1. Use star Schema

2. Use only numeric keys to join

3. Do not use bi-directional joins

4. Prefer measures whenever possible.

5. For complex calculation check if part of that can be moved as calculated columns

6. Try not to use related in measure unless it is most needed

7. Prefer Window, Offset, Index, Rank and Rownumber, wherever possible

8. Use Import mode

9. Create a dataset file and publish without visuals and then use that as source for visual file

10. Use date table 

11. Use time intellignece

12. Do not use measure as filter unless most needed

13. Use dataflow for common dimesions 

Dataflows and Dataset Design Pattern implementation: https://youtu.be/zwhJ1hWPcrA

14. Use deployement pipeline

Refer

Tableau Vs Power BI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAmg00Wf_cw&list=PLPaNVDMhUXGYzjFASXjdY7GNoFxvlkR54

Best Practices
https://maqsoftware.com/expertise/powerbi/power-bi-best-practices
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/power-bi-optimization
https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/power-bi-best-practices-part-1/
https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/business-intelligence-and-visualization/power-bi-best-practices
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Microsoft-Power-BI-The-Do-s-and-Don-ts-of-Power-BI-Rel...
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Microsoft-Power-BI-My-Power-BI-report-is-slow-What-sho...
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Aggregation-and-composite-model-Microsoft-Power-BI-fas...
direct query performance
https://insightsquest.com/2020/05/25/simple-directquery-performance-tips/
https://locusit.com/performance-management/power-bi-directquery-performance-improvements/
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/MBAS-Gallery/Aggregation-and-composite-model-Microsoft-Power-BI-fas...