Welcome to the Iamdata Solutions Asset Management Newsletter - November 2023
I'm sure most people are aware of Microsoft Teams and understands that it is a collaboration platform that brings together chat, video, file sharing, and more into one central location. However, you may or may not know that you can share your Power BI report seamlessly in Teams! 🎉
Over the last few years while the world has been coming to terms with Covid lockdowns and working remotely has become the norm, we've relied heavily on Microsoft Teams to keep in touch with our colleagues, and Power BI Embedded is another tool in MS Teams that helps us collaborate together on projects more easily.
Microsoft Teams is Power BI Embedded
One of the many features included in Microsoft Teams is Power BI Embedded. Power BI Embedded allows users to integrate Power BI reports directly into their Teams environment. With Power BI Embedded in Teams, users can access and share data insights directly from Teams, without the need to switch to another application.
What are the benefits of Power BI Embedded?
Integrating Power BI into Teams offers many benefits that facilitate more effective collaboration. Rather than examining data in isolation, your entire team can collectively access and interact with the same report in real-time.
Your team can take advantage of enhanced decision-making capabilities by enabling the discussion of insights, the posing of questions, and the exchange of ideas within the context of the data. It also eliminates the need for users to switch between different applications, ultimately saving valuable time and keeping the team focused on their core tasks.
This integration substantially improves the accessibility of your reports. With Power BI embedded in Teams, users no longer require a separate Power BI account or application. Anyone with access to the Teams channel or chat can directly view the report, regardless of their familiarity with Power BI. This democratizes data, making data-driven decisions accessible to a wider audience.
Sharing your Power BI report in Teams ensures that all discussions and insights are centralised. Rather than scattering conversations across various platforms or email threads, everything is neatly contained within Teams. This streamlines efficiency as it simplifies the reference to past discussions and consolidates all relevant information in one convenient location.
Another compelling advantage of Power BI Embedded in Teams is its ability to leverage the robust security and compliance features inherent to Teams. This ensures that even sensitive data can be analysed and shared in a secure and compliant manner, significantly reducing the risks associated with data breaches or non-compliance incidents.
Power BI is a potent business intelligence tool that empowers users to connect to a wide array of data sources, create meaningful visualisations, and distribute interactive reports. With this integration, Teams users can harness the full potential of Power BI without ever leaving their collaborative environment.
Can you relate to these scenarios?
So, why is this such a big deal, you might ask? Well, imagine this scenario…. You and your team are working on a crucial project, and you need to stay on top of the latest data updates.
Or, you've designed and built a Power BI report, and you need feedback from the various data owners. The data owners could span across several departments - Finance, City Works, GIS, etc. While building and designing the Power BI reports, you will require feedback from all data owners to confirm that the report is reporting on the correct data. Instead of switching between applications or constantly sending files back and forth, you can now embed your Power BI reports directly into Teams channels or chats.
Sharing your Power BI Report in Teams
Sharing your Power BI report in Teams is very easy. Here's a quick step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Open your Power BI report in the Power BI service.
Click on the ‘File’ menu and select ‘Publish to web’.
In the pop-up window, choose the ‘Create embed code’ option.
Customise the embed settings based on your preferences, such as report size, interaction options, and whether you want to show the report title or navigation buttons.
Once you're satisfied with the settings, click on the ‘Create’ button.
Copy the generated embed code.
Now, head over to Teams, and navigate to the channel or chat where you want to share the report.
In the message box, click on the ‘...’ (more options) button.
Select the ‘Power BI’ option.
In the pop-up window, click on the ‘Embed’ tab.
Paste the embed code you copied earlier into the provided field.
Click on the ‘Done’ button. Your Power BI report is now beautifully embedded in Teams.
Interacting with Your Content
Interacting with your Power BI content in Teams is a breeze. It's pretty much the same as using the Power BI service. You can share reports with your teammates right from the Power BI app in Teams. Plus, there's a nifty training hub built right in. Click on ‘Learn’ to explore the Learning Centre.
And here's a time-saving tip: the Power BI app remembers where you were for an hour. So, if you leave and come back within that hour, it takes you right back to where you left off, whether it's a report page, filters, or specific areas like Home or Workspaces.
Differences in Interactions
A few things work a bit differently in the Teams app. When you're looking at a dashboard or report, you won't see the Power BI navigation pane. Just hit ‘Close’ to go back to Home or the workspace. Want to open a report in the Power BI service instead of Teams? Simply select ‘Open this on the web’.
Searching for Power BI Content
In Teams, you can easily find recent reports, dashboards, and apps within the Power BI app. Just enter ‘@Power BI’ in the Teams search bar (with the space in between) and select the item you need.
And if you want to encourage more Power BI app usage within your organisation, you can install it for your team members. Check out the Guide for more info.
Installing the Power BI App Automatically
If you're a Power BI admin or Teams admin, it’s very easy. The Power BI app is installed automatically in certain situations. Pin it for your users to make their lives easier.
So, whether you're a data analyst, a project manager, or a team leader, this tool will inevitably help you work more efficiently and effectively, elevate your data analysis game, foster collaboration, and streamline communication by sharing your Power BI reports in Teams.
Happy reporting and collaborating!
I have worked on many different projects with my Local Government clients, from designing and developing Power BI Reports, to building SQL Server databases for spatial data, to managing and maintaining the GIS and the Asset Management systems. If you'd like to discuss how we might work together, then please email Jill at ➡️ jill.singleton@iamdata.solutions
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