A complete Guide - Configuring Power BI in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365FO)

Introduction:

Power BI is a powerful business intelligence tool that enables users to visualize and analyze data from various sources. When integrated with Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations (D365FO), Power BI can provide insightful reports and dashboards, empowering organizations to make data-driven decisions. In this blog post, we will walk you through the process of configuring Power BI in D365FO, allowing you to harness the full potential of these two Microsoft tools.

There are many default Power BI report available, and you can also develop and integrate your own reports. Let's follow the below steps to configure this in a Tier 2 environment as Microsoft doesn’t support Tier 1 environments for Power BI anymore.

Step 1: Accessing the Power BI service:

To begin the configuration process, you need to have access to the Power BI service. Visit the Power BI website (https://powerbi.microsoft.com/) and sign in using your Microsoft account credentials. Make sure you use the same account for all the below steps as well.

Step 2: Register the Power BI application:

In the Power BI configuration form, click on the "Register new app" button. This step will prompt you to sign in with your Power BI account credentials and authorize D365FO to access your Power BI resources. Check this post for step by step guide for app registration.

Once the app is registered you need to enable below API permission, 

I. Content :

Content. Create

II. Dashboard

Dashboard.Read.All

III. Dataset

Dataset.Read.All

Dataset.ReadWrite.All

IV. Report

Report.Read.All

V. Workspace

Workspace.Read.All

Step 3: Grant Permissions in Power BI Service:

Switch back to the Power BI service and navigate to "My workspace" or the desired workspace where you want to embed D365FO reports. Click on "Settings" and then "Admin portal." In the admin portal, select "Workspace settings" and choose the workspace where D365FO reports will be embedded. Under "Members," add the D365FO user account or security group that requires access to the Power BI reports.

Step 4: Setup Power BI Integration in D365FO:

In the D365FO environment, navigate to System Administration > Setup > Power BI configuration. Enable the Power BI integration by checking the "Enable Power BI Integration" checkbox.

Add application id and client secrete id which you got from App registration. Do the authentication on Power BI.

Step 5: Deploy Power BI Reports in D365FO:

Navigate to System Administration > Setup > Deploy Power BI files. Select your required report and on the top action pane, select ‘Deploy Power BI file’. You may get an error like below

‘Deployment failed for <Report Name>’, this is because you didn’t log in to PowerBI.com yet. Please follow step 1 and validate if you are able to see  ‘My workspace’ at the bottom left of the screen.

Step 7: Embed Power BI Reports in D365FO:

In D365FO, open the desired workspace where you want to embed the Power BI report. Click on "Options" and select "Personalize this form." Edit the form and add a Power BI tile to the desired location. Provide the "Report URL" or "Dashboard URL" for the Power BI report you want to embed. Additionally, you can specify filters and parameters based on your requirements.

You may get an error on the workspace similar to below

QueryUserError

To fix this issue you need to make sure the respective entity store is refreshed successfully. If you are facing an issue with the refresh, check out this post. 

Step 8: Save and Publish the Changes:

Save and publish the changes made to the form in D365FO. The Power BI report tile will now be visible to users in the designated workspace, allowing them to access and interact with the embedded reports.

Conclusion:

Configuring Power BI in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations opens up a world of data analysis and visualization possibilities. By following these step-by-step instructions, you can seamlessly integrate Power BI with D365FO, enabling your organization to leverage insightful reports and dashboards to make informed decisions. Remember to ensure appropriate permissions and access control settings to maintain data security and governance. With Power BI and D365FO working together, you can unlock valuable insights and drive business success.

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