Power BI Consulting & Business Intelligence Solutions
Make better decisions with data you can trust.
Discuss your reporting needsBring sales, finance and operational reporting into a clearer view with Power BI consulting built around your business decisions. I help define KPIs, connect relevant data and develop interactive reports so your team can understand performance, investigate changes and agree the next action.
Arilda is my independent Microsoft consulting brand, based in Madrid and working with teams in Spain and across Europe. A Power BI engagement can cover discovery, data modelling, report development, integration or an existing report that needs attention. Scope and responsibilities are agreed around your business needs.
Reporting problems worth solving
Common challenges include repeated exports, conflicting KPI definitions, slow reports and uncertainty about when data was last refreshed. A polished dashboard will not resolve inconsistent source records or an undefined calculation. Discovery separates reporting needs from data and process issues so each has an owner.
- Reduce repeated spreadsheet preparation where source access and process design allow it.
- Understand which figures describe the same business event and why totals differ.
- Give users clear definitions, relevant filters and an understandable reporting structure.
Power BI consulting shaped around the requirement
I can help define a reporting roadmap, design a semantic model, develop reports or review an existing solution. Work may include source assessment, transformation logic, measures, publishing arrangements and handover. We identify deliverables and acceptance checks before implementation, including which tasks remain with your data owners and administrators.
A focused review may be a better starting point than rebuilding everything. Existing spreadsheets, reports and business rules can show what users already rely on and what needs to change.
Business intelligence discovery and KPI definition
We start with the decision: who needs to act, what they need to see and how often. For each KPI, we agree a definition, reporting grain, date basis and treatment of exclusions. Revenue by invoice date and revenue by posting date, for example, answer different questions and need explicit labels.
The discovery output can include a prioritised report backlog, source inventory and a definition sheet for measures. Representative records and agreed reconciliation totals provide a practical basis for checking the result.
Dashboards and interactive reporting
Reports should guide a reader from an overview to a useful detail view. I consider page structure, filter behaviour, drill-through, visual hierarchy and accessible labels. Mobile layouts are designed for the information people need on a smaller screen, rather than simply shrinking a desktop page.
A multi-page Power BI report and a dashboard of tiles in the Power BI service serve different purposes. We choose the appropriate format and distribution method, then test it with the people who will use it.
Power BI dashboards for sales, finance and operations
The right dashboard starts with a question your team needs to answer. These examples show possible reporting scopes; the final measures depend on your source data and agreed definitions.
- Sales: review opportunity stages, conversion, pipeline coverage and sales against targets. Agree how currencies, probability and lost opportunities affect each measure.
- Finance: compare revenue, costs and margin by period, customer or business unit. Reconcile report totals with the agreed accounting source before relying on them.
- Operations: monitor backlog, service volumes and cycle times. Separate active work from closed records and define which timestamps determine performance.
- Management: combine a small set of agreed KPIs with drill-through to the underlying detail, keeping refresh dates and metric definitions visible.
Data modelling, Power Query and DAX
A maintainable model begins with clear table grain, reliable keys and relationships that reflect the business. Power Query prepares and transforms data; DAX expresses calculations and measures in the model. I review date handling, filter context and calculation definitions so a total remains meaningful when users change the report view.
Import and DirectQuery involve different trade-offs in refresh, source load, performance and supported functionality. The choice depends on the connector and reporting need. DirectQuery does not by itself guarantee real-time information, and transformations may need to be moved upstream when the source or connector imposes limits.
Connect Dynamics 365 information to business reporting
Reporting on sales, service or finance starts by identifying the actual Dynamics application and data source. Dataverse-backed customer engagement applications and Business Central expose information differently. We assess supported connectors or APIs, access rights, relationships and data volumes before choosing an integration approach.
Combining Dynamics data with other sources needs consistent customer identifiers, dates and business definitions. Existing application permissions do not automatically become the full Power BI access policy; report distribution and model security require their own review.
Dynamics 365 customer engagement consulting
SharePoint, Excel and SQL Server reporting
SharePoint lists, Excel workbooks and SQL Server can each contribute useful reporting data. I review file structure, list fields, source ownership and stable identifiers before combining them. A workbook in a shared location still needs controlled definitions and a reliable update process.
