Forum Discussion
Power BI Life cycle Management
This blog entry describes a way to achieve a DEV, TEST and PROD environment in power bi as well: http://angryanalyticsblog.azurewebsites.net/index.php/2016/04/17/power-bi-content-workflow/
So in a corporate Power BI environment, I currently think you basically have the following options: Let you end users access reports and dashboards through content packs or throught a PROD group workspace (with privacy set to members can only view Power BI content).
With content packs you can include just the content that fits your user profile, but if they for example need access to a lot of reports from multiple business areas (ie. TEST workspaces) it gets messy in their personal workspace, since the separation is not visible in their personal worspace. Another difference is that with content packs, the end user can create a copy of the reports and modify it.
As a manager/ technical lead, I view Power BI as a fresh paint-job on Excel (PowerPivot, PowerQuery, PowerView) basically hosted in somethig like SharePoint. You may find that you can ease up on SDLC in favor of some type of more informal "Report Certification" process led and validated by your Power BI Champion.
Microsoft provided a pretty extensive white paper on Power BI governance and lifecycle approaches.
Business-Led Self-Service BI - Business supports all elements of solution (preparation, modeling, report creation and execution)
IT-Managed Self-Service BI - IT owns data preparation, modeling. Business owns report creation and execution.
Corporate BI - IT owns all aspects of preparation, modeling, report creation. Business just executes reports.
https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-admin-governance/
They go very in depth on roadmaps, and the pros and cons of each approach. The most important factor across all approaches is identifying the Power BI Champion. They are likely technical or quasi-technical, understand and define process / vision for Power BI, and are of course passionate about building a data-driven culture.
I believe that this post may sway towards the Corporate BI approach, and I would encourage you to think outside the box, towards a more business-led approach. Pie in the sky, but in my mind it is important to encourage teams to build their own reports at the very minimum, and strive for a deeper understanding of their company's unique data. On multiple occassions, I saw the light-bulb go off when data modeling, slicing and dicing, and effective quantitative visualization come together.
Power BI shouldn't just be a flashy upgrade from SQL Server Reporting Services. It's a different paradigm that belongs more in the hands of the business. It has the potential to build let IT focus on more impactful projects and governance rather than report development.
too bad that link https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-admin-governance/%C2%A0 doesn't work anymore. where should it point to now?