In short
Visian rolls out Power BI at scale: shared semantic models, single KPIs, workspace governance, performance and migration from SAP BusinessObjects, Tableau or Qlik. The storage mode (Import, DirectQuery, Direct Lake) should be chosen early, based on volumes and the freshness required.
Power BI
The technology
Power BI is Microsoft's business intelligence platform: source connections, semantic modelling, and reports and dashboards shared through the Power BI service and Microsoft Fabric.
Deploying a first report is quick. The difficulty comes at scale: proliferating datasets, KPIs calculated differently from one report to another, access management, capacity costs and uneven adoption across business units.
Commitments
Visian engagements on Power BI
- Migration from Tableau, Qlik or Power BI Report Server to the Power BI Service
- Shared semantic models and a single KPI repository
- Tenant governance: workspaces, row-level security, content lifecycle
- Industrialisation: pipeline deployment, tests, usage monitoring
- Change management and business user training
These engagements are part of the BI & Analyticsexpertise, on a fixed-price, time-and-materials or service-centre basis.
References
Client cases
- BNP Paribas · Banking, BI
- Société Générale · Banking, Dashboards
Comparison
Import, DirectQuery or Direct Lake
| Mode | How it works | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import | Data is copied into the semantic model | Fastest queries | Scheduled refreshes, model size |
| DirectQuery | Each visual queries the source | Up-to-date data | Performance depends on the source |
| Direct Lake | Reads Delta tables directly in OneLake | Near-import performance without full refresh | Requires Microsoft Fabric |
Source: Microsoft Power BI and Fabric documentation, October 2026; Visian white paper Power BI à l'échelle (in French).
Key figures
Facts and figures
- 350 data & AI consultants and 120+ projects delivered since 2016 (Visian, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
Power BI: FAQ
How long does a migration to Power BI take?
Duration depends on the number of reports, their complexity and the number of users. An initial scoping inventories the estate, groups redundant reports and proposes a batch plan.
Power BI or Microsoft Fabric?
Power BI is part of Microsoft Fabric. The choice is mainly about scope: reporting only, or a complete data platform (ingestion, storage, transformation) on the same foundation.