Explicit Measures Podcast
Episodes
320: Mailbag x3
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The guys go over 3 mailbag questions from the amazing audience. Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by tweeting to @...
319: The Evolution & Future of Data Visualization
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss how our job role has drastically been changed due to how we actually show and share data, and discuss what will be the...
318: Role Shifts & Microsoft Fabric
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss the rapidly evolving roles organizations and pros are having due to Microsoft Fabric. Get in touch: Send in your quest...
317: Why Quick Wins Are So Important!
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy deep dive into why quick wins in Business Intelligence & Power BI can be a make or break effort. Get in touch: Send in you...
316: Metrics Hub Interview with Carly from Microsoft!
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy are so excited to have Carly from the Product Lead team at Microsoft discuss the upcoming Metrics Hub announced at the Fabric ...
315: Fabric Deployment Models
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy run through a new document that surprised us on the Azure site.. 4 Methods to deploy Microsoft Fabric. https://learn.microsoft...
314: The Importance of Semantic Link
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of Semantic Link, revisiting its core concepts and exploring its potential. We pose the question: ...
313: The Art of the Possible With Demos
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Value of Demos is something we have all done, usually dealing the how to of Power BI. But what about showcasing features not yet mastered or adopt...
312: Abnormal Data Documentation
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have another mailbag! Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into a question from a listener, on how do we document and review outliers in our data. Get in ...
311: Power Query Paginated & Folders
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy run through the major updates to Paginated Reports (Desktop version)... Power Query! What impact will this have and how much d...
310: Is It Too Much?
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy roundtable the volume of updates, features, and products now available for the SINGLE BI Professional. Thanks again to Kurt Bu...
309: AI, Fabric, and the Future of Consulting
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy talk about a mailbag focusing on the future of BI Consulting. No matter if you are in the consulting space or in house, what s...
308: Fabric Updates & Security
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy follow up from the Fabric Conference on more questions about the future. Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you w...
307: Implications of the Fabric Community Conference Announcements
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy recap the 4 promises Microsoft is taking with Microsoft Fabric, including major updates to Microsoft Fabric in Preview and com...
306: Let's Talk Power BI Templates
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss the evolution of Power BI Templates outside of just PBIT. Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us t...
305: Fabric Lakehouse or Data Warehouse?
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss a great article by Sam Debruyn on what really a Fabric Lakehouse is, and where should we spend out time. Get in touch...
304: The Quality Problem
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy talk about Data Quality and Missed Opportunities. Get in touch: Send in your questions or topics you want us to discuss by twe...
303: External Sharing to Customers - Can It Be Simple?
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy review a question from a listener on how can we create an seamless experience to share content to external users? The guys go ...
302: Internal Design - Success Requires Form & Function
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A heated discussion between Mike, Seth, & Tommy as they dive into an excellent article by Christopher Laubenthal of Nightingale about the need to ...
301: Self Service BI as a Two Edged Sword
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into another excellent article by Matthew Roche equating Self Service to being a two edged sword. With training both side...
300: To 300, and Beyond!
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
300 hours and 300 episodes! Mike, Seth, & Tommy talk about where they were 3 years ago, where Business Intelligence was, and where we are heading ...
299: Why AI Isn't Going To Solve Going To Solve Your Data Culture Problems
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Based on another incredible article by Brent Dykes, we have seen an incredible uptick in organizations stating their confidence in Data Culture. Yet w...
298: TMDL & The Future of Development
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss the developments and updates to TMDL in Power BI project development and what it means to Power BI Pro's. Get in t...
297: Implementation Tuesdays Part 10 - Deploy, Validate, & Closing Thoughts
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy finally wrap up their Implementation Tuesdays with closing thoughts and what it means of Migration end to end means. https://l...
296: Mailbag Rebuttal! Data Analysts vs. Data Visualization
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss a mailbag comment on our previous episode of 294 and if we can really provide to an organization insights with Data. ...
295 : Implementation Tuesday Part 9 - Pl Deployment, Proofing, and Validation
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy begin the final section of the Power BI Implementation series and their solution is now being rolled out door. What are the st...
