Power BI integration services assist in automatically extracting data from sources that do not offer native Power BI connectors. These services save valuable time and remove manual errors within your team. Our Power BI developers support clients in four primary methods of data integration: leveraging built-in connectors, utilizing Microsoft Fabric, creating custom APIs, or using ready-to-use connectors from providers like Versich. In this article, we will explore what Power BI Integrations entail, different approaches to these integrations, and how to select the most suitable option for your business.
Understanding Power BI Integration
Power BI integration refers to the method of linking data from various sources and systems into Power BI to form cohesive data models, dashboards, and reports. The process involves several steps:
Identify all the columns required for your Power BI report and locate the tables that contain these columns.
Determine if there's a native Power BI connector available or develop a custom integration for Power BI.
Convert the extracted data into a usable format. For instance, numerous data sources provide data in JSON format, necessitating a transformation into tables.
Construct a data model that merges all the tables, enabling analysts to generate the Power BI reports they require.
Applications of Power BI Integration Services
With just a few clicks, you can efficiently import data from numerous tools utilizing over 250 built-in Power BI connectors. While these connectors might suffice, any limitations can be addressed through Power BI integration services.
Addressing the Shortcomings of Native Connectors
Occasionally, even with a native connector in Power BI, data can load slowly, certain tables may not be accessible, or various limitations might arise.
One typical limitation we have resolved for clients is the 2000-row restriction in the Salesforce Reports connector. If your table exceeds 2000 rows, only the initial 2000 will be provided. Engaging professional Power BI integration services can help you overcome this obstacle and retrieve the complete Salesforce reports.
Another example involves the recently deprecated QuickBooks Online Power BI connector, which lacked essential tables such as P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. Consequently, many companies benefited from our pre-configured QBO Power BI integrations to obtain the necessary tables for their reports.
Absence of a Native Connector
Power BI natively connects with over 250 data sources, which is substantial, yet it does not include many widely-used software applications such as HubSpot, ClickUp, Xero, and others.
If a built-in connector is unavailable, you can count on Power BI integration services to develop an API integration with your source. Once this integration is established, you’ll be able to automatically extract data to construct your Power BI reports.
The key requirement is that your data source must have a clearly documented API. Power BI integration specialists can then develop the code that adheres to the steps outlined in the documentation.
Advantages of Power BI Integration Services
Integrate Data for Enhanced Insights
Automated Reporting
Improved Data Collaboration
Advanced Data Management
Cost-effective and Scalable
Techniques for Power BI Integration Services
When integrating data from any source into Power BI, one or multiple of the four primary methods will be employed.
1. Default Data Connectors in Power BI
Power BI features built-in connectors that enable data extraction directly from common tools like Excel, Google Analytics, SQL Server, Salesforce, and more.
These connectors simplify data retrieval without the need for coding or API development. Just select your data source, enter your credentials, and begin crafting your reports.
2. Ready-Made Integrations
Ready-made integration services provide an easier means for connecting Power BI to your existing tools. Instead of configuring APIs or writing code, everything comes pre-built and ready for use.
For example, Versich offers pre-made Power BI integrations for more than 15 data sources. With these, you can link data from platforms such as QuickBooks, ClickUp, or HubSpot in a matter of moments. These connectors facilitate not only data transfer but also automatically clean, organize, and synchronize it.
We also provide free Power BI templates alongside the connectors, enabling you to save countless setup hours and transition from data to insights more swiftly compared to other integration methods.
3. Microsoft Fabric
As of 2023, Microsoft integrated Power BI into Microsoft Fabric, allowing users to leverage additional tools within Fabric to extract data into Power BI. Azure Synapse and Data Factory are primarily utilized for automatic extraction from diverse sources.
When data is uploaded to Microsoft Fabric at the completion of an Azure Synapse/Data Factory workflow, it is stored in a Parquet file format. Every tool within Microsoft Fabric, including Power BI, can access data from Parquet. Thus, Microsoft Fabric services represent an effective choice for Power BI integrations.
Creating Synapse data engineering workflows for Power BI integration requires knowledge of Python or T-SQL. This method is optimal for integrating substantial data volumes, as it utilizes a Spark engine where workloads are distributed across multiple virtual desktops.
Azure Data Factory operates as a no-code solution that allows for automatic extraction from over 170 data sources. Many Azure Data Factory connectors overlap with those of Power BI, making the primary benefit of this method its flexibility in data refresh options. For instance, you can configure it to add new data to your dataset during refreshes instead of overwriting existing data when using a Lakehouse within Microsoft Fabric.
