To simplify workspace management in Power BI, we recommend using a single workspace for each product/area. This approach minimizes complexity by keeping everything within one workspace, enabling your team to focus on content creation and collaboration without needing to manage multiple workspaces for different environments.
In Solvay we recommend to use Development (DEV), Test (TEST), Pre-production (PREPROD) and Production (PROD)
We name each workspace in this simple format [ProductName] | [Environment]
Example:
Establishing consistent naming conventions for Power BI assets ensures clarity, traceability, and efficient collaboration among team members. By adopting a standardized naming format, stakeholders can quickly identify the purpose, stage, and environment of each item in the Power BI ecosystem.
The recommended naming format is [ProductName]_[PipelineItem]
Sales for Sales-related reports and dashboards.HR for Human Resources content.Finance for financial reporting.PilelineItem:
Indicates the type or purpose of the Power BI item. Use the following terms to specify the pipeline stage:
Environment:
Specifies the deployment environment to differentiate between development, testing, and production stages. Use the following abbreviations:
Reports are detailed and interactive data visualizations designed for analysis. They should be named as:[ProductName]_Report_[Environment]
Sales_Report_DEV: A sales report in the development environment.Inventory_Report_TEST: An inventory report being tested.HR_Report: A finalized HR report published for end-users.Apps in Power BI are collections of reports and dashboards shared with a wider audience. They should be named as:[ProductName]_App_[Environment]
Sales_App_DEV: A Sales app in development.Inventory_App_TEST: An Inventory app in the testing phase.Finance_App: A Finance app ready for production.Dashboards are high-level summaries designed for monitoring KPIs and other critical metrics. They should be named as:[ProductName]_Dashboard_[Environment]
Sales_Dashboard_DEV: A dashboard summarizing sales metrics in development.HR_Dashboard_TEST: An HR dashboard in the testing phase.Finance_Dashboard: A final Finance dashboard for executive reporting.Consistency Across Teams:
Ensure all team members follow the same naming format to avoid confusion and improve collaboration. Document this standard in your organization’s guidelines.
Abbreviation Standards:
Use short and meaningful abbreviations for ProductName to keep names concise but informative. For example:
MKT for Marketing.OPS for Operations.Avoid Special Characters:
Stick to alphanumeric characters and underscores (_) for compatibility and clarity.
Versioning (Optional):
For iterative development, consider appending version numbers to distinguish between iterations:
Sales_Report_DEV_v1, Sales_Report_DEV_v2.Use Descriptive Product Names (if necessary):
For larger projects with subdomains, add more context to the ProductName:
Sales_Europe_Report_DEV for a regional Sales report.In Power BI, access and permissions are managed at three levels—Semantic Model, App/Report, and Workspace. Each level represents a different layer of access control and functionality within Power BI.
| Level | Scope | Examples of Access |
| Semantic Model | Dataset and data structure | View dataset, build reports, RLS enforcement |
| App/Report | Individual reports or dashboards | View/Interact with specific content, use in apps |
| Workspace | Collection of datasets, reports, and dashboards | Collaborate, manage content and permissions |
The semantic model represents the underlying dataset in Power BI that defines the data structure, relationships, calculations (e.g., DAX measures), and data security.
This level controls access to the specific reports and dashboards created from datasets. The content is typically shared with end-users via apps or direct links.
Workspaces are the collaboration environments where datasets, reports, dashboards, and other content are created, shared, and managed. Access to a workspace governs overall permissions to its content.
Row-level security (RLS) controls access to specific rows in a database based on group membership or execution context, ensuring users only see data relevant to their role or department. It is commonly used in scenarios like restricting employees to their department's data or limiting customers to their own data in a multitenant setup.
RLS is enforced at the database level, applying restrictions every time data is accessed, ensuring security across all platforms, including Power BI. It simplifies security management and applies to queries on a Warehouse.
Implement & Manage Security Roles
Assign Security Roles
Reporting with security roles
In this scenario, content creators often collaborate in an additional, development workspace that contains the latest version of the solution.
The following diagram depicts a high-level example of how you might use separate environments with a development, test, and production workspace.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
1 | Content creators develop content in their local environment. |
2 | When ready, content creators publish content to a Test workspace. In this workspace, content creators can develop content that can only be produced with web authoring. Content creators can also validate content. |
3 | When ready, content creators deploy content to a Pre-production workspace. In this workspace, users validate content, either in the workspace or an app. |
4 | When ready, content creators deploy content to a Production workspace. In this workspace, content creators distribute content by publishing a Power BI app or sharing content from the workspace. |
At now users will either have Power BI already installed on their desktops or will need to follow the instructions below to install it. First it depends if you have Company Portal or Software Center (starting June of 2025 users we will just have Company Portal).
COMPANY PORTAL
| SOFTWARE CENTER
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COMPANY PORTAL
| SOFTWARE CENTER
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If you require a Power BI license, please follow these steps to request one:
Submit a Ticket: Start by creating a ticket through Service One portal. Provide all necessary details, including your business need for the license.
Data Visualization Team Review: Once the ticket is submitted, it will be routed to Data Visualization (Data Viz) team. They will evaluate the need for the license based on the business context and confirm alignment with organizational standards.
License Assignment: Upon approval from the Data Viz team, the ticket will be forwarded to the Entra ID/Office Automation Team, who will assign the Power BI license to your account.
| Recommendation: We highly recommend Power BI training before using the tool to maximize your proficiency and effectiveness in creating impactful visualizations and reports. Training resources link are available here and can help you get started quickly and effectively. |
If you require a new Power BI workspace, please follow these steps to request one:
Submit a Ticket: Start by creating a ticket through Service One portal. Provide all necessary details, including your business need for theworkspace.
