Explicit Measures Podcast

Microsoft has fully become a player in the data industry. From Power BI (obviously) to Azure, Machine learning, Purview, Synapse, Power Apps.... Just in Power BI alone we have dataflows, datamarts, datasets! Sprinkle in your organizations own custom systems, how do we know what tools are the most appropriate for a given project? What makes a certain combination of tools better than others?  I...

We are talking about Security Groups in Power BI with an introduction to where it works.  And for those of you who this sounds boring: trust us, there is more to this feature than you think. Why are security groups important for a Power BI Admin, and are we underutilizing them? What risks are there? Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBIT...

Taking a different approach to DAX, the language and toolbelt of the DAX language goes far beyond just crunching numbers. What can DAX do to enhance the report styling and descriptive information?  What should we utilize DAX for that can professionalize and help users understand their data? Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with...

We are going back into the Enrico Bertini well of amazing insights.  On the surface, the question of what makes a visual confusing is simple. But do we have a solid understanding of the components and all the inputs involved that truly make it confusing? Article here: https://filwd.substack.com/p/what-makes-a-data-visualization-confusing Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want...

The growth of self-service and fast moving data has lead to the lack of what is defined as corporate data. What comes from the top, and should we treat this data and reports differently?  Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page . Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi...

Based on a post on LinkedIn, arguing that data modeling has become a "second class citizen" and no longer paired with business concepts from day 1 of development.  We deal with this even in the Power BI world. We stare at models and columns and, usually assuming the source data has been vetted and has meaning. But what too often occurs is the lack of process around the input, organization of...

Based on a link from Paul Turley's blog (and an episode on getting your data into shape).  The idea behind this is observations from software engineers not delivering on time despite adding more resources, with the possibility of measuring quality work in "man-months" is a myth.  How much of this relates to Power BI development and data integration struggles? When we are so deep in the t...

Microsoft has released a bombshell to the entire Office 365 ecosystem: Power BI Desktop is included with the Office Installer. What implications and effects will this have on data, development, and trust? What does this mean from a governance and adoption perspective? Will this lead towards more self-service, and do we as the developers need to pivot on how we deploy and share data? Link to releas...

Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into a new diagram on the suggestion for implementing the Power BI Adoption Roadmap, from getting familiar to success. Do they agree? Link to Diagram: https://twitter.com/sqlchick/status/1587128216145240071?s=46&t=W73bDFtuw_E9oY76ek8c0w Article: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/powerbi-adoption-roadmap-conclusion Get in touch: Send in your questi...

Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into an amazing article by Enrico Bertini, on what Data Thinking and the gaps there.  What is the importance of critical thinking in the BI world? https://filwd.substack.com/p/what-matters-really-is-effective https://corporatetrainingmaterials.com/blogs/using-our-materials/improving-critical-thinking-skills-a-guide Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics yo...

Another amazing article by Data Goblins on utilizing the features in Apps, Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss the alternate ways to use the audiences as a content management system and feature set rather than just for security.  Article here: https://data-goblins.com/power-bi/app-audiences Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the...

Have you ever seen a community fall apart, or lose its luster? In the context of Power BI, we are part of many communities, but why do some lose their engagement? Mike, Seth, & Tommy Discuss just that. And introducing jam.powerbi.tips !  Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.t...

Adoption & Promotion... Using @Gartner_inc "Trough of Disillusionment", what should Power BI Pros expect and can we avoid this at our organizations? Article here: https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Po...

Mike, Seth, & Tommy focus on everything OUTSIDE the report landing page, and the report itself. What can we do to further help organizations and consumers in Power BI experience, from App experience to Power BI home.  Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page . V...

This came from a conversation with an attendee at the Data Insights Summit in Chicago: There are so many features and projects to work on in the Power BI platform, but it is nearly impossible for one person to focus on all  of them (adoption, development, etc.). How do you scale your skills from a career and organizational level? Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to d...

Datamarts in #PowerBI ... We have 5 months to work with, so where do they fit for teams, solutions? The Explicit Measures podcast revisits datamarts and if they are truly disruptive for process, or do we need to think differently? Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page...

Power BI Deployment Pipelines are fast becoming an essential feature for organizations and BI teams. With the newly release deployment history, the ability to set rules, and utilize DevOps, this logically leads us to the question... Should Deployment Pipelines be part of every BI teams solution to some capacity? Mike, Seth, & Tommy talk a big game about adoption and process, so where do Deploy...

With another amazing article by Paul Turley, the guys dive into the importance of star schemas and being able to mess around in Power BI.  Article for reference: https://sqlserverbi.blog/2022/08/31/getting-data-into-shape-for-reporting-with-power-bi/ Also touched on Power BI Tracker: https://joyfulcraftsmen.com/blog-power-bi-tracker/ Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you wan...

Mike, Seth, & Tommy break out another mailbag and how the 7 step problem solving process relates to Power BI.   https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/how-to-master-the-seven-step-problem-solving-process Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or sub...

Another quick episode this week (last short one we promise) as the guys are out doing Power BI things! This is a mailbag asking all about how much do we need to leverage the graphic design field in our design process? This is not so much on why we need to be designers, but do we need to bring in others to help with our reports? Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss...

Mike, Seth, & Tommy review the components and the value of communication with executive sponsorship in Power BI Adoption. What makes it effective, and what do you need to plan for? Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page . Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/ W...

Mike, Seth, and Tommy dive into another amazing article by Enrico Bertini: The Three Mental Models Model for Data Visualization (substack.com)  - https://filwd.substack.com/p/the-three-mental-models-model-for How does the 3 mental models (visualization, data, and world) interact with both developers and consumers, and what should Power BI Developers focus on to build the best reports? Get in...

We got a mailbag this week! This is a shorter episode, as people have stuff to do! We are tackling when the process and the placement of adding data friendly names in our Power BI reports, and just have friendly should they be? The guys tackle when to add friendly names in our data, and what effect does that have for our consumers and developers.  Get in touch: Send in your questions or topic...

We recap the Data Insights Summit in Chicago and the amazing experience, sessions, and new looks into Power BI coming up! Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Page . Visit PowerBI.tips: https://powerbi.tips/ Watch the episodes live every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 73...

Today is the last part of our 3 part series on People Process, and Technology. We are all in on technology, and how is it unique to Power BI?  This is one of our more dynamic / explosive conversations, you do not want to miss! Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @PowerBITips with the hashtag #empMailbag or submit on the PowerBI.tips Podcast Pag...