Integrating Power Automate with Power BI can provide a powerful tool to trigger workflow automation based on Power BI alerts. In Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant PL-200 exam, having in-depth knowledge about this can get you a considerable advantage.
Integrating Power Automate with Power BI opens up a world of possibilities. One could set up triggers in Power Automate to spring into action based on determined metrics in Power BI reports. For instance, you could set an alert to be notified when sales fall below a certain threshold or when there’s any irregularity in data. You can also create actions based on these alerts, such as send an email to a group, initiate approval processes, or launch other flows.
How to trigger Power Automate flows from Power BI alerts
- Creating Power BI Alerts –
First, the alert needs to be created in Power BI. Alerts can only be set on tiles with numeric data, so you’ll need to identify a report card that suits your needs. Click on the ellipsis on the top right of the tile and select ‘Manage alerts.’ Here you can set your alert conditions.
- Setting up a Power Automate Flow –
Once the Power BI alert is set, navigate to Power Automate and create a new flow. Look for the trigger labelled ‘When a data driven alert is triggered’ in Power BI and select it. Once you’re done, proceed to set the action. This could be sending an email, creating a task or anything else you need.
- Linking the Power BI Alert to the Flow –
Select the Group, Workspace, and dashboard where the alert resides, from the dropdowns. The Alert field will list all alerts for the selected dashboard. Choose the alert created in Power BI.
- Designing the Automated Action –
Next, add the desired action (e.g. send an email). Here you choose the recipient(s), subject, and body of the email. You could also opt to include dynamic content such as the alert title, threshold, or other parameters included in the alert.
- Finalizing the Flow –
Lastly, give your flow a name and save it. The newly created flow will now be triggered whenever the pre-defined conditions are met in your Power BI report.
Key considerations when working with Power Automate and Power BI
While the integration of Power BI and Power Automate offers significant benefits, there are a few important things to consider:
- Not all data can be used for alerts in Power BI. Alerts can only be set up on data that is numeric and time-based.
- Power BI alerts are not real-time. They are checked approximately every hour for Power BI Pro users and every 15 minutes for Power BI Premium users.
- The alert thresholds in Power BI are static. They don’t support percentage changes or dynamic thresholds.
- There are some limitations to the number of alerts you can create in Power BI. A Power BI Pro user can create up to 10 alerts per dashboard, whereas a Power BI Premium user can create up to 100 alerts per dashboard.
In conclusion, triggering Power Automate flows from Power BI alerts presents opportunities for efficiently managing processes and timely information. It facilitates overall operational efficiency and drives data-based decision-making in businesses or projects. It could prove to be a crucial skill as you prepare for the PL-200 Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant exam.
Practice Test
True or False: You can trigger Power Automate flows from Power BI alerts.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Power BI alerts can be used as a trigger to kick off Power Automate flows.
What can you do with the combination of Power Automate and Power BI alerts?
- A) Automate data input
- B) Visualize data
- C) Create automated workflows in response to Power BI alerts
- D) Nothing
Answer: C) Create automated workflows in response to Power BI alerts
Explanation: Power BI alerts can be linked to Power Automate from where automatic workflows can be created.
In Power Automate, what role does Power BI play?
- A) Sender
- B) Receiver
- C) Both A & B
- D) None of the above
Answer: A) Sender
Explanation: In Power Automate, Power BI acts as a sender by sending alerts that can trigger workflows.
True or False: Power Automate cannot trigger Power BI alerts.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Only the reverse is true – Power BI alerts can trigger Power Automate flows, but not the other way round.
Multiple Select: What are the steps to connect Power Automate with Power BI alerts?
- A) Create an alert in Power BI
- B) Initialize trigger in Power Automate
- C) Start Power BI
- D) Start Power Automate
Answer: A) Create an alert in Power BI, B) Initialize trigger in Power Automate
Explanation: The process involves creating an alert in Power BI then initializing a trigger in Power Automate.
The Power BI ‘Alert’ action requires which of the following to work?
