(Shared via Microsoft’s Power BI Blog) To remain competitive in an increasingly digital world, successful businesses keep up with data transformation. Cutting-edge business intelligence tools are needed to extract insights from the massive amounts of data businesses produce. Microsoft Power BI enables users to gather, visualize, and analyze vast amounts of crucial business data. Tallan has you covered for what matters most to businesses as Power BI continues to develop. Here’s a brief overview of what’s new in Power BI for spring and summer 2022!
April
In April, Microsoft announced changes to the formatting pane and Power BI Goals, support for more built-in graphics in tooltips & drill actions, error bar previews for clustered columns/bar charts and the broad availability of Dynamic M query parameters.
A New Format Pane
Since November, the new format pane has been available for preview, and with the update from February, it was made default for users. Please be aware that after it becomes generally accessible (GA) in May, users won’t be able to return to the previous format window.
Data Preparation
The Dynamic M query parameters feature is now widely available! Recall that this feature enables report viewers to use filters or slicers to dynamically set the value(s) for a M query parameter. This can be particularly useful for individuals who want to optimize query performance without sacrificing report interactivity.
The following AI functionalities are now compatible with Dynamic M query parameters as part of this GA release:
- Q&A
- Decomposition tree
- Key influencers
- Anomaly detection
May
In May, Microsoft announced the widespread availability of the features Field parameters, Canvas zoom, Data point rectangle choose, and Error bars for columns and line combination charts. Microsoft also updated the preview feature with additional viewing capabilities, a new Format pane, and handling composite models.
Dynamic M query parameters enables report viewers to use filters or slicers to dynamically set the value(s) for a M query parameter.
Canvas Zoom
The long-awaited zoom feature for users is now available on the canvas! This is crucial for enhancing readability for report readers. This makes it easier for report creators to make pixel-perfect adjustments by enlarging the canvas. Users can click on the zoom percent to open the zoom level box and provide a custom input or drag the slider to adjust the zoom level. Return to the default view by selecting the new quick “fit to page” button.
Field Parameters
Field parameters are a new preview feature that will enable users to dynamically alter the measures or dimensions being examined in a report. By selecting the many metrics or dimensions they are interested in, this tool can assist your end users in exploring and personalizing the report analysis.
June
The new Format Pane, enhancements to error bars and information protection, improvements to table navigation, Connect to datamarts, and Power BI Data Storytelling features are all now generally available. Last month, Microsoft added Power BI integrations into PowerPoint and Outlook, enabling users to share reports that much easier! Check out this article by Connor Jones, a journalist at IT Pro in the UK, showing you ‘how businesses can now add live Power BI feeds to presentations and manipulate data points on the fly.
By selecting the many metrics or dimensions they are interested in, the Field Parameters tool can assist end users in exploring and personalizing the report analysis.
Updates to Error Bars
Microsoft updated the error bars card in the Analytics pane this June to simplify the formatting options’ structure. You can more easily identify and adjust the many elements you want to present on your error bars if there are fewer sub-cards to navigate through. The two most significant changes are the relocation of line choices into the Error band sub card and the relocation of marker options into the bar and band cards.
Tallan’s Power BI User Group explores innovative ways of evaluating data, with more in-depth coverage on the updates mentioned above. Click here to watch the full recap of our last meeting, or visit our events page to register for the next Hartford Power BI User Group (date TBA).
We’re SO excited to announce our new Data Science & AI Practice! Interested in learning more about this exciting facet of data management? Join Lee Harper, our Director of Data Science & AI Solutions, and Andrew Kraemer, our Data Science Lead, live on Microsoft Teams to ask any and all questions that you may have regarding our Data Science process and offerings. Register here!