How to Connect Microsoft Project 2019 Reporting Data to Power BI
Question details
Users need to import a Microsoft Project 2019 desktop reporting cube or build a Power BI model from Project data.
- Product
- Microsoft Project 2019 / Power BI
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Importing reporting data and establishing a reliable data model between Microsoft Project 2019 and Power BI.
- Observed behavior
- The transformation process can become complex without a proper data model, making it difficult to visualize Project reporting data in Power BI.
Ensure you have Power BI Desktop installed and verify whether your Microsoft Project 2019 data is hosted locally, on Project Server, or Project Online, as this determines the correct data connector.
Connect to Project Data via Power BI Desktop
Use the built-in data connectors in Power BI Desktop to import and transform your Microsoft Project reporting data.
Connecting directly through Power BI Desktop is the most effective way to build a robust data model. By using the OData feed or SQL Server database connector, you can pull tasks, resources, and assignment tables to create a comprehensive reporting dashboard.
Launch Power BI Desktop, navigate to the Home ribbon, and click on 'Get Data'.
If using Project Online, select 'OData feed'. If using a local Project Server, select 'SQL Server database'.
Input the URL or database credentials for your Microsoft Project 2019 reporting cube or server.
Click 'Transform Data' to open Power Query, where you can clean your data and define relationships before loading it into your Power BI model.
Perform Pre-Migration Planning and Data Modeling
Follow Microsoft's Power BI migration guidance to ensure complex Project data is structured correctly before import.
Enhance Your Data Analysis with WPS Office
While Power BI handles complex business intelligence models, you may often need to export Project data to spreadsheets for quick analysis. WPS Spreadsheet is a highly efficient, lightweight, and free alternative to Microsoft Excel that seamlessly integrates into your data reporting workflow.
- 1. Export Project Data: Save your Microsoft Project 2019 data as an Excel workbook or CSV file.
- 2. Open in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your exported data file to begin analysis.
- 3. Create Reports: Use WPS Spreadsheet's built-in PivotTables and advanced charting tools to quickly summarize and visualize your project metrics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect Power BI directly to a local .mpp file?
Power BI Desktop does not have a direct connector for standalone .mpp files. To analyze local file data, you must first export the Project data to Excel, CSV, or XML, and then import that exported file into Power BI.
Where can I find pre-built Power BI templates for Microsoft Project?
Microsoft provides downloadable Power BI Template Apps specifically designed for Project Online and Project for the web. You can find these templates in the Microsoft AppSource store or through the official Microsoft documentation.
Why is my Project data loading slowly in Power BI?
Slow loading times are often caused by importing unoptimized data models or excessively large timephased data tables. Use Power Query to filter rows, remove unnecessary columns, and aggregate data before loading it into the Power BI engine.
