Simpro reports using Power BI

[romdlv]

Has anyone in the Simpro community successfully implemented or even attempted to generate reports using Power BI.

We have tried to generate Power BI reports using the CSV files exported from Simpro, and it works however it is a manual process. What we are after is a connection from SimPro as a datasource for Power BI to report on realtime data.

Have contacted support and was advised about Simpro API's however no particular reference to integration with Power BI.

Any assistance is appreciated

[SyncEzy]

Hi romdlv,,
We have looked into this a couple of times for our clients, We can extract certain information from the API but a lot of the info that you'd need in a report especially for larger projects is dynamically calculated every time in simPRO or perhaps it isn't available directly in the API,
So you either have to build the entire simPRO Calculations again outside which is too labour intensive and is at a constant risk of getting obselete.

Wouldn't recommend this, Depending on what you need certain data can be extracted and kept updated in a secure SQL table outside which can then be connected through powerBI, say for example customer info / Site info / Asset info etc.

Jobs info to a certain extent as there are limits to what can be extracted esp or larger projects.

PM me if you need to chat about this.

[romdlv]

Hi SyncEzy,

It looks like it is almost impossible to get Power BI to connect to Simpro API.

I have tried several ways without any luck.

What we are trying to achieve is the ability to generate a report in realtime where Power BI connects to the backend API and report on simple things like:

1) ALL jobs
2) Completed jobs in the last week/month
3) Pending jobs
3) Technician hours week/month
4) Filtering per customer / project / status etc.

Whilst these can be generated within Simpro reporting, we need realtime and historical reporting including graphs. We normally have these types of reports within Power BI.

Thanks again for your assistance.

Regards,

romdlv

[marketing118]

Nice post!
Operational data is so powerful. Running business advisory with tools like Power BI,

[SyncEzy]

hi @Romdlv and marketing118

I have some good news to report, although it may not work for what you need directly.

https://syncezy.com/simpro-powerbi-integration

WE can now connect simPRO data to powerBI, The data is not live like actual data within simPRO. It's 24 hours delayed so can't be used for direct operational data yet.

THis is working off a nightly backup, but we are looking to topload and create a blend of this backup data and live Jobs and Quotes data to give a blended view for Operational reports.

Live (or 15 minute delayed ) data will be coming maybe in the next few months.

[gavinhodge]

Hi romdlv,

I work for Wink Reports, and we have a simPRO integration that works in real time where possible (where web hooks are available), and within the hour for everything else.

We have a tool where you can design your own Excel style reports, as well as graphs and charts. We're definitely not as powerful as Power BI, but might be good enough for what you need.

https://winkreports.com/connectors/simpro/

Gavin.

[SteveD]

I assume from the dates of the replies that connecting SimPro to Power BI via the API is still not viable?
I've been able to connect through Power Query and download some data but, here are my observations.
1. The amount of data that can be accessed is limited. I was unable to get past the limitation of 250 rows despite increasing the number of pages setting. and;
2. The columns in the API call may not be all that is required to build a report with.

I'd like to know if anyone has had any success with data retrieval using the API/Power Query route or is it easier to buy the BI Reporting add on and use SQL to get the required tables and data?

[craigm]

I realise this post is as old post now, but in case this is still relevant to anyone we have a simPRO Power BI connector that you can use to get your data into Power BI with no fuss so that you can easily report on it.

https://tuggerapp.com/SimproIntegration

[ishaD]

To create reports using Power BI from Simpro data, you'll need to follow these general steps:

Connect to Simpro Data: Power BI supports various data connection options. Depending on how your Simpro data is stored, you can connect directly to the Simpro database or extract data using APIs, CSV files, or other data transfer methods. You may need to consult Simpro's documentation or work with your IT department to understand the available data access methods.

Data Transformation: Once connected, you may need to perform data transformations to clean and shape the Simpro data for analysis. Power BI's Power Query Editor provides a user-friendly interface for performing these transformations. You can filter, sort, aggregate, and combine data from multiple tables to create a consolidated dataset for reporting.

Data Modeling: In Power BI, data modeling involves defining relationships between different tables in your dataset. Identify the key fields that link the Simpro data tables, such as customer IDs, job IDs, or transaction IDs, and establish the appropriate relationships. This step is important for creating accurate and meaningful reports.
https://www.sevenmentor.com/power-bi-tr ... n-pune.php