- A) The Power BI app should be running
- B) A data-driven alert already created
- C) Nothing, it works independently
- D) Both B and C
Answer: B) A data-driven alert already created
Explanation: The Power BI alerts that trigger Power Automate flows must be pre-created based on specific data conditions.
True or False: A Power BI alert can trigger multiple Power Automate flows.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: One Power BI alert can indeed trigger multiple Power Automate flows simultaneously.
Power BI alerts can trigger Power Automate flows with which of the following connections?
- A) Office 365
- B) Dynamics 365
- C) SharePoint Online
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Power BI alerts in Power Automate can be linked to all popular services like Dynamics 365, Office 365, and SharePoint Online.
True or False: The primary benefit of using Power Automate with Power BI alerts is to manually launch workflows.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The primary benefit of using Power Automate with Power BI alerts is to automate workflows, not manually launch them.
Power BI dashboards, due to their ability to visualize data, are the best place to connect Power Automate and Power BI.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: While Power BI dashboards help in visualizing data, the best place to connect Power Automate to Power BI is on the alert level based on specified conditions.
Interview Questions
What is Power Automate in Microsoft Power Platform?
Power Automate is a service in Microsoft Power Platform that helps users create automated workflows between apps and services to get notifications, synchronize files, collect data, and more.
What functionality does triggering Power Automate flows from Power BI alerts provide?
This functionality allows automation of actions in response to Power BI data alerts. This means that when a certain condition is met in a Power BI report (the alert), an automated action can be triggered in Power Automate.
How is the Power BI alert sent to Power Automate?
The Power BI alert is sent to Power Automate through an HTTP POST request. This can then trigger a flow based on the parameters set within the alert.
What are the necessary steps to create a Power BI alert?
To create a Power BI Alert, go to the Power BI service, select a report that has been published , choose a tile that represents the data you’d like to track, set the conditions for the alert, and save it.
Can multiple Power Automate flows be triggered by one Power BI alert?
Yes, one Power BI alert can trigger multiple flows in Power Automate. How the alerts are set up and how they interact with Power Automate flows is fully customizable.
What are some use cases for integrating Power BI with Power Automate?
Some use cases might include sending an email notification when certain data conditions are met, updating a database with new information when a threshold is reached, or even triggering a complex series of events across multiple platforms.
What kind of data can be sent from a Power BI alert to a Power Automate flow?
This can generally include the alert title, the value that triggered the alert, and the link to the Power BI report or dashboard tile that the alert is based on.
What is the prerequisite to leverage this interaction?
Users need to have a Power BI account and an account for Power Automate. While Power Automate comes with the ability to create custom connectors out-of-the-box, linking it to Power BI might require additional administrator privileges depending on the organization’s configuration.
How can you test if the Power BI alert-triggered flow in Power Automate is successful?
You can manually trigger the alert in Power BI to see if the flow runs in Power Automate. Also, the flow’s history in Power Automate will show if the execution was successful or if there were any errors.
Can Power Automate connect and interact with services other than Power BI?
Yes, Power Automate can interact with more than 300 different services, including both Microsoft services like Office 365 and SharePoint, as well as third-party services such as Twitter, Google Drive, and more.
Can Power BI alerts trigger flow in Power Automate in real-time?
Yes, Power BI alerts can trigger Power Automate flow as soon as the specified conditions are met.
Are there limitations to Power BI’s alerting capabilities?
Yes, Power BI alerts can only be set on tile visuals, and not every type of visualization supports alerts. Alerts also cannot be set on calculated tiles, tiles pinned from Q&A, or tiles on a dashboard set to display in High Density. All these limitations should be considered when setting up Power Automate flows triggered by Power BI alerts.
Can you create Power BI alerts from Power BI Desktop?
No, you can only create Power BI alerts in the Power BI service, not in Power BI Desktop.
What kind of Power Automate flow type do Power BI alerts usually trigger?
Power BI alerts usually trigger instant (previously called button) flows in Power Automate.
Can the triggered Power BI alert be modified?
Yes, after an alert has been created in Power BI, it can be modified or eliminated from the same page where it was created. However, changes may not immediately reflect in Power Automate flows depending on configuration.
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