Power BI advisory · selection & arades
Power BI rarely fails on technology — but on the data model, on unclear DAX logic, or on missing governance. This page first shows the six criteria by which any Power BI advisory must be measured — and then positions where arades GmbH, as a mid-market-specialized Microsoft partner with 20+ years of platform practice, is strong.
Selection criteria
Six levers that in our experience decide between sustainable Power BI implementations and expensive re-architecture loops. When comparing multiple advisors — ask exactly these points. Worded vendor-neutral so you can also classify the answers from competitors.
01 · Data modeling depth
A good data model is the foundation of any sustainable Power BI report. Star schema vs. snowflake, relationship directions, many-to-many resolution, granularity conflicts between fact tables — these are topics that must still hold up five years after go-live. Advisories without modeling expertise later deliver reports with performance problems and incomprehensible logic.
02 · DAX competence
Real Power BI value creation begins with DAX patterns beyond standard aggregations: time intelligence (SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR, DATESYTD), many-to-many resolution via bridge tables, row-level security with USERPRINCIPALNAME, dynamic filters with CALCULATE, and VAR constructs. An advisor without DAX depth quickly reaches their limits.
03 · Industry understanding
Industry experience shortens the discovery phase by weeks. An advisor who knows sales pipelines, association member fee logic, or machine telemetry from three running projects immediately asks qualified detail questions instead of generic best-practice slides. Generic data models rarely fit the specific industry reality.
04 · License architecture
The choice between Power BI Pro (€10/user), Premium per User (€24/user), Premium Capacity (from €5,000/month), and the new Fabric capacity has dramatic cost effects. A good advisor explains the math — which license becomes economical from which user count, when Fabric is the right choice, and which functions are unlocked with which class.
05 · Governance & security
Power BI implementations without a governance strategy become unmaintainable in year two — hundreds of workspaces, unused datasets, duplicate reports, unclear permissions. An advisor with governance experience delivers workspace structures, RLS concepts, capacity management, and tenant settings. Topics like Microsoft Purview integration or sensitivity labels belong here.
06 · Pricing transparency
Are day rates, fixed-price packages, and license margins openly communicated? Does the advisor explain the NCE mechanics, the triennial discount, and renewal conditions — or do you get a flat-rate offer line without breakdown? Hidden license margins are structurally possible in the CSP model; a good advisor discloses them.
These six points are market standard for good selection diligence. In the next section we show where arades GmbH delivers reliably against each point.
arades as your Power BI advisory
arades GmbH has been advising on the Microsoft data platform for over 15 years — from SQL Server Reporting Services through SharePoint BI and Excel Power Pivot to today's Power BI world and Microsoft Fabric. This history makes the difference in architecture decisions.
We start every Power BI project with the data model, not with the visuals. Star schema consolidation, dimension hierarchies, relationship architecture, and granularity mapping belong in the first workshop days — before the first dashboard is created. This approach later saves performance and maintainability.
Time intelligence, dynamic filters, row-level security with USERPRINCIPALNAME, bridge tables for many-to-many — we deliver DAX logic that uses compact VAR constructs, is documented, and can be maintained over the years. DAX coaching for internal teams as a stand-alone advisory format.
Specialization on education providers (course KPIs, participant analytics), professional associations (member fee models), IT service providers (project operations utilization), and mid-market industry & manufacturing (production telemetry, sales reporting). Own solutions on Microsoft Dataverse as proof of end-to-end data competence.
We calculate the license math openly: from which user count Premium per User becomes cheaper than Pro, from when Premium Capacity makes sense, and when Fabric capacity becomes the economical solution. Model calculation with our License Cost Calculator.
Workspace structure by functional area, RLS concepts with dynamic table security, capacity monitoring, and tenant settings hardening. Microsoft Purview integration and sensitivity labels for regulated industries. Connection to Microsoft 365 Defender for audit protocols.
arades is intentionally small — no corporate apparatus, no account-manager-to-delivery wall. In the sales process you speak with the same architects who will lead your Power BI project. Management directly reachable. Application Care at a predictable monthly flat fee. Strategy workshop from €2,400 net, architecture review €8,400 – €14,000 net.
Advisory formats
From a 30-min discovery call to multi-month embedded advisory — four documented formats with clear prices, clear delivery, and no minimum term.
Format 1 · Discovery call
First conversation to clarify starting point, data sources, plans, and time/budget framework. You receive an honest assessment of whether a Power BI project fits you and which format makes sense next. Online via Teams. No obligation.
