Power BI Best Practices

Overview

In this article, we will talk about best practices to be considered while we are working with Power BI report development. I have divided best practices into the following three parts. We will talk about all individual concepts step-by-step.

Please visit my other articles of this series using the following URL.

During the entire series of the best practices, we will cover the following concepts:

Best Practices for Power BI (. PBIX) file preparation (Part – 1)
Best Practices for Power BI (. PBIX) Properties (Part – 1)
Best Practices to use Query Editors (Part – 1)
Best Practices for Tables and Relationship (Part – 2)
Best Practices for creating Calculated Columns, measures, and Fields (Part – 2)
Best Practices for Data Analytical Expressions (Part – 2)
How to make Documentation within PBIX file (Part – 3)
Best Practices for Power BI Report Design (Part – 3)

In this article, we will talk about the following three concepts for the best practices.

Best Practices for Power BI (. PBIX) file preparation
Best Practices for Power BI (. PBIX) Properties
Best Practices to use Query Editors

Let’s get started!

Best Practices for Power BI (. PBIX) file preparation

Use a consistent, stable PBIX File Name with business relevance

User a Proper name which suits the Business requirement while preparing the Power BI file.

Reuse the existing database

Before creating any new file, make sure we utilize already available datasets.
Let’s take an example with Finance Dashboard. In Finance dashboard we have implemented 8 new pages to prepare the graph instead of the new Power BI file which is as per the best practice.
So, instead of creating a new file unnecessarily, we recommend to reuse the .pbix file.
Below are the advantages for the database reusability.

Decreases the amount of redundant data stored in various PBIX files.
Reduces the number of data refresh operations.
Reduces future maintenance needs.
Improves consistency.

Use the Correct Release of Power BI Desktop Based on Target Deployment Destination

Before we upgrade any release of Report Server in Production, please make sure to check the Changelog released by Microsoft.
Please refer to the following link to check the Changelog.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/report-server/changelog

Manage the Dataset Size

For Power BI service, we recommend 1 GB PBIX file(max).
For Power BI report server, we recommend 2 GB PBIX file(max).

Utilize Version History for PBIX File

Use proper Version Control to maintain the files.

Use a Power BI Theme

Here, we recommend using a Theme (JSON) file to maintain the color schemas.
This is the faster way in terms of maintenance.
A Power BI report theme allows for a consistent use of a color palette in a report.
Though theming affects reports and not the data model.
We recommend using Custom Themes for a consistent look and feel for all the reports.

Best Practices for Power BI (. PBIX) Properties

When we open the Power BI Desktop, we have the following properties.
Make sure, we use these features carefully.

Best Practices for Tables and Relationships

Use Friendly Business Name for Tables

Use the Tables name which is suitable to table information.

Validate Relationships are Accurate

Please make sure, all the relationships are accurate and correctly applied.
Sometimes, Power BI detects the wrong relationship.
We recommend that before preparing the report, we will check all the relationships manually.
If any relationship not detected automatically, please update the relationship.

Verify Relationships Do Not Change Direction and use Bi-Directional Relationships Purposefully

Use minimal use of a bi-directional relationship to improve performance.
If there is no need to use a bi-directional relationship, don’t use it.
So, based on requirement we can utilize the bi-directional relationship.

Validate and Use Inactive Relationships Purposefully

Verify that inactive relationships are set up properly for model verification.

Conclusion

This is how we recommend using best practices to prepare the Power BI report. Hope you love this article. Stay connected with me for more amazing articles!