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Integration · Analytics
Power BI on ERP data, without slowing the ERP down
Power BI is a natural choice for management reporting, especially when data from several systems must be combined. The common mistake is pointing it directly at the production ERP database and building reports on raw tables.
Overview
What this integration is for
We build a reporting layer — views or a warehouse — with agreed definitions, then a Power BI model on top that refreshes reliably and respects access rights.
01Data
What data syncs, and in which direction
| Entity | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sales & orders | ERP → App | Fact tables by date, customer, product and channel. |
| Inventory | ERP → App | Stock snapshots and movements. |
| Finance | ERP → App | GL balances, budgets and analytic data. |
| Operations | ERP → App | Production, delivery and service KPIs. |
| Master data | ERP → App | Dimensions for products, customers, sites. |
02Use cases
Common use cases
01
Board reporting
Monthly financial and operational packs.
02
Cross-system analysis
ERP combined with CRM, marketing or web data.
03
Operational dashboards
Sales, stock and service KPIs by team.
03 — Architecture
API architecture
Data flows from the ERP to reporting views on a read replica, or to a warehouse via scheduled extraction. Power BI imports from that layer with incremental refresh, avoiding load on production.
For on-premise sources, the on-premises data gateway connects securely; cloud sources connect directly.
04Reliability
Authentication, errors and retries
01
Authentication
Dedicated read-only database user or service principal; Power BI workspace access managed through Entra ID groups.
02
Error handling
Refresh failures alert the data owner; extraction jobs log row counts and errors.
03
Retry strategy
Scheduled refreshes retry automatically; extraction jobs are idempotent by date range.
05 — Data mapping
Field mapping essentials
| Power BI | ERP |
|---|---|
| ERP sales lines | FactSales |
| ERP stock moves | FactInventory |
| ERP partners | DimCustomer |
| ERP products | DimProduct |
| ERP analytic accounts | DimCostCentre |
06 — Automation
Automation opportunities
- Nightly incremental refresh of reporting data
- Scheduled email subscriptions for management packs
- Alerts when KPIs cross thresholds
- Automatic row-level security by user region or company
07 — Security
Security considerations
Read-only access, row-level security in Power BI, and no direct write access to the ERP.
Related
Where this integration fits
Other integrations
Often connected together
Microsoft 365Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Entra ID connected to ERP via Microsoft Graph.SalesforceAccounts, opportunities, quotes, orders and invoice status between Salesforce and your ERP.QuickBooksQuickBooks Online integration for transitions, subsidiaries or migration of accounting data.Custom APIConnect any system with an API, database, file feed or EDI — built with production-grade reliability.
Insights
Related reading
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can Power BI connect directly to the ERP database?
Technically yes, but we recommend a reporting layer to protect performance and keep definitions consistent.
How often does data refresh?
Typically daily or several times a day, depending on licence and need.
Can managers see only their region?
Yes, through row-level security.
Next step
Connecting Power BI to your ERP?
Tell us what you want to automate. We will design a reliable integration with monitoring built in.