Format 2 · Strategy workshop
Half-day or full-day workshop with stakeholders. Data source inventory, prioritize use cases, license sketch, first data model on the whiteboard, roadmap with effort indicators. Result document as decision basis for the next 4–8 weeks.
Format 3 · Architecture review
Deep assessment: data source mapping, model sketch, DAX pattern library for your KPIs, workspace architecture, RLS concept, license architecture. The result is a reliable decision basis with a fixed-price offer for implementation. Also useful for re-architecting existing Power BI landscapes.
Format 4 · Embedded advisory
Ongoing advisory as guidance for your internal Power BI team — DAX coaching, architecture reviews of existing reports, governance adjustments, capacity optimization. Day rates on request. Transition into Application Care for predictable continuous operation possible.
Use cases from our advisory practice
Three anonymized constellations from current practice. Real undertakings with real data sources and real architecture — so you can compare our advisory profile with your situation.
Financial controlling
Mid-market machinery builder with 4 subsidiaries. Consolidated finance reporting on the basis of Business Central and Excel planning models. Data model with company dimension, RLS per subsidiary, time intelligence for plan-vs-actual comparisons. Implementation duration 6–8 weeks.
Sales analytics
Mid-market IT service provider, 80 sales employees. Real-time pipeline analysis, quota tracking, conversion funnel per industry. Data model directly on Dataverse, Direct Lake mode with Fabric. Implementation duration 4–6 weeks.
Production telemetry
Injection molding manufacturer with 40 machines. OPC-UA data via Azure IoT Hub into Fabric, real-time dashboards for OEE, downtime analysis, and changeover optimization. Power BI embedded integration with MES frontend. Implementation duration 8–12 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
The entry is free: 30-minute discovery call without obligation. Reliable advisory formats from €2,400 net (strategy workshop, one day) and €8,400 – €14,000 net (architecture review, 3–5 days). DAX coaching and dashboard reviews bookable as a day rate or in a 5-day package. For ongoing advisory, there is Application Care as a predictable monthly flat fee.
Advisory first answers the architecture questions — which data sources, which data model, which license class (Pro, Premium per User, Fabric), which governance structure. Implementation only follows. Dashboard development without prior advisory typically leads to reports that are unmaintainable after six months — because the data model and permission concept were not considered from the start.
If your reports go beyond simple aggregations — yes. Complex calculation logic (time intelligence, many-to-many relationships, dynamic filters, RLS) requires DAX knowledge beyond what a "Power BI power user" can deliver internally. We offer DAX coaching for internal teams and take on demanding DAX logic as a service.
Discovery and strategy workshop: 1–2 weeks. Architecture review with data model sketch and license recommendation: 2–4 weeks. First productive dashboards (Finance, Sales, HR): 4–8 weeks depending on data source complexity. Full Power BI governance rollout with workspaces, capacities, and RLS: 8–14 weeks. Embedded advisory for internal teams runs as a continuous format.
Yes. Fabric is the strategic Microsoft data platform and integrates Power BI more deeply with data engineering, data science, and real-time analytics. We advise on Fabric capacity planning, OneLake architecture, Direct Lake mode, and the question of when a Fabric setup is the right choice over classic Power BI Premium. License math in the Power BI license comparison.
Yes — that's by design. We deliver data models into your tenant, documented DAX logic in readable form, dashboards in your workspace. If you continue internally after the advisory or implement with another partner, the result is takeover-ready. No vendor lock-in through undocumented custom constructs.
Further reading
Six follow-up topics in the order in which they typically become relevant after the Power BI advisory.
Engineering overview of our Power BI service spectrum — data modeling, dashboard building, embedded integration, governance.
Pro, Premium per User, Premium Capacity, Fabric — five license models, transparent math, NCE and triennial mechanics.
DAX workshops, data modeling training, Power BI admin training. Online-live, on-site, on-demand. Role-specific curricula.
Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Power Pages — the Power Platform overview. When Power BI is only one building block.
Response in under 4 hours, established Microsoft escalation path. Pay-per-hour, Application Care, or Strategic Care for Power BI landscapes.
Calculate yourself what your Power BI licenses would cost with the right mix of Pro, Premium per User, and Capacity.
30 min · free · no obligation
Tell us about your data sources and your plan. We listen, classify, and give an honest assessment — whether Power BI fits you, which license class makes sense, and what a realistic investment range would be. If another product fits better, we say so.