294: Data Viz vs. Data Analytics
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we think of Data Visualization, we think of Data Analysis in Power BI. Is a Bar Chart Data Analytics though? What makes the jump from communicati...
293: Implementation Tuesdays Part 8 - Solutions Planning & Gathering Requirements
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into the "final" part of Implementation Planning docs in Solution planning. We need to now gather requirements,...
292: Why One Person Can't do Everything in Data
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss a great article by Christopher Laubenthal, which argues the lack of data roles at organizations is the root cause for ...
291: Implementation Tuesdays Part 7 - Tacitical Initiatives & Solutions & Revisions
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy continue their journey on Implementation Planning around Power BI & Microsoft Fabric. Today, it is all about priority, get...
288: Requirements for Semantic Models
03 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss an article by Tabular Editor on how do we properly gather requirements around models. https://blog.tabulareditor.com/...
287: Implementation Tuesdays Part 5 - Tactical Planning Objectives
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Forgot to get these out! This is part 5 of our Implementation Power BI series, as Mike, Seth, & tommy dive into objectives when it comes to tactic...
290: Mailbag Mania!
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy go through more mailbags from the community on process & technology, data literacy, and moving forward in data platforms. ...
289: Implementation Tuesdays - Key Results in Tacitical Planning
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy continue their Implementation Tuesdays as they dive into what it means to have key results and measurable success. WE UNDERSTA...
286: Creativity in Power BI
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dissect a video from the amazing John Cleese (yes, the John Cleese from Monty Python) about creativity in management... How ca...
285: Power BI Implementation Tuesdays - Strategic Goals
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy continue their deep dive into Microsoft's Implementation Guide and focus on what Goals mean, how to get them right, and ge...
284: Down & Dirty With the Politics of Data
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into a great article by Ralph Torres on what happens when adoption goes wrong. How do we deal with control, ownership, an...
283: Implementation Tuesdays Part 3 - Stakeholders & Workshops
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy continue to dive into Microsoft's white paper on implementing Power BI. Today, the importance of the right stakeholder - ...
282: Power BI Year in Review - 2023 Edition
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth & Tommy break down the highlights around Power BI in 2023 (Remember when January started with Data Mart updates?) and what is going to ...
281: Implementation Tuesdays Part 2 - Strategic Research
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy kick off the new year in a flash as we continue the Power BI Implementation series and dive in. This is part 2, which is JUST ...
280: The Future of Customer Understanding by Data Marc
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into an awesome article by Data Marc about the change of how Business Intelligence & Customer Viewpoints (Dynamics, S...
279: Microsoft Fabric Secret Santa
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy raise the stakes on giving new Power BI gifts - what perfect (not real) gifts would be Power BI & Microsoft Fabric incredi...
278: Semantic Link & Great Expectations
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into a new article from Microsoft Fabric, Semantic Link & Semantic Models, and how it dives into data quality and dat...
277: Power BI Implementation Tuesdays - Strategic Planning
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Starting today, we are focusing on Implementation Tuesdays, focusing on the Microsoft Documentation focused on Strategic, Tactical, and Solution Plann...
276: The Impact of the New Power BI Explore Feature
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy figure out the what new impact on business users the Power BI Explore feature can have on adoption, feature enablement, and tr...
275: Business Alignment, Power BI, & Microsoft Fabric
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, Tommy see what it means to effectively communicate with the business, aligning strategy, goals, and relationships, and structuring BI arou...
274: Real Time Analytics in Power BI & Fabric
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into how important Real Time Analytics and what is going in Microsoft Fabric. Link: https://blog.fabric.microsoft.com/en-...
272: Change Management in Power BI
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive back into the Adoption Roadmap and focus on change management. How does this work from a small, medium, and enterprise sc...
273: New M Functions for Microsoft Fabric
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hot off the press, Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into an incredible new function for Power Query (M). The ability to read and process Delta Lake Tables...
271: Microsoft Fabric &.... Tableau?
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Taking a different take based on another great article by Kurt Buhler, the guys dive into the integration of not just the ability to use OneLake with ...
270: Mailbag Hot Takes (Part 2)
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for YOU! Thank you to all of our listeners and followers who give us awesome encouragement. In honor of all of you...
269: Data Projects or Data Products?