Another notable feature of Microsoft Fabric is shortcuts, which provide access to data from platforms like Amazon S3 or Google Cloud. Utilizing shortcuts conserves memory since it only references the data without duplicating it.
4. Custom Integrations with APIs Utilizing Data Engineering
Custom integrations are a preferred approach when your data source lacks a built-in or ready-made connector. With data engineering expertise, you can construct API connections that bring data directly into Power BI.
This method offers significant control over the data you extract, the frequency of updates, and even the organization of the data. However, this approach demands more initial setup, time, and technical skills, but the outcome is a versatile integration tailored precisely to your business needs, effectively managing complex or sizable data.
Here is an illustration of how we deliver Power BI integration services through Azure data engineering. If you lack the necessary in-house talent but require custom integration, consider reaching out to data engineering consultants like Versich, who specialize in developing such solutions.
Comprehensive Range of Our Power BI Integration Services
As your trusted provider of Power BI integration services, we deliver solutions that retrieve the required data in a fully automated manner.
Ready-Made Connectors
We offer more than 15 pre-made Power BI integrations with data sources like ClickUp, QuickBooks Online, and Xero, among others. These integrations permit clients to extract their data swiftly without any coding efforts.
Our connectors transfer data to an Azure SQL Server database, which you can then connect to Power BI. This strategy allows us to extract large amounts of data and format it conveniently before returning it to clients.
Custom Connectors
We develop custom Power BI connectors capable of automatically extracting data from APIs and refreshing it according to a schedule. As part of these offerings, we pinpoint the specific tables you require inside the API and directly extract them to Power BI or an Azure SQL Server database.
Additionally, we examine API documentation to assist clients in identifying the tables that hold the data they need.
Data Transformation
We consistently aim to transform data into a convenient format before delivering it to our clients. At the very least, we unnest all JSON files in the table to present a structured table with rows and columns.
Optionally, we can further enhance the data transformation within the database prior to uploading your data to Power BI, thus optimizing Power BI performance and minimizing data refresh intervals.
Power BI Integrations Case Studies
Having examined numerous benefits and approaches to Power BI integration services, let us now explore their impact on real-world organizations.
1. Marketing Integration for an FTSE-100 Company
Our Power BI integration consultants aided an FTSE-100 organization in extracting data from 6 Facebook Ads, 7 Google Ads, and 14 LinkedIn Ads accounts. As a result of this initiative, the client reported saving 30 working hours monthly, which they redirected towards additional analyses. The client also eliminated manual errors, enhancing report stability and increasing trust in the data.
2. QuickBooks Integration for a Retail Company
In a separate project, our consultants implemented our pre-made Power BI QuickBooks Online connector for a retail client. This facilitated the client in automatically extracting data from numerous QuickBooks Online accounts into a format conducive to analysis.
Consequently, the client indicated a 75% reduction in the time spent creating financial reports and improved accuracy by leveraging real-time data.
Selecting the Right Power BI Integration Service
Explore Pre-Built Connectors: Begin by reviewing Power BI's collection of built-in connectors and the ready-made connectors offered by providers to identify any that connect directly with your data sources.
Data Model: After confirming the service’s compatibility with your data sources, examine the data model it supplies. A competent integration service doesn't merely transport data but organizes it into clean, user-ready tables. Seek pre-built models such as templates for P&L or balance sheets that can save you significant time in cleaning, joining, and restructuring.
Customization: If no current connector supports your data source, verify if the provider is capable of developing a custom connector. The best integration services can create APIs or custom pipelines to connect nearly any platform, ensuring no business faces limitations due to available options.
Security Considerations: This aspect often gets overlooked. Before selecting a provider, verify that they prioritize data security, comply with applicable standards, and ensure your data remains secure both during transfer and at rest.
Support & Templates: Choose a provider that offers timely, dependable assistance when required. Also, explore whether they provide complimentary dashboard templates or sample reports as additional resources for their integration service. This will accelerate your setup and demonstrate how to effectively structure your Power BI dashboards.
You don’t have to search far for a provider of Power BI integration services that offers all these features and more. Versich encompasses it all - expert assistance, secure integrations, and ready-to-use templates to make your Power BI configuration straightforward.
Conclusion
Power BI integration services simplify the process of connecting, managing, and analyzing data across all your tools. By utilizing solutions like Versich’s Power BI connectors, you can automate reports, efficiently manage large data sets, and make quicker, smarter business decisions.
