The Best Articles and Tutorials About Cloud Analytics, BI and Management
Paul Hansen is an experienced Analytics Engineer and Senior BI Developer, skilled in data architecture, ETL processes, and data visualization. He has a strong background in SQL, Python, and cloud platforms like AWS and Azure. Paul has led teams to create integrated data solutions, leveraging tools such as dbt, SSIS, and Power BI. His recent roles have ranged from Senior BI Developer to BI Team Lead, demonstrating his ability to manage complex projects and deliver insightful business intelligence solutions. Paul values a collaborative work environment that fosters innovation and professional growth.
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Some good news: an important optimisation has rolled out for Excel PivotTables connected to Power BI semantic models! Back in 2019 I wrote about a very common problem affecting the MDX generated by PivotTables connected to Analysis Services where, when subtotals are turned off and grand totals are turned on, the query nevertheless returns the […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2026/02/01/new-performance-optimisation-for-excel-pivottables-connected-to-power-bi-semantic-models/. The author is Chris WebbPower BI’s latest update introduces an enhancement to how users interact with reports with the general availability of modern visual tooltips. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/modern-visual-tooltips-in-power-bi-generally-available/. The author is Read More
This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/modern-visual-tooltips-in-power-bi-generally-available/. The author isHere’s a fun DAX performance tip that I found this week. Do you have measures that use Calculate() with a filter on a numeric column? Is one of the filters on the value 0? If so then this may affect you. As always, a simple example is the best way of explaining the problem and […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2026/01/25/calculate-dax-fusion-and-filters-on-0-in-power-bi/. The author is Chris WebbWelcome to January 2026 Power BI Report Server feature summary! These updates bring new capabilities and enhancements across Reporting and Visualizations, maintaining our commitment to delivering powerful, flexible, and enterprise-ready reporting solutions. For more information on how to find your report server product key, refer to the documentation. This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/Power-BI-Report-Server-January-2026-Feature-Summary/ba-p/5173949. The author […]
This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/Power-BI-Report-Server-January-2026-Feature-Summary/ba-p/5173949. The author is dniwenshutiWelcome to January 2026 Power BI Report Server feature summary! These updates bring new capabilities and enhancements across Reporting and Visualizations, maintaining our commitment to delivering powerful, flexible, and enterprise-ready reporting solutions. For more information on how to find your report server product key, refer to the documentation. Visualizations features This release includes a variety […]
This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-report-server-january-2026-feature-summary/. The author isWe’re announcing a powerful new capability in the Azure Maps Visual for Power BI: Markers. This feature makes it easier than ever for organizations to create compelling, data-driven location stories—without the need for complex GIS tools. With Markers, you can: This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/Introducing-Markers-in-Azure-Maps-for-Power-BI/ba-p/5173958. The author is SharlkaurRead More
This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/Introducing-Markers-in-Azure-Maps-for-Power-BI/ba-p/5173958. The author is SharlkaurThe January 2026 Power BI Feature Summary is packed with exciting news—there are fresh updates, important announcements, and some big changes, especially around upcoming events, feature retirements, and the latest in AI and Copilot advancements. Some of the standout features include new reporting tools, smarter data modeling options, enhanced resources for developers, broader global standards […]
This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/Power-BI-January-2026-Feature-Summary/ba-p/5173952. The author is kamurrayWe’re announcing a powerful new capability in the Azure Maps Visual for Power BI: Markers. This feature makes it easier than ever for organizations to create compelling, data-driven location stories—without the need for complex GIS tools. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-markers-in-azure-maps-for-power-bi/. The author is Read More
This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-markers-in-azure-maps-for-power-bi/. The author isIMPORTANT NOTE: The January Power BI Desktop release began rolling out today (1/20). Updates may take time to reflect in the desktop release. Please allow some time as all updates may not be available immediately. The January 2026 Power BI Feature Summary is packed with exciting news—there are fresh updates, important announcements, and some […]
