Best way to centralize data?? Dataflow??

[learning_dax]

Hi all,

I am trying to figure out the best way to centralize one large data set I have made with Power Query, and then a couple different versions of that dataset (mostly identical but with a couple different steps in Power Query (for example just a version of the dataset limited to Southern region sales). Most of my team uses the dataset I have made in Power Query but now some other teams want to use that same dataset but also manipulate it & add different sources and steps to it in Power Query along their own Power BI reports. What is the best way to go about this?  

Dataflows has many credentials/execution/refresh issues that I have never ran into doing ETL on Power BI desktop. However, having 10 different Power BI reports with 10 different datasets, especially for ad hoc analysis becomes very hard to track with refreshes and keeping up with the datasets. Are there better ways or any other suggestions as to how to build datasets & flows that are centralized but also have room for data manipulation (unlike Power BI datasets via Direct Query where you cannot add cleansing steps in Power Query). Also, is it possible for certain dataflows to prompt other dataflows to refresh like a hierarchy?

[collinq · Accepted solution]

Hi @learning_dax ,

I will answer the last question first - no, there is no way to automatically have one dataflow triggered from another one (you might be able to do this yourself with Power Automate though).

I think the best centralization, if you want to share a basic setup and let others manipulate it is to use the DataMart.  (Introduction to datamarts - Power BI | Microsoft Learn)   This is not quite ready for full prime-time yet but should be soon.  We are using it in production now already as well and it is working well and I think will work for what you explained above.  Using a DataMart would let you stage all your data and let the users use it and manipulate it /add filters to it as needed.

Otherwise, you could do a Dataflow or two and just let folks know what they have to do a filter here or there (I wouldn't have multiple versions - unless you are doing so based on security).