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Power BI Connector


Establishing a connection with Power BI

The buildagil Power BI Connector is required to connect to Power BI. This allows project data to be evaluated and visualized directly in Power BI.


Download Power BI Connector


The file "buildagil PowerBI Connector.mez" must be copied to the following directory: Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors. If the folder does not exist, it can be created manually.



Then start Power BI Desktop. Power BI Desktop can be downloaded via the following link: ( Download Power BI Desktop)


Open the options in the menu under "File" and "Options and settings".



In the "Security" division, the following option must be activated: "Load all extensions without checking or warning". Then close Power BI Desktop and restart it.



Click on "Retrieve data" on the start screen.



Enter "buildagil" in the search field and select "Connect".



Enter and confirm the following URL: https://api.buildagil.com/bcf/3.0/projects



When connecting for the first time, click on "Sign in" and log in with the corresponding Microsoft account.



Importing data into Power BI

The following section describes how data from buildagil can be queried and displayed in Power BI. The API interface of buildagil is used for the import. As an example, the data of all tasks of a project are queried. The link for the "GET request" to "Topics" from the API documentation is used for this: https://app.swaggerhub.com/apis-docs/buildagil/openCDE-API/1.0



The project ID required for the query can be copied from the URL of the respective project.



The complete URL including the project ID is then inserted in the "Power Query Editor".



The retrieved data can now be converted into a table.



The desired columns are selected to limit the display to relevant information.



The data of all tasks in the selected project are displayed in the table and can be edited further.



Imported data can be updated with the latest data from buildagil at any time. Transformations and rules that have been carried out are automatically applied to new or changed data. The update is carried out via "Update preview".



Further information on editing, rule definition and visualization of data is provided in the Power BI documentation: If you have any questions on the topic of Power BI, please contact buildagil support.


Microsoft PowerBI documentation: Https://learn.microsoft.com/de-ch/power-bi/


Power BI, data import, API, tasks, project analysis

Use of Power BI templates

Predefined dashboard templates are available to make it easier to get started with Power BI. These serve as a structured starting aid and enable quick orientation when setting up your own evaluations. The templates can be downloaded via the following links:


The company overview loads all tasks & topics as well as the associated collaborations of a specified company: PowerBI template company overview

The multi-project overview loads all tasks & topics as well as the respective persons responsible from all of the user's projects: PowerBI template multi-project overview

The project overview loads all tasks & topics as well as the collaborators involved in an individual project: PowerBI template project overview


These templates provide a basis for individual dashboards. Individual dashboards cannot be supported by Support. In this case, the involvement of a Power BI specialist is recommended.


In order for the tasks to be loaded completely, it must be ensured that the user with whom the template is opened has Admin rights in all relevant projects.

If the Connection with the buildagil PowerBI Connector has been set up, the template only needs to be opened. The data is then automatically loaded into the dashboard based on the user's view rights.


Power BI, dashboard templates, buildagil connector, project overview, multi-project overview, company overview, admin rights

Approval and embedding of Power BI evaluations

Power BI evaluations can be embedded in buildagil to make project key figures directly visible in context. Approval is granted via Power BI Desktop and enables relevant data to be displayed centrally.


Access to published Power BI dashboards is only granted to people in the same tenant. External people can only access it after their account has been added as a guest in the tenant. For more information, see the following Microsoft Power BI documentation: Sharing Power BI dashboards and reports


In Power BI Desktop, click on "Start" and then on "Publish".



Open the published report in the Power BI service. Under "File" click on "Embed report" and then "Website or portal".



Copy the first link and then open buildagil.



In the Project settings paste the copied link in the navigation as a new entry.



Example of embedded project evaluation:



Power BI, embedding, approval, project settings, dashboard, evaluation

Set up a scheduled update

To ensure that Power BI reports display up-to-date data, they can be automatically synchronized with the data sources at regular intervals. For information on setting up a scheduled refresh for a Power BI dashboard, see the following article: Power BI Setting up a scheduled update.


Power BI examples

Project overview

In the following example, the data of all tasks and users of a project were used to create a comprehensive representation of the project's progress. This presentation is structured according to the companies involved in order to provide a clear overview.



By clicking on or applying filters to a specific company, the detailed information on the company's open and completed tasks is displayed in this scenario.



As an additional example to the previous one, the tasks are listed by user and filtered by company on the following page.



Company overview

In the following example, the data of all projects of a company were merged and filtered according to the company's own employees in order to obtain an overview of the current tasks of the employees.



In addition, a page has been created showing the progress of the company's individual projects.



Power BI interface, data evaluation, tables, project progress,

Troubleshooting


If the following troubleshooting does not lead to success, you are welcome to contact support.


If the Custom Connector does not appear in the selection of data sources, the following procedure may help.

The connector should be saved in the following directory:


C:\Users\username\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors\buildagil PowerBI Connector.mez


The file must be recognized as a CET file type.


If the connector is not found, these alternative paths can also be tried:


C:\Users\username\OneDrive\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors


C:\Users\username\OneDrive - XXXX\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors


In some cases, the folder name "Power BI Desktop" can also be "Microsoft Power BI Desktop".

Updated on: 17/07/2025