Importance of Power BI admin

[kjmts5200]

Hello,

I work for a midsize company where all our reporting is done using Power BI. I am responsible for the majority of these reports. During a recent risk assessment, several issues were identified that require the intervention of an admin. My questions are:

1. Isn't it unusual for a company to not have an admin designated?
2. How can I effectively explain the importance of having an admin to a non-technical C-level executive?

Any help would be appreciated.

[pallavi_r · Accepted solution]

Hi @kjmts5200 

I will give you importance of Power BI  admin from my experience with Power BI projects.

1. Whenever someone is setting up a Power BI for the first time, we need the BI adminsitration for workspace setup, accesses etc

2.Setting up governance in BI project takes utmost priority. In an organization, there will be generally 2 types of Power BI user. Self service analyst who will be creating reports on their own without taking other's help. And big team with professional developers with centralized administration. They follow all standards and security as per power bi best practices. We need to keep a balance between these type of users. While we need to provide self

service bi in the organization, we also need to have centralized administration team who can keep a tap on what is happening within a tenant.

3.We never know with this self service BI freedom, there can be security breach. A BI user can share the data with external users. Can make the data available for download. BI administrator checks all the tenant security settings and takes care on access and security.

4. Then power bi developer will have freedom to create as many numbers of reports and dashboards. This in long run will create an issue of data duplication, inaccuracy, incosistency.  It becomes a mess. So when the owner leaves the organization, it will be difficult to identify the correct report and data source. Power BI admin can restricts creation of workspaces, create standards and provide guidelines for the same

5.Power BI admin checks metrics and answers, resolves the slowness, peak usage, identify the troublesome report which is consuming lot of memory. Helps team to optimize the reports with performance issues.

I hope I have answered your query.

Thanks,

Pallavi

[v-tianyich-msft]

Hi @kjmts5200 ,

Data security should be a company's most important asset. The tenant administrator has the authority to control it and can restrict some operations to other members. For example, downloading pbix files and posting reports to the Web can effectively protect data privacy.

What is the Microsoft Fabric admin portal? - Microsoft Fabric | Microsoft Learn

Hope it helps!

Best regards,
Community Support Team_ Scott Chang

If this post helps then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Shravan133]

It’s not unusual for midsize companies to initially operate without a dedicated admin, especially if the reporting tools and processes are relatively new. However, as the organization scales and reporting needs become more complex, having a dedicated admin becomes increasingly important.

Explaining the Importance of Having a Power BI Admin to a Non-Technical C-Level Executive

1. Highlight the Benefits of Effective Management

   • Data Security: Emphasize that an admin ensures proper data governance, security, and compliance. They can manage user permissions, protect sensitive data, and ensure that data access aligns with company policies.
   • Operational Efficiency: Explain how an admin can streamline report creation, manage dataflows, and ensure that scheduled refreshes and other automated processes run smoothly, leading to more reliable and timely insights.
   • Troubleshooting and Support: Point out that an admin can quickly address issues with data connectivity, report errors, and system performance, reducing downtime and improving overall productivity.

2. Connect to Business Goals

   • Strategic Decision Making: Stress that accurate and timely reporting is crucial for informed decision-making. An admin helps ensure that reports are accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with business objectives.
   • Risk Management: Outline how an admin can mitigate risks related to data integrity, compliance, and reporting errors, protecting the company from potential financial and reputational damage.

3. Use Real-World Examples

   • Case Studies: Share examples from other companies where having a dedicated admin improved reporting efficiency, data security, and overall business performance.
   • Current Challenges: Relate specific issues or inefficiencies you've encountered due to the lack of a dedicated admin, and explain how an admin could have addressed these problems proactively.

4. Discuss Cost vs. Benefit

   • Cost Savings: Highlight that investing in a dedicated admin can lead to long-term cost savings by reducing manual intervention, preventing errors, and avoiding potential compliance fines.
   • ROI: Demonstrate the return on investment by showing how improved reporting accuracy and efficiency can drive better business decisions and growth.

5. Propose a Plan

   • Role Definition: Outline the key responsibilities and skills needed for the admin role, including data management, system administration, and user support.
   • Implementation Plan: Suggest a phased approach to introducing the admin role, including identifying potential candidates, defining their responsibilities, and integrating them into the team.

6. Address Concerns

   • Scalability: Reassure the executive that the role can be scaled according to the company’s growth and that the admin can start part-time or as a shared role if necessary.
   • Expertise: Highlight that the admin will bring specialized expertise to the team, allowing current staff to focus on their core responsibilities.

By focusing on these aspects, you can effectively communicate the value and necessity of having a dedicated Power BI admin to non-technical C-level executives, aligning the discussion with their strategic goals and concerns.