The Dashboard Effect

In this episode, Kate Eberle and Greg Brown discuss the challenges and strategies of portfolio monitoring in private equity. They explore the different approaches firms take, from Excel-based reporting to fully automated Power BI solutions, and discuss the pros and cons of each method. Things we cover:  - The evolution of portfolio monitoring in private equity - Common challenges firms face with d...

Who should see your business data and who shouldn’t? In this episode of The Dashboard Effect , hosts Brick and Landon break down the essentials of role-based security and data access control . Learn how businesses can ensure the right people have access to the right data while keeping sensitive information secure. We cover: - The importance of defining roles & hierarchies - How to structure ac...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, host Jon sits down with Lisa Weaver Lambert, author of The AI Value Playbook. Lisa shares her deep expertise in AI, offering practical advice for non-technical leaders on how to leverage AI effectively. From addressing common pitfalls to discussing actionable strategies, Lisa’s insights are a must-hear for anyone looking to implement AI in their organizatio...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick and Landon discuss the importance of truly understanding your data before diving into report building. Whether you’re an analytics engineer or using Power BI, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for making better decisions and creating impactful dashboards. Key Moments: [02:15] Why understanding your data source improves report outcom...

Knowing when to use raw data or aggregated data can make or break your analytics strategy. In this video, Brick and Landon explain the key differences between raw and aggregated data, how each affects decision-making, and the best times to use them. Whether you’re managing transactional data or scaling analytics for your business, this discussion has you covered. Tune in to learn how these data st...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect Podcast , Brick and Landon break down the differences between schema on read and schema on write. They discuss when to use each approach, the pros and cons, and real-world applications for businesses of different sizes. If you're navigating the complexities of data lakes, data warehouses, or lakehouses, this episode will give you clarity. Tune in to lea...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect Podcast, host Brick Thompson and Blue Margin’s Director of Solutions, Landon Ochs, dive into the nuances of semantic models and the bronze, silver, and gold layers within a data lake house. They explain the roles of each layer, how data is transformed at each stage, and why collaboration with business users is essential for accurate and actionable BI reporti...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick chats with Landon, Director of Solutions at Blue Margin, about a surprising challenge faced while extracting data from NetSuite. Despite NetSuite’s well-developed API, handling massive datasets proved problematic. Landon shares how they solved the issue using an unexpected solution—the ODBC connector. They discuss the limitations of the API, how ODBC...

In this episode, Brick Thompson and Caleb Ochs discuss the critical role of good data models in making business intelligence tools like Power BI efficient and scalable. They cover the pitfalls of poor data models, including delayed reporting and data category issues, and offer insights into designing flexible, transactional-level data models that can grow with your business needs. Key Moments: - E...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, hosts Brick and Caleb discuss the challenges and best practices for rolling out Business Intelligence (BI) solutions to large audiences. With a real-life example of implementing BI across 600 retail locations, they dive into how to navigate common pitfalls, ensuring user adoption and success. Whether your rollout is for a small team or a large enterprise, t...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, hosts Brick and Caleb explore the essential steps to building efficient and reliable data pipelines. They discuss the critical factors in moving data from transactional systems to data lakes, highlight the importance of simplifying pipelines, and share practical strategies for handling pipeline failures, API connections, and ensuring scalability. Whether yo...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect, Brick and Caleb explore the pressing challenges of assembling and sustaining a robust data team in today’s volatile tech landscape. With tech turnover rates on the rise, developing strategies to attract and retain top talent is more critical than ever. They share insights on the importance of redundancy, effective documentation, and keeping solutions simple...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect Podcast, hosts Brick and Caleb dive into the often-overlooked advantages of outsourcing data platform management. They explore why mid-market companies should consider this option, discussing the challenges of in-house management, the importance of expertise in data integrity and security, and how outsourcing can free up your team to focus on core business a...

Welcome to The Dashboard Effect Podcast! In this episode, Brick and Caleb discuss the world of generative AI analytics, reflecting on the initial excitement and the current state of the technology. They share their insights and personal experiences, examining the progress made since the Microsoft Build Conference 2023 and evaluating whether generative AI tools are living up to their expectations. ...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect Podcast, we tackle the complex world of multi-currency reporting in Power BI. Whether you're a BI professional or a business analyst dealing with international data, this episode is packed with valuable insights to enhance your reporting capabilities. Brick and Caleb dive deep into: Effective strategies for displaying different currency symbols The powe...

In this episode of The Dashboard Effect Podcast, hosts Brick Thompson and Caleb Ochs discuss the pros and cons of emailing reports in business intelligence. They explore why the common practice of sending daily Excel sheets or PDFs is limiting and outdated, and offer better alternatives using modern BI tools like Power BI. We cover in this episode... - The limitations of static, emailed reports -...

In the latest episode of The Dashboard Effect Podcast, Brick and Caleb discuss a common challenge businesses face when trying to extend their data for reporting purposes using Excel files to categorize or group data in ways not supported by the original system. While this approach may seem simple and straightforward, it can lead to several problems down the road, such as: Difficulty matching numbe...

Brick and Caleb get technical this week with a special focus on delta loading. They break down the concept of delta loading and highlight its benefits over traditional full loading techniques in terms of speed and resource efficiency. Caleb covers the typical obstacles faced when implementing delta loading, including issues with legacy systems and API limitations. He also shares strategies for eff...

Brick and Caleb share the essentials of performant Power BI reports. They discuss the ideal loading performance benchmarks, the implications of load times on user trust, and helpful strategies for debugging and optimizing data models and DAX measures. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel . Blue Margin increases enterprise value for PE-backed, mid-market companies by serving as their fractiona...

Brick and Caleb discuss the importance of data modeling and good DAX in Power BI, highlighting common mistakes that can lead to poor report performance. For fast and efficient reporting, you need a sound data model that contains the right level of detail, dimensions, and relationships, avoids snowflake schemas, and uses simple (and standardized) naming conventions. Watch this episode on our YouTub...

(This episode is a re-release, but the content is still just as relevant as it was the first time around!) Brick and Caleb discuss the complexities of building an in-house BI department. In addition to sharing their firsthand experience and insight from years of supporting mid-market companies, the duo discusses the potential benefits and pitfalls of moving from relying on external BI vendors to e...

Brick and guest co-host Greg Brown explore the dynamic between leading and lagging indicators in BI reporting. They share challenges and strategies for integrating these metrics to enhance operational efficiency and financial performance. Greg shares anecdotes from his operations background to emphasize the need for timely and actionable data to adjust behavior before it's too late. Watch thi...

This week, Brick and Caleb get a bit technical and discuss how to improve Power BI report performance through effective semantic modeling and minimizing data transformation with Power BI. They unpack the challenges of managing data transformations directly within Power BI and highlight the advantages of using serverless SQL views instead. Their insights will help Power BI report developers avoid c...

Brick and Caleb explore the balance between empowering analysts with data access and the governance required to prevent data sprawl and maintain integrity and consistency across reports. They provide strategies for enabling departments to independently use data for their own insights and how to use a centralized data team to review, refine, and distribute only the best individual reports to be use...

In a continuation of their AI-readiness discussion, Brick and Caleb outline the importance of the human element in preparing for generative AI analytics. They share strategies for ensuring that your company's culture is ready to harness the power of AI, from how to start improving data literacy to defining clear and consistent business logic.  Click here to watch this episode on our YouTube c...