Creating Power BI dashboards from existing reports is a skill that’s essential for those preparing for the PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker exam. This process involves the utilization of different Power BI tools to collate various reports into a consolidated dashboard. The dashboard provides a snapshot of business data and supports decision-making with visually rich presentations.
Identifying the Appropriate Report
Before initiating the process of creating a Power BI dashboard from existing reports, users need to identify the appropriate report that suits their business requirements. Microsoft Power BI provides different reports like sales reports, finance reports, service reports, and various others. After identifying the suitable report, one can pin it to the dashboard for constant tracking. Existing reports can be used as templates to create new reports or modify the information displayed.
Example:
Suppose we are creating a Power BI dashboard for a sales department. We can select the ‘Sales Report’ as the appropriate report for the dashboard.
Pin a Report to the Dashboard
To create a dashboard from existing reports in Power BI, you first have to pin the chosen reports to a dashboard. To do this, you open your chosen report and click the ‘Pin Live Page’ button on the top menu of the Power BI service.
After clicking ‘Pin Live Page,’ you see the ‘Pin to Dashboard’ dialog box, where you can either create a new dashboard or choose an existing one for pinning the report. Upon selection, click ‘Pin live’ and your report is instantly pinned on the selected dashboard.
Configuring Dashboards
After the report has been pinned to the dashboard, you may wish to make specific configurations to the dashboard properties. You can rename the dashboard, change its layout, or even modify the way the data is presented. The configurations depend on the user requirements and will vary accordingly.
Example:
For our sales department dashboard, we may want to rename it as ‘Sales Overview Dashboard’. We might want a different layout where regional sales figures are more prominent.
Sharing Power BI Dashboards
Once the Power BI Dashboard has been created with all the existing reports, the last step is to share the Dashboard. Power BI gives you the option to share it directly via mail, with a shareable link, or directly through Teams.
However, keep in mind that when you share a dashboard, the recipients can view it, but they will not have the ability to edit it, ensuring the integrity of your original dashboards.
Summary
Creating Power BI dashboards from existing reports is an effective way to summarize and visualize complex data sets. This feature has practical applications in various fields, such as sales, finance, and human resources among others. It’s an important and worthwhile skill to master, especially for those aiming to pass the PL-100 Microsoft Power Platform App Maker exam, where familiarity and dexterity with the Power BI environment can help augment your performance.
Creating dashboards using existing reports ensures that you are presenting relevant and essential data in a comprehensible and visually appealing way. You can monitor and analyze a variety of data points in real-time, right at your fingertips, allowing for timely decisions and strategic planning.
If you haven’t already, get started experimenting with creating dashboards from existing reports in Power BI, you’ll marvel at the clarity it brings to complex data.
Practice Test
True or False: Power BI dashboards can be created from existing reports.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power BI allows you to create dashboards using data and visuals from existing reports.
From the following options, select the key steps to create a Power BI dashboard from an existing report.
- a) Select the report
- b) Click on ‘Create Dashboard’
- c) Rename the report
- d) Pin the desired visuals
Answer: a, b, d
Explanation: To create a Dashboard, you need to select the report, click on ‘Create Dashboard’, and pin the desired visuals. Renaming the report is not a necessary step.
True or False: You can only create a Power BI dashboard using one report at a time.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can pin visuals from multiple reports to a single dashboard in Power BI.
Multiple Select: What are the advantages of creating a Power BI dashboard from existing reports?
- a) Streamlines data visualization
- b) Eliminates the need for data transformation
- c) Allows manipulation of live data
- d) Allows consolidation of data from multiple reports
Answer: a, c, d
Explanation: Creating dashboards from existing reports enhances data visualization, allows manipulation of live data, and can consolidate data from different reports. It doesn’t necessarily eliminate the need for data transformation.
True or False: In Power BI, you can only pin visuals to the dashboard, not tables.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: In Power BI, not only visuals, but you can also pin tables to dashboards from existing reports.