Connectivity and refresh depend on where the data is hosted, authentication and connector support. On-premises sources may require an appropriately configured data gateway. Gateway administration, credentials and refresh ownership must be assigned so the solution does not depend on one person’s desktop.
SharePoint information management and integration
Report optimisation, access and ongoing support
For an existing report, I examine model size, unnecessary columns, relationships, expensive measures, visual queries and source constraints. Optimisation starts with a repeatable baseline and agreed checks; the improvement achievable depends on the model, capacity and source systems.
Support can cover refresh failures, documentation, controlled changes and access reviews. Row-level security restricts model rows for relevant viewer scenarios, but it is not a substitute for workspace role design or source protection. We test access with representative users and agree support responsibilities and response arrangements separately.
ongoing support and optimisation
A business-first delivery approach
We move from discovery to a small validated model, then build reporting in agreed stages. Your team checks definitions and sample totals before wider publication. Handover covers data dependencies, refresh, measures, access and routine maintenance so ownership is clear after delivery.
Where a reporting need reveals a process issue, we can discuss how data capture and automation should improve alongside the report. Power BI is an analysis tool; it does not replace an operational application or automatically correct the underlying records.
Power Platform applications and process automation
What your Power BI project can include
Before development, we agree the reporting scope and what your team will receive. A first phase can focus on one business area and a limited set of sources, with additional reports added after the initial model has been validated.
- A source inventory and KPI definition sheet with named business owners.
- Power Query transformations, a documented semantic model and DAX measures for the agreed scope.
- Interactive report pages with relevant filters, drill-through and a mobile layout where required.
- A publishing and refresh plan covering credentials, gateway requirements and workspace access.
- Validation against agreed sample totals, plus handover documentation and a walkthrough for your team.
Discuss the scope of your Power BI project
Work directly with an independent consultant
You work with Mohsen Bakhtiari, based in Spain, with communication available in English and Spanish. My business and technology background helps connect stakeholders’ reporting questions with implementation decisions. I keep the scope, assumptions and dependencies visible, and discuss specialist involvement where the requirement calls for it.
my background and working approach
Frequently asked questions
What information do you need to scope a Power BI project?
Start with the decisions you want to support, current reports, available data sources and expected users. Sample data, access constraints and refresh expectations help establish a realistic scope. Discovery can clarify these items before a build is agreed.
Do all report viewers need a paid Power BI licence?
Sharing and viewing requirements depend on user licences, the workspace and its capacity. Power BI Desktop can be used to author reports without a paid sharing licence, but that does not give everyone access to published content. We check current Microsoft licensing rules for the intended distribution model before recommending an option.
Can Power BI refresh data automatically?
Scheduled refresh is possible for supported configurations, subject to licence or capacity limits, connector support and valid credentials. On-premises sources may require a gateway. The required reporting frequency is assessed against these constraints; continuous or instant updates are not assumed.
Can you improve an existing report instead of replacing it?
Yes, the engagement can begin with a review of an existing report, model and refresh process. Findings determine whether targeted changes are enough or whether a structural change should be considered. Any implementation is agreed after that review.
How much does Power BI consulting cost?
The cost depends on the number and quality of data sources, the complexity of the model and measures, report requirements, access arrangements and handover needs. Share your current reports and priorities so we can define a scope and proposal. Microsoft licences and capacity are considered separately from consulting.
How long does a Power BI dashboard project take?
Timing depends on source access, data quality, agreed calculations and the availability of people who validate the results. A focused first phase can cover a small number of KPIs and sources. After reviewing those requirements, we agree milestones and dependencies rather than promise a delivery date before understanding the work.
Can you replace manual Excel reporting with Power BI?
Power BI can connect to supported Excel files and other sources, transform data and reuse agreed calculations. We first review how files are maintained, who owns them and how totals are validated. Automation can reduce repeated preparation, while source quality and business approval still need clear ownership.
Microsoft documentation
Let’s make your reporting useful
Tell me which decisions need better information, where your data lives and what is difficult about reporting today. We can agree the next step, whether that is discovery, a report review or a defined implementation.
Discuss your reporting needs