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df123445
Helper II
Helper II

How to get around circular relationships

 I have to create a dashboard to show sales made by sales reps in a specific period. 

 

the sales table is filtered by start/end date 

the sales rep table is also filtered by start/end table since specific areas may have or not a sales rep in a given time frame 

(I hope this make sense, it's the core of my issue)

 

so basically both table are filtered by table and also only the sales made by the sales reps in the selected time frame should be shown, that creates a circular relationship (Please see img attached).

 

How can I get around it? any suggestions please? TIA powerbiissue.jpg

2 REPLIES 2
Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi @df123445 ,


What about trying to model it like this?

vcgaomsft_0-1727675071306.png

vcgaomsft_1-1727675103809.png
If this doesn't solve the problem, can you provide some sample data and expected output?

How to provide sample data in the Power BI Forum - Microsoft Fabric Community

Best Regards,
Gao

Community Support Team

 

If there is any post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution  to help the other members find it more quickly.
If I misunderstand your needs or you still have problems on it, please feel free to let us know. Thanks a lot!

How to get your questions answered quickly --  How to provide sample data in the Power BI Forum

rajendraongole1
Super User
Super User

Hi @df123445 -Circular relationships in Power BI occur when there are multiple direct paths between two or more tables, leading to ambiguity in how data is filtered or related. In your case, where both the Sales and Sales Rep tables are filtered by start and end dates, a circular dependency might arise, making it difficult to filter data accurately. 

Best practices:

  • Always use a Date Table in Power BI, as it not only resolves issues like circular references but also enhances performance for time-based filtering.
  • Break down the relationships in your model and focus on ensuring that one direction of filtering is active at any given time.
  • Use USERRELATIONSHIP Function and inactive relationships as a dynamic way to manage complex filtering conditions.

By implementing one of these strategies, you can effectively manage the circular dependency in your Power BI model while maintaining the flexibility of filtering both tables within a given time frame.

Hope this helps.





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