This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-january-2026-feature-summary/. The author isCarrying on my series on troubleshooting Power BI performance problems with Performance Analyzer, another situation where a report may be slow even when the DAX queries it generates against the underlying semantic model are fast is when you have large images displayed in an Image visual. Let’s see an example. I created a Power BI […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2026/01/18/measuring-time-to-display-for-image-visuals-in-power-bi-with-performance-analyzer/. The author is Chris WebbWhen a user complains about their Power BI report being slow it’s normal for the developer to open up DAX Studio and start tuning the measures in the semantic model because 95% of the time the problem is the DAX. But there’s a whole class of report performance problems that are nothing to do with […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2026/01/11/measuring-geocoding-performance-in-power-bi-map-visuals-using-performance-analyzer/. The author is Chris WebbThe global contest that celebrates creativity, analytical excellence, and storytelling with data is back! Participants will tackle three weekly challenges designed to stretch visualization skills and inspire innovation. Contest Structure This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/The-Power-BI-Dataviz-World-Champs-is-back/ba-p/5173961. The author is slindsayRead More
This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/The-Power-BI-Dataviz-World-Champs-is-back/ba-p/5173961. The author is slindsayJoin the Power BI Dataviz World Championships – three rounds of visualization challenges, community voting, and a live finale at FabCon 2026. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/the-power-bi-dataviz-world-champs-is-back/. The author is Read More
This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/the-power-bi-dataviz-world-champs-is-back/. The author isOne very common cause of Power BI performance problems is having a table with a large number of rows on your report. It’s a problem I wrote about here, and while I used an Import mode for my example in that post I also mentioned that this can be an even bigger problem in DirectQuery […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2026/01/04/diagnosing-power-bi-directquery-performance-problems-caused-by-sql-queries-that-return-large-resultsets/. The author is Chris WebbAs the saying goes, history doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes. While 2025 has seen the excitement around new advances in AI continue to grow in data and analytics as much as anywhere else, it’s also seen the re-emergence of old debates. In particular, one question has raised its head yet again: should there be […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2025/12/31/21st-blog-birthday-centralised-and-decentralised-bi-and-ai/. The author is Chris WebbTo kick off my series on diagnosing Power BI performance problems with Performance Analyzer in the browser (which I introduced last week with my post on vide-coding a custom visual to visualise Performance Analyzer data), I want to revisit a subject I blogged about two years ago: how hitting the limit on the maximum number […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2025/12/28/diagnosing-power-bi-directquery-connection-limit-problems-with-performance-analyzer/. The author is Chris WebbPerformance Analyzer is now available in the browser, not just in Power BI Desktop! Actually everyone got excited about this back in September when it was announced and then forgot about it because it didn’t appear immediately, but now if you are in Edit mode for a published report you can see Performance Analyzer is […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2025/12/21/visualising-power-bi-performance-analyzer-data-with-a-vibe-coded-custom-visual/. The author is Chris Webb2025 was a monumental year for Microsoft Power BI, marked by its 10-year anniversary and a series of community celebrations, global contests, and product advancements that delivered new capabilities empowering users to turn data into action faster than ever. Below we recap some of the year’s biggest highlights—from milestone events to feature breakthroughs—that made 2025 […]
This post first appeared at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/Power-BI-2025-holiday-recap-A-decade-of-innovation-and-impact/ba-p/5173964. The author is alpowers2025 was a monumental year for Microsoft Power BI, marked by its 10-year anniversary and a series of community celebrations, global contests, and product advancements that delivered new capabilities empowering users to turn data into action faster than ever. Below we recap some of the year’s biggest highlights—from milestone events to feature breakthroughs—that made 2025 […]
This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-2025-holiday-recap-a-decade-of-innovation-and-impact/. The author isIn my last post I talked about how to push Power BI Copilot to get answers from the semantic model rather than the report you’re looking at. If you want to do this you are probably getting worse answers when Copilot goes to the report than the semantic model; before you try to bypass the […]
This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2025/12/14/power-bi-copilot-and-report-filters-and-slicers/. The author is Chris Webb