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Version control is a common problem when working on projects with colleagues. It can be difficult to keep track of which version of a report is the most up-to-date, and this can lead to confusion and errors.
Power BI simplifies collaboration by allowing you and your colleagues to work simultaneously on the same dashboards and reports. This means that you can all see the latest changes as they are made, and you can easily collaborate on making improvements.
In addition, Power BI does not affect the underlying data when you explore it or make changes to the reports and dashboards. This means that you can be confident that your changes will not damage the data, and you can easily revert to a previous version if necessary.
With Power BI, you can collaborate with your colleagues in many ways. This article is focused on three of these ways: sharing, commenting, and printing.
Sharing
This section explores how Power BI can be used to share content with others. For example, a regional sales manager could work with other managers to prepare a presentation for senior leadership. They could all use Power BI to collect, organize, analyze, and present their data-driven findings. This would allow them to all use the same shared content and communicate with each other within the Power BI framework.
Here are some specific ways that Power BI can be used to share content:
Designers can share content with consumers. Designers can share reports, dashboards, and apps with consumers by publishing them to the Power BI service. Consumers can then view and interact with the content in the Power BI service or in the Power BI mobile apps.
Designers can share this content with you and the other managers in several different ways:
-Share links to individual dashboards or individual reports.
-Send links to content.
-Install content in your Power BI.
-Post a Power BI app.
A designer can share a link to an individual report or dashboard by email. When you click on the link, the report or dashboard will be installed in your Power BI account. The shared content will then appear in the Shared with me section of the navigation pane. You can also view shared content from the Home page.
Here are the steps on how to view shared content:
Open Power BI.
Click on the Navigation pane.
Expand the Shared with me section.
Select the report or dashboard that you want to view.
You can also view shared content from the Home page. To do this, follow these steps:
Open Power BI.
Click on the Home page.
Select the Shared with me tab.
Select the report or dashboard that you want to view.
A designer can package dashboards and reports into an app, which they can then share with you. This is a convenient way to share related content because it all comes in a single package. Designers can share apps by sending you an installation link, by automatically installing the app in your Power BI workspace, or by posting the app on a website where you can get it.
No matter how the app is shared, it will appear in Power BI under the Apps heading in the navigation pane and on the Home page.
Now that the designer has shared content with you and the other managers, you can start working together to prepare for the big meeting. Because the designer gave all managers access to the content, everyone can start working together.
However, you also want to get help from other colleagues, but the designer didn't give them permissions to the content. This is a challenge, but there are a few things you can do.
You can ask the designer to give your colleagues permissions to the content.
You can create a copy of the content and share it with your colleagues.
You can create a new app that includes the content and share the app with your colleagues.
The best approach will depend on the specific situation. However, by following these steps, you can get the help you need from your colleagues and continue working on the project.
Here are some additional details about the different ways to share apps:
Sending an installation link: The designer can send you an email with a link to the app. When you click on the link, the app will be installed in your Power BI workspace.
Automatically installing the app: The designer can automatically install the app in your Power BI workspace. This is done by adding the app to your workspace and then sharing the workspace with you.
Posting the app on a website: The designer can post the app on a website where you can download it.
- Consumers can share content with others. Consumers can share reports, dashboards, and apps with others by sending them a link to the content. They can also share content by embedding it in a website or blog post.
In the example of the regional sales manager, they could share their presentation with senior leadership by publishing it to the Power BI service and sending them a link to the content. They could also embed the presentation in a PowerPoint presentation or a website.
Power BI makes it easy to share content with others, and this can help teams collaborate and communicate more effectively.
As a Power BI consumer, you can also share content that has been shared with you if the designer gave you reshare permissions. This means that you can share the content with other people, even if the designer didn't share it with them directly.
To reshare content, go to the My workspace tab in the navigation pane. If the Shared column contains the share icon, you can select the icon to share. This will open a dialog box where you can enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the content with.
You can also reshare content by sending a link to the content. To do this, right-click on the content and select Copy Link. Then, paste the link into an email or other message.
