powerbi-report-planning

To create a Power BI report specification, you define the audience, scope, page plan, and delivery target. This planning process inspects the semantic model first, ensuring the locked spec matches available tables and measures before any dashboard authoring begins.

The best way to plan Power BI dashboard pages is through model-aware design. This approach inspects the semantic model to map available tables, measures, and relationships, then uses that structure to define the page architecture and interactivity for the report.

An approval workflow for Power BI report planning requires a locked report specification for sign-off before any authoring starts. After the spec is approved, the process continues through the build and validation phases to ensure alignment and reduce rework.

You do not need a PBIP project strictly for scoping, but having PBIP projects enables validated PBIR authoring during the implementation phase. The planning process works by inