Need some help with integrating PowerBi Reports with Excel/Powerpoint data

[Shubhamkar]

Dear Community.

I am a beginner level user of PowerBi and can generate basic level of dashboards and reports for regular use. I am working on a side project for my job that requires me to do the following:

1. There is an existing set of powerpoint slides containing certain data of projects previously done by us called Banchmarks. These powerpoint slides can be traced back to Excel files as well from where the data was embedded in the slides. The data contains KPIs of projects in graphs/charts, Google Earth Imagery, Images of Buildings etc.

2. Now I need to find a way to design a system using PowerBi in which bascially if I need to look for a certain project/benchmark, it will automatically generate the slide as a dashboard/report with its contents as per the desirable pre-set format for the slides. Basically, I shouldn't have to scroll through the set of powerpoint slides and excel files and manually extract data and compile it into a dashboard/report. 

Moreover, I need to make this database accessible to all members of the team, so does it mean I need to make it on PowerBi Sevice and not on Desktop? How can I do that? Where should I lock the base file, if that. 

What could be the best way to do this? Would really appreciate all the help please. Thanks in advance.

[v-kpoloju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Shubhamkar,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum. Thank you @bhanu_gautam, for your inputs on this issue.
After reviewing the details you provided, I have identified few workarounds that may help resolve the issue. Please follow these steps:

Prepare the Data Model: Consolidate all relevant Excel files into a structured format. Create a master Excel file or SQL/Azure table (if the scale is large) that lists all projects/benchmarks with metadata (Project ID, Name, Location, KPIs, Image URLs/paths) and stores Google Earth imagery and photos as file paths or web links (host on SharePoint, OneDrive, or Azure Blob if possible).

Use Power BI Desktop to import the master Excel file using Power Query. Load any image paths as Image URLs for visualization in Power BI. Create a data model where each project is a row, and associated information is in columns.

Design a template report page in Power BI: Add slicers/dropdowns to select Project/Benchmark. Display KPIs in charts, building images via image URL visuals, and Google Earth snapshots as images or embedded HTML using Power BI custom visuals. Use Bookmarks and the Selection Pane for slide-like navigation if needed.

Publish the Power BI report to the Power BI Service: Store the Excel file in a shared location such as SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, or Azure Blob Storage. Use Power BI Gateway if the file is on a local network to keep data refreshed.

In Power BI Service: Share the report via Apps or Workspaces and assign appropriate permissions. Team members can now access the report from a browser without installing Power BI Desktop.

If this post helps, then please give us ‘Kudos’ and consider Accept it as a solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Thank you for using Microsoft Community Forum.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @Shubhamkar,

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you.

[bhanu_gautam]

@Shubhamkar 

Data Consolidation: Ensure all your data from the Excel files is consolidated into a single or multiple tables that can be imported into Power BI. This includes KPIs, project details, images, and any other relevant data.

Data Import: Import the consolidated data into Power BI. You can do this by using the "Get Data" feature in Power BI to connect to your Excel files.

Data Modeling: Create relationships between your tables in Power BI to ensure that the data is properly linked. This will help in creating comprehensive reports and dashboards.

Report Creation: Design your Power BI report to mimic the layout of your PowerPoint slides. Use visuals such as charts, graphs, and images to represent your data. You can use the "Image" visual to add images of buildings and Google Earth imagery.

Dynamic Filtering: Use slicers or filters in Power BI to allow users to select a specific project or benchmark. This will dynamically update the visuals on the report to show the relevant data for the selected project.

Export to PowerPoint: Once your report is designed, you can export it to PowerPoint. Power BI has a feature that allows you to export your report to a PowerPoint file. This can be done by going to the "File" menu, selecting "Export", and then choosing "PowerPoint".

Automation: For further automation, consider using Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow). You can create a flow that triggers the export of the Power BI report to PowerPoint based on certain conditions or schedules.

[Shubhamkar]

Hi @bhanu_gautam thank you for your prompt response. There is one caveat though, I don't really have a lot of excel files, it is mostly powerpoint slides almost 1800 in total, divided into sections for each project as a separate section. If it were excel data, I could have still converted it to a query, but unfortunately it is a database that contains all the projects from inception and trying to locate the excel origin of the data on the slides is going to be a huge task. 
So do I need to convert powerpoint slides to ms excel ? is there an efficient way to do this?
 Moreover, I need to make this database accessible to all members of the team, so does it mean I need to make it on PowerBi Sevice and not on Desktop? How can I do that? Where should I lock the base file, if that. 
Also,
Could you please direct me towards a link to a video tutorial that could help me understand this whole process better?