When you reshare content, you are essentially sharing the permissions that the designer gave you. This means that the people you share the content with will have the same permissions as you do.
Here are some additional details about resharing content:
Reshare permissions: Reshare permissions are granted by the designer when they share content with you. If you don't have reshare permissions, you won't be able to share the content with other people.
The Share icon: The Share icon is a small icon that appears in the Shared column in the My workspace tab. If the Share icon is present, you can share the content.
The Share dialog box: The Share dialog box allows you to enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the content with. You can also add a message to the email.
Copying the link: You can also reshare content by copying the link to the content. To do this, right-click on the content and select Copy Link. Then, paste the link into an email or other message.
Commenting
When a dashboard is shared, everyone with access to that dashboard can send messages to each other, right there on the dashboard, by using comments. Comments are a great way to collaborate on dashboards and to share insights with others.
To add a comment, follow these steps:
Open the dashboard.
Click on the Comments button in the toolbar.
Type your comment in the text box.
Click on the Post button.
Your comment will then appear on the dashboard. Other people with access to the dashboard will be able to see your comment and reply to it.
Here is an example of a scenario where comments can be used:
You are working on a dashboard with a colleague to track the performance of your company's sales team. You notice that sales in the Northeast region have been declining. You can add a comment to the dashboard to ask your colleague if they know why sales in the Northeast region are declining.
You are sharing a dashboard with your team to track the progress of a new product launch. You can add a comment to the dashboard to ask your team for their feedback on the product launch.
Comments can be a valuable tool for collaboration and communication. By using comments, you can share your insights with others and get feedback on your work.
There are two types of comments: those about the dashboard in general and those about a specific visual. The chart icon lets you know that this comment is tied to a specific visual. Selecting the icon highlights the related visual on the dashboard.
Printing
Printing is a third way to collaborate and share Power BI content. This can be useful in situations where you need to hand out physical copies of your dashboards and reports, such as when you are giving a talk at a conference, submitting regulatory documentation, or presenting somewhere without a network connection.
To print Power BI content, you can use the Print button in the toolbar. This will open the Print dialog box, where you can specify the content you want to print, the number of copies, and the print settings.
You can also print specific tiles and report visualizations by right-clicking on the tile or visualization and selecting Print. This will open the Print dialog box with the tile or visualization already selected.
Here are some additional details about printing Power BI content:
The Print button: The Print button is located in the toolbar. When you click on the Print button, the Print dialog box will open.
The Print dialog box: The Print dialog box allows you to specify the content you want to print, the number of copies, and the print settings.
Printing specific tiles and report visualizations: You can print specific tiles and report visualizations by right-clicking on the tile or visualization and selecting Print. This will open the Print dialog box with the tile or visualization already selected.
Export a Power BI report to PowerPoint
Another way to share a report with your team is to export it as a PowerPoint file. This will create a PowerPoint presentation that includes each report page as a slide. The slides will also include links to the live report in Power BI, so that people can view the latest data and interact with the report.
To export a report as a PowerPoint file, follow these steps:
Open the report in Power BI.
Click on the Export button in the toolbar.
Select PowerPoint from the list of export options.
In the Export to PowerPoint dialog box, select whether you want to Embed an image or Embed live data.
Click on the Export button.
The PowerPoint presentation will be saved to your computer. You can then open the presentation and share it with your team.
Here are some additional details about exporting reports to PowerPoint:
Embed an image: This option will export a static image of the report. This is a good option if you want to share the report with people who don't have Power BI.
Embed live data: This option will export the report as a live link. This means that people who open the presentation will be able to view the latest data in the report.
The Export to PowerPoint dialog box: The Export to PowerPoint dialog box allows you to select whether you want to embed an image or live data, and to specify the name and location of the PowerPoint presentation.
When the export has finished, you can download the file, open it with PowerPoint, and then modify or enhance it just like you would any other PowerPoint deck.
SWETA SARANGI