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss an article by Umesh Bhatt that challenges the norm around building our reports as projects and when does the project e...
268: Microsoft Ignite Reactions
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So - slightly HUGE announcements by the Microsoft team around Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, and generally what we do on a daily basis. Mike, Seth, &...
267: System Oversight, Microsoft Fabric, & Power BI
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into System Oversight in the Adoption Roadmap. What it means, how much enablement, and how much protection in your tenant...
266: Managed Self Service in Power BI - The Implications?
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Managed Self Service in Power BI in Enterprise - Mike, Seth, & Tommy tackle the pressing questions around the balance of control and agility in BI...
265: Mailbag Hot Takes
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We had a ton of mailbags we needed to get off our chests! Quick Shots on the following: Can Data Warehouses and Reports Only Pull New Data Instead of ...
264: Low User Adoption Rate in Power BI & What To Do About It
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into a post by Brent Dykes (Author of Effective Data Storytelling) focused on why BI works on the "set-and-forget&qu...
263: The Most Underrated Microsoft Features thus Far
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yes, we know that not everyone can do everything in Fabric (yet). But one thing we do know: There are over 20 tools in Fabric, and its hard to get on ...
262: Azure DevOps Pipelines & Git - The New World Order?
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy run through the major updates to Git, the Power BI Project type format, and everything in between. Have you utilized Git works...
261: Power BI Best Served HOT - Business Intelligence Point Of View (Part 1)
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy are diving into a 2 part series based on incredibly funny video by Mike Ebbers (Video link below). The background: Mike Ebbers...
260: How Do Microsoft Fabric Workspace Roles Change Planning?
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft Fabric and Workspaces. Mike, Seth, & Tommy have dived into this quite a bit already. However, what about the role based permissions in w...
259: How Important Is Star-Schema in Microsoft Fabric?
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since Analytical Models the star-schema design has been the cornerstone of reporting solutions, which was just enhanced and even more in Power BI. How...
258: Showing the Insights vs. Showing Off
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy delve into the intricate world of data visualization, inspired by the thought-provoking article "Showing the Insights vs....
257: PowerPoint & Power BI... Bridging the Gap
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have a great mailbag today! Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss the following question: I'm the chief cook and bottle washer in IT for Power BI in ...
256: The Outlook of Q&A & Understanding Linguistic Schema In Power BI
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy talk about the major updates to Q&A tooling in Power BI (September update) and how close we are to the ability to organiza...
255: Measuring Organizational BI Skills
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy ask if we can create a measurement system around BI skills? Can we actually scale and measure up the quality of our work, both...
254: SQL in the Age of Microsoft Fabric
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy contemplate where does SQL databases & SQL Server fit in this new age of Microsoft Fabric. Thanks to Sam Debruyn for a gre...
253: MAILBAG! Will Fabric Overwhelm the Business?
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into an awesome mailbag question: When Microsoft added PBI desktop to O365 (Dynamic 365? Something 365) it was seen as s...
252: Data Strategist & Data Roles
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy share their experiences and thoughts around the new concept of the "data strategist" role and the importance either ...
251: Where Should we Use AI With BI?
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into how AI has changed their workflows in both from a personal and professional level - From BI discovery and meeting no...
250: How Much Data In a Fabric Lakehouse?
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Now that we are all familiar with a Fabric Lakehouse.... How much data should be integrated into it? Enough for 1 Power BI Dataset? Enough for 20? Get...
249: Jevon's Paradox & The Demand for Insights
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into an incredible article on the threshold of data and AI. How does governance, insights, and the demand for Data when i...
248: Do We Design Workspaces Differently with Fabric?
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What has become a harsh truth is we need to reevaluate how we design and consider what a Workspace is when we are dealing with more than just datasets...
247: Working In Data Is Hard
07 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Let's face it. What we do is not easy. But that is less to do with the technical aspect but more with how the data impacts communication. MIke, Se...
246: Knowledge, Wisdom, & Understanding
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss a more "squishy" topic focused on the BI's Pro ability to have empathy, the importance of and difference...
245: MAILBAG: Migrating from Laptop to Cloud
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy go through a mailbag on today's episode: Thank you for providing so much helpful Power BI information. My question - - h...
