'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
How to Visualize Microsoft Project 2016 Data in Power BI
Question details
The user needs to create an interactive Power BI dashboard using schedule data from a Microsoft Project 2016 desktop file, allowing stakeholders to view the schedule without needing MS Project installed.
- Product
- Microsoft Project 2016 / Power BI
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Sharing complex project schedules (up to outline level 6) with team members interactively via Power BI dashboards.
- Observed behavior
- Power BI lacks a native direct connector for local Microsoft Project (.mpp) desktop files, requiring a workaround to bridge the data.
Ensure you have Microsoft Project 2016 installed to access your .mpp file and a working Power BI Desktop environment. If you plan to use the spreadsheet workaround, have a spreadsheet application ready to format your exported data.
Export Microsoft Project Data to a Spreadsheet
Since Power BI cannot directly read local .mpp files, exporting your project schedule to an Excel format (.xlsx) acts as the perfect bridge.
This method involves saving your project schedule as a spreadsheet file. By utilizing the export wizard in MS Project, you can ensure that important hierarchical details, like outline level 6 tasks, are preserved as tabular data.
Launch Microsoft Project 2016 and open the schedule you want to visualize.
Navigate to File > Export > Save Project as File. Select 'Microsoft Excel Workbook' and click 'Save As'.
Follow the Export Wizard prompts to map your project data (tasks, resources, and assignments) to spreadsheet columns. Ensure you include the 'Outline Level' field.
Open Power BI Desktop, click 'Get Data' from the Home ribbon, choose 'Excel Workbook', and select your newly saved file to load and build your visualizations.
Connect via Project Online
If your organization uses Project Online, Power BI has a native connector to pull data directly from the cloud without manual exports.
Seamlessly Manage Exported Project Data with WPS Spreadsheet
Because Power BI requires an intermediate spreadsheet file for local MS Project data, WPS Office serves as a lightweight, highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Excel. You can cleanly format, adjust, and prepare your project schedules in WPS Spreadsheet before seamlessly importing them into Power BI.
- 1. Open Exported Data: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the .xlsx file you exported from Microsoft Project.
- 2. Format Data: Clean up blank columns, adjust date formats, or add calculated columns to prepare the project schedule for optimal visualization.
- 3. Save and Import: Save the changes to the workbook and connect to it directly via Power BI Desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't Power BI have a direct Microsoft Project connector?
Power BI natively connects to enterprise data sources like Project Online and Project Server via OData feeds. It does not support parsing local .mpp desktop files directly due to their proprietary file structure.
Will exporting to a spreadsheet preserve my project's outline levels?
Yes. When using the Export Wizard in MS Project, you can map specific 'Outline Level' fields to your spreadsheet columns, allowing Power BI to recreate your exact project hierarchy.
Can I automate the Excel export process from MS Project?
Native automation for desktop files requires writing VBA macros within MS Project to automatically save the schedule data to a spreadsheet, which Power BI can then refresh from a designated folder.
Do viewers need MS Project to view the Power BI dashboard?
No. Once your data is transformed and published to a Power BI dashboard, stakeholders only need access to Power BI (web or desktop) to interact with the schedule visualizations.