Which Power BI feature allows you to create a new visual in a dashboard without altering an existing report?
- a) Quick Insights
- b) Power BI Q&A
- c) Dashboard Themes
- d) Layouts
Answer: b) Power BI Q&A
Explanation: Power BI Q&A is a feature that enables users to ask natural language questions and get visuals as responses, which can then be pinned to the dashboard.
True or False: Dashboards in Power BI are interactive.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Dashboards in Power BI are interactive, allowing you to drill down into data for more detail.
Multiple Selection: What content can be pinned to a Power BI Dashboard from a report?
- a) Visualizations
- b) Single data points
- c) Whole report pages
- d) Thumbnails
Answer: a, b, c
Explanation: From a report in Power BI, you can pin visualizations, single data points, and whole report pages to a dashboard.
True or False: You can share a Power BI dashboard created from an existing report with other users.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power BI allows you to share dashboards and their underlying reports with others in your organization.
Single select: Which aspect cannot be customized in a Power BI dashboard?
- a) Size of tiles
- b) Data within a pinned visual
- c) Arrangement of pinned items
- d) Tile details
Answer: b) Data within a pinned visual
Explanation: The data within a pinned visual in a dashboard stays the same as in the original visual from the report and can’t be customized. Other aspects like size and arrangement of tiles and tile details can be customized.
Interview Questions
What is the main advantage of creating Power BI dashboards from existing reports?
The main advantage is efficiency and consistency. Instead of building visuals and datasets from scratch, you can utilize the already established metrics and visualizations from the existing reports.
Can you identify the missing step: “Select the pin icon, choose an existing dashboard, and then select pin.”
The missing step is “Choose the visual from the existing report you want to pin”. The complete sequence should be “Choose the visual from the existing report, select the pin icon, choose an existing dashboard, and then select pin.”
How would you rearrange tiles on a Power BI dashboard?
You can rearrange tiles by selecting and dragging them to the desired location on the dashboard.
What are some tips for effectively using visuals on a Power BI dashboard?
Effective usage of visuals implies that they should be clear, relevant, and easily interpretable. This means using the right visual for the right information, keeping designs simple, and ensuring visuals are self-explanatory to encourage robust data interaction.
How do you resize tiles on a Power BI dashboard?
To resize tiles, select the tile and drag its edges to adjust the size.
How do you add a tile to a Power BI dashboard from a report?
To add a tile, navigate to the report page, hover over the visualization you want to pin, select the pin icon, choose the existing dashboard and select “Pin”.
Can you delete a report that has been pinned to a dashboard?
Deleting a report that has been pinned to a dashboard will not affect the dashboard. The pinned visuals will still remain on the dashboard.
How can you share the dashboard created on Power BI?
Dashboards can be shared via email by selecting the ‘Share’ option on the top-right corner of the dashboard pane. Only users with Power BI account can access the shared dashboards.
Can you update the dataset of an existing dashboard directly from Power BI?
Yes, you can update the dataset of an existing dashboard by going to the workspace, finding the dataset, and selecting “refresh now”.
Can we pin the same visual to multiple Power BI dashboards?
Yes, a visual from a report can be pinned to multiple dashboards.
Can Power BI dashboards be exported?
Yes, you can export Power BI dashboards to PDF or PowerPoint.
How can you filter data displayed on a Power BI dashboard?
Data displayed on a dashboard cannot be directly filtered. Instead, filters need to be applied at the report level before pinning a visual to the dashboard.
Is it possible to pin the entire report page to the dashboard?
Yes, you can pin the entire report page by choosing the “Pin Live Page” option.
What happens to the pinned visualization when the original report is modified?
Changes made to a report after a visual is pinned will not be reflected in the pinned tile on the dashboard. The pinned visualization will remain as it was when it was pinned.
Can you change the layout of Power BI dashboards?
Yes, you can change the dashboard layout by resizing and rearranging the tiles.
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