244: Companies are Failing to Be Data Driven
24 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy delve into the alarming findings of NewVantage Partners' 2019 Big Data and AI Executive Survey, which revealed that compan...
243: $100 To Invest In Microsoft Fabric?
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy take on owning Microsoft Fabric and breaking down their "Budget" and where would they put their hard earned cash for...
242: Thinking Outside the (Power BI) Box
17 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy breakdown another great article by Nicola Illic (Data Mozart) on alternatives and improving on the fly DAX queries and meeting...
241: Solving Data Problems With Business Problems
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are Business. We are also IT and Data... But what happens when we try to solve business problems with just technical expertise? Mike, Seth, & T...
240: Raising Awareness to What Power BI Can Do
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into the transformative power of Business Intelligence (BI) for organizations, exploring how Power BI can unveil hidden i...
239: Contextualized Insights In Power BI
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into another amazing article by Brent Dykes that are at the heart of why we visualize data in the first place - If we c...
238: The Essentiality of Tooltips in Power BI
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Guess what? Tooltips still exist in Power BI. Where do they rank, and how important? Mike, Seth, & Tommy discuss just that. Get in touch: Send in...
237: A Data Storytellers Guide To Avoid Clutter
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ever heard of chartjunk? Hopefully by the end the of this episode you will never forget it. Great article for today's podcast: https://www.effect...
236: Move From SQL to Fabric OneLake?
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy weigh the pros and cons of transitioning from SQL databases to Fabric Lake Houses. They dive into the differences between the ...
235: The Root of All Problems Is Analytics
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, and Tommy shift their focus from Fabric and explore systematic thinking. They delve into the Theory of Constraints framework, which helps ...
234: The Perfect Data Analyst
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a great Data Analyst? We are taking a great bit of content from LinkedIn (post below) on what makes a perfect data analyst. Mike, Seth, &am...
233: Mailbag! How Much Detail in a Power BI Report?
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have a great mailbag topic today! The topic: How much level of detail should you put in your Power BI Reports? From audit information to verificati...
232: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Data Governance & Storytelling
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We found an amazing article by Harro Wiersma (article below) on what it means for what it means for governance and storytelling to influence each othe...
231: What is a Conceptual Data Model?
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On one of our favorite articles to date, the guys break down an awesome concept by Nikola Ilic on framing the business with conceptual data models. Th...
230: Microsoft Fabric & Domain Roles - Who Owns What?
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is a part 2 of our conversation on who is going to own the data and the data engineering in Fabric - the business units or BI? Get in touch: Sen...
229: Domain Roles & Power BI
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The guys discuss how Fabric Domains effect the people and process (episode 225 was about the technology) and what has to be adjusted for teams. Get ...
228: Power BI Teams & Source Control (Git) Integration
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy follow up on what Git is and how it impacts Power BI to how it will impact teams, people, and entire processes. Buckle up, as ...
227: Microsoft Fabric & OneLake - Data Governance & Adoption
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A very HEATED conversation today on how Microsoft Fabric & Data Governance / Data Quality will play out. Great article too: https://ssbipolar.com/...
226: Fabric & Ensuring Separation of Capacities
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into what to expect from Fabric Capacities and usage moving forward. Resources & Links: https://learn.microsoft.co...
225: RIP Power BI Workspaces
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Move over Power BI Workspaces, make way for Fabric Domains.... Maybe? You may have heard about the new Fabric Domains feature which is a new way of gr...
224: Decision Guide with Fabric - Warehouse or Lakehouse
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Following up on our previous episode, the second Decision Guide article by Microsoft focuses on when to choose a data warehouse or a data lakehouse. ...
223: Decision Guide with Fabric - Data Ingestion
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We're diving deep into the world of data processing with Microsoft Fabric and their data copy decision guide. This guide is a treasure trove of in...
222: Decision Guide with Fabric - Introduction
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy delve into the expansive possibilities of data management with #MicrosoftFabric. Now that Power BI Dataflows Gen2 have desinta...
221: OneLake & Direct Lake in Microsoft Fabric
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mike, Seth, & Tommy dive into the major features of Microsoft Fabric - OneLake & DirectLake. Why do these stand out and how integral are they ...