Power BI

Introduction 

Variables are one of the most transformative features in DAX. They revolutionized how we write formulas, making complex calculations readable, maintainable, and significantly faster. 

Before variables, DAX formulas often became tangled webs of nested functions that were difficult to understand and debug. Today, variables allow us to break down complex logic into named, meaningful components that tell a clear story. 

CALCULATE is the most important function in DAX.

If you truly understand CALCULATE, you understand how Power BI thinks.

It allows you to control filters, override slicers, ignore visuals, and apply business rules correctly. Almost every advanced Power BI measure relies on CALCULATE in one way or another.

In this article, we will explore CALCULATE in depth and clearly explain how filter modification works using:

• ALL

• ALLEXCEPT

• REMOVEFILTERS

• KEEPFILTERS

Overdue payments are one of the most pressing financial challenges organizations face. When invoices sit unpaid beyond their due date, cash flow suffers, and without visibility into how long payments have been outstanding, finance teams are left guessing. Power BI offers a powerful way to build an aging dashboard that not only tracks overdue payments but also highlights the severity and risk associated with each one. 

Last week, I had the privilege of serving as one of the Lead Trainers in a week-long Power BI Masterclass. The primary goal of this training was to help learners gain a clear understanding of the full Power BI ecosystem, explore how it can make a tangible impact in their organizations, and equip them with the practical skills required to implement what they learned.

On 24th and 25th July 2025, we attended DynamicsCon Regional: East Africa 2025, and it was an incredibly energizing and insightful experience.

We were privileged to take the stage where we talked about the integration between Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power BI. Our session focused on demonstrating just how powerful these platforms can be when used together. Rather than just talking about it, we brought it to life with a live showcase.

 We explored;

Managing Power BI reports over time can quickly become overwhelming without proper version control, especially when multiple changes are made to a single report. The PBIX format, commonly used for Power BI reports, presents several challenges when it comes to tracking changes and collaborating effectively. 

If you've ever experienced delays while waiting for a Power BI report to load, you're familiar with the challenges it creates, impatient and frustrated users. The root cause often lies in inefficient DAX queries, bloated models, or overly complex visuals straining the engine. This is where DAX Studio becomes an essential tool for every serious Power BI developer. It offers deep insights into query performance, helping to identify and resolve bottlenecks for faster, more efficient reports.

Row-Level Security (RLS) in Power BI is a crucial feature that ensures users can only access the data relevant to them, maintaining both privacy and efficiency. Without RLS, data exposure can lead to security risks, compliance issues, and information overload for users. 

Use cases

By implementing RLS, organizations can control data visibility, enabling sales managers to view only their regional performance, HR personnel to access employee records securely, and executives to see organization-wide insights without compromising confidentiality.

 Optimizing Power BI Reports performance is crucial for a seamless user experience. By structuring data efficiently, writing optimized DAX formulas, reducing refresh loads, and fine-tuning visual elements, you can significantly improve dashboard responsiveness. In this blog, we’ll explore these key strategies to optimize Power BI performance and ensure that dashboards run efficiently.

1. Optimize Data Model Design

a) Use Star Schema Instead of Flat Tables