Power BI is one of the top solutions in the world that helps you acquire insight from data. With the right tools in order, you will not only find a great way to manage and assess your data, but you will also eliminate many of the potential issues, while saving a significant amount of time. Connecting Power BI to data sources is an integral part of the process, and if you use it right, it can provide an excellent potential.
Which are the most common data sources?
It depends on what you need, but for the most part Power BI can receive info from a variety of data sources. For example, it can acquire data from Excel Workbooks, it can also acquire data from Power BI datasets, along with data flows, dataverse, SQL servers, CSV files, from website links, OData feeds, analysis services and many others. This diversity is what sets it apart, since you can easily gain data insights from a plethora of sources, all without any issues or challenges.
With that in mind, Power BI makes it very easy to integrate data sources within the app. However, you also need to ensure that the data is valid. Otherwise, even if you try to insert it within your Power BI, it will not be processed or managed in any way. That’s certainly a challenge, and you have to understand that you need to properly implement everything for the best outcome.
How can you connect Power BI to data sources?
- The first thing you need to do is to go to the Home group of the Power BI desktop ribbon. Here you will have an option called Get Data. It’s the only way to integrate data in Power BI properly and without errors, so you have to ensure it all works correctly.
- From there, you will be able to access common data sources list. Normally, most people will have one of the different types of data available in that list. However, there might be the case when you don’t have the specific solution there. In that case, you want to press More, and here you will have access to the Get Data dialog.
- Within this dialog option, you have things like online services, Azure, Power Platform, Microsoft Fabric, Files or Databases. You have a massive collection of platforms and options to choose from. Power BI has a list with certified connectors, and also template apps that help streamline the experience and make it as comprehensive as possible.
One thing to keep in mind is that using Power BI and customizing it can be very challenging, and it does require some guidance. That’s why it’s a great idea to use consultancy services, since they can help streamline the process and eliminate any misunderstandings or downsides. We highly recommend using Power BI to acquire data and process it, since it can deliver amazing insights for your business. However, you do want to avoid any rush and find optimal data sources that can help feed you with that sought-after info!
