Distributing Dashboard Templates

[greg_d25]

My company has developed an application that is based on Dynamics CRM.

We would like to be able to distribute "template" dashboards to our clients that would give them a head start on analyzing their data.  With the tables, fields, etc renamed to something more readable than the schema names.

Is it possible to deploy a pbix file to our clients and then have them change the data connection properties to point to their CRM Online instance and populate with their data?

If not does anyone have other ideas on how something similar could be accomplished?

Thanks,

Greg

[ankitpatira]

@greg_d25 With PowerBI desktop April 2016 update you can create dashbaord template (.pbit) file that contains your template but no data and you can distribute that.

[tiagoruela]

Hi Greg,

This is Tiago from Brazil. Have you get this application working for your clients. Coud you please explain your solution? I also have an application that I want to develop several dashboards and share them with my clients (each one has their own local database). I think that is exactly the same issue that you've posted.

I will appreciate if you share this knowledge with me!

Thanks,

Tiago

[Brian_M]

Ankitpatira is right, I would just expand on that by saying the advantage it gives you is that you can parameterise the template. The template contains no data and when they open it, they are prompted for parameters that you have specified - in which you could include details such as the local SQL instance etc. You could also allow them to specify things like date ranges, custom dynamic columns etc.

This link might help.

http://biinsight.com/power-bi-desktop-query-parameters-part-1/

[Greg_Deckler]

What you want to do is to develop a "Content Pack" similar to what you see when you get data from a service. There is information on creating content packs here:

https://support.powerbi.com/knowledgebase/articles/651337-tutorial-create-and-publish-an-organizatio...

Granted, it is for organizational content packs, I have not seen anything on how to have a content pack published through Microsoft to the service, but there is obviously a way to do it but someone from MS would need to chime in.

[andre]

@greg_d25 here is another link that you might find helpful

http://businessintelligist.com/2015/07/27/the-definitive-guide-on-collaboration-in-power-bi-tutorial...