If you are like me, you are still in awe about some of the major announcements made at Microsoft Build. I am excited about what is happening with Power BI in the near future and you should be too. With all of this news, people have been asking me what my favorite announcements are. I decided it was a good idea to talk about these new features and share why I think you should be excited as well!

Datamarts in Power BI

This is the headline that stole the show. We have been waiting for this solution and everyone is excited that it has arrived. In short, datamarts provide quick access to transformed data for rapid report development for citizen developers.

What makes this significant?

You might already be asking “Why do I need to care about this? I can do that already with datasets and dataflows!” We always are talking about the right tool for the job. Datamarts can provide quality data for users with a few clicks. But what makes it special is the ability to transform and build your model 100% in a browser. While you may think this is not a big deal, it actually opens up a whole group of users who have not been able to build advanced reports. While I am a Microsoft person, I still have a soft spot for Linux. And in reality, I know there are a chunk of users who love MacOS or Chrome OS. Because of this change, those users now can build out advanced reports without having to use a Windows VM to accomplish the goal.

Also, what I love about this feature is the ability to enable smaller groups within an organization to create mini data warehouses. While I am a firm believer you should engage your data teams to get assistance with your raw data, this feature enables power users to create their own solutions for lower priority initiatives. It does not replace your current strategy, but can help extend it for business units expanding their horizons.

Anything else to consider?

Keep in mind that datamarts can only be created in premium workspaces. Premium Capacity and Premium Per User both can be leveraged, but you will need to upgrade your pro workspaces. If you have not revisited your licensing strategy, it might be time to review it and make some adjustments.

You can learn more about datamarts here.

Storytelling in PowerPoint

When I used to work at The Hershey Company, a consultant once asked me if we were given a special version of Microsoft Office that only had Outlook and PowerPoint. Like Hershey, many companies seem to solely rely on PowerPoint to get their message across. For those organizations, the solution was to pull screenshots or export pages into their decks. But storytelling in PowerPoint changes the game.

What makes this significant?

My favorite feature with Power BI is the ability to manipulate the data on the screen during a presentation. By bringing the report into PowerPoint, you now have the best of both worlds – refined presentations paired with interactive reports.

In addition to interactivity, I love the ability to get data in real time with my reports. Everyone has weekly/monthly/quarterly meetings where they use the same template over and over again. Since you are integrating the live report into PowerPoint, you have one less slide to worry about!

Anything else to consider?

There are two main things to consider when it comes to using Power BI inside of PowerPoint.

The first one might be a blocker with your organization. You will need to install the Microsoft Power BI add-in to PowerPoint. If your organization blocks add-ins, you might not be able to use this feature. I suggest searching for this feature and submitting a request ASAP if you feel this add-in would be helpful. This way it is ready for you when you need it.

The other is permissions to the report. If you do not freeze the report, you will need to ensure recipients of the report have access to the report. Much like embedding your reports in Microsoft Teams or SharePoint, you need to grant access to the underlying content.

You can learn more about storytelling in PowerPoint here.

Express Design with Power Apps

“Wait a minute – you are talking about Power Apps? I thought this was all about Power BI?!” I know, but trust me when I say it all connects!

I recently started using Power Apps in Power BI for very specific use cases. I have experience with Power Apps, so it is not a big deal for me to quickly build one to integrate with my reports. However, if you are new to Power Apps, this feature might be a shortcut to getting started.

What makes this significant?

There are several different reasons to use Power Apps inside of Power BI. One of the easiest scenarios you might use Power Apps is for writing data back to your database. If you want to enable report consumers the ability to add records, you can embed an app that handles the transaction.

You could sketch up a form on a whiteboard or a piece of paper. Once complete, take a picture of it and load it into Power Apps. Then map the fields to your fields and you will be set. Talk about a true no code app design experience!

Anything else to consider?

The biggest consideration for your solution is licensing required for Power Apps. If you are writing back to SQL or Dataverse, you will need to license your app users or the app itself to use premium connectors. This adds additional cost to your solutions if you have not already purchased licensing.

You can learn more about express design here.

Additional Microsoft Build Announcements

While the three announcements above are my favorite, there are some honorable mentions as well. They do not have me as excited, but they are worth noting.

General Availability of Metrics in the Power BI Service

Originally named Goals, Metrics allows you to see your key performance indicators (KPIs) in a single scorecard. This feature has been around for a while in preview, but is finally entering general availability. You can read more about metrics here.

Power BI is coming to Outlook

I will be honest – I am not a fan of email. With Microsoft Teams, I do not feel the need to use Outlook like I have in the in the past. I really like how Microsoft has integrated Power BI inside Teams through channels and the app. This could provide a little easier passing of reports to consumers if you are heavily reliant on email in your role. You can read about Power BI inside of Outlook here.

Microsoft Build 2022 Was So Exciting!

I always enjoy hearing about new features in Power BI. It felt like Christmas came early this year with Microsoft Build providing these impactful announcements. I feel like these are announcements that only happen during Ignite.

How about you? Did you find Microsoft Build just as exciting as I did? Did you hear about anything else that will revolutionize your use of Power BI? If so, tell me in the comments below!