Combining Power bi reports

[JoeSka]

Hi,

I've a lot of SharePoint lists(containing production statistics) and I've used them to build different Power Bi-reports with some calculations(production per hour, for example). The reports is displayed as static pictures in PowerPoint presentations around the plant via the Power Bi app and published on the web. It's updated automatically.  

Now I'd like to combine the information from calculations in the reports into a new report. I can't get the information from the power bi app, it's only text. Not from combining the .pbix-file, before publishing, Power Bi didn't recognize the .pbix-files. Pinning different visualizations on a dashboard won't do, they're just to large and i'd like to summarize somethings. Can anyone help me?

/Joel

[v-yulgu-msft]

Hi @JoeSka,

I can't get the information from the power bi app, it's only text. Not from combining the .pbix-file, before publishing, Power Bi didn't recognize the .pbix-files. Pinning different visualizations on a dashboard won't do, they're just to large and i'd like to summarize somethings. 

---

I cannot understand your requirement. What do you mean 'before publishing, Power BI didn't recognize the .pbix file'? Could you please provide more description about your scenario?

If you were attempting to get calculation from one report (pbix file) so that you can directly use the calculation in another pbix file, this is not supported. It is not allowed to directly combine two reports.

Best regards,
Yuliana Gu

[JoeSka]

Hi v-yulgu-msft,

Thank you!

It's possible to combine data form some types of file, for example .xlsx-files if you open the folder option in get data. So i've tried it with the .pbix-files and it didn't work.

If I use Power Bi service under get data I can find the calculations I would like and ad new ones. But only from one file.

To explain the scenario, we've a sawmill and a production line to plane it. If the sawmill produce a quantity per hour it ads an amount to the bonus, and the same is true for the plane. I've calculated the bonus for the sawmill in one file and the plane in one, I'd like to summarize these into the total amount in one file, an excel-like table would do just fine.

Is there a way around? 

Best regards

Joel

[PowerDAX]

Hi Joe - this is really THE use case for Power BI - what it was intended to do in the first place.

Instead of separate pbix files, you create a single pbix data model that connects to all of the data that you require - i.e. sawmill data and plane data.  Depending on the data, you could even merge the data into a single fact table.  You would model common dimensions to connect to the single fact table or between the two data sources (i.e. a date table and a time table).  This would allow you to see sawmill data and plane data on a single pbix report and build your calculations.

There are A LOT of dependencies and unkowns based on your limited information but you would take a lot of things into consideration when building your model:

1. Do you want to see historic data?

2. If so, do you have a way to do so?

3. What is the originating data source?  i.e. can you skip the export to excel/csv/text and connect Power BI straight to the data source itself?

4. If the originating data source has history, it will fulfill #1 & #2.  If not, you would want to have a date added to your extracts so you could model in a date based on when the extract was created.

5. etc.

Does this make sense? 

[JoeSka]

Hi PowerDAX,

So what you're saying is that I could have imported the 7 (will end up at that, when I'm done) sherpoint-lists into one PB desktop-file, and then do the calculations. Not the other way around. Right?

1. Yes.

2. The data exists with dates, I don't know how to that yet but I'll find a way.

3. SharePoint-lists is the original.  The contains how much has produced on a shift (2 shifts a day), how many minutes a shift last, date and some excess info used for mails mostly. The rest is from the calculations in PB.

I hope some of the information is of use, sorry i'm not used to this kind of problems.

Best regards

Joel

[PowerDAX · Accepted solution]

correct, all 7 could be added to a single pbix file and then calculations created.

if dates exist, you can create a date table to be able to filter the 7 data sources simultaneously.

if i understand fully, you will have 7 fact tables and a date dimension (can be created automatically - see 

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn802534.aspx

or a little more detailed

https://kohera.be/blog/business-intelligence/how-to-create-a-date-table-in-power-bi-in-2-simple-step...).

if you have other common dimensions - i.e. different plants, etc., those would be created as a dimension as well to be able to filter all 7 fact tables to a specific plant if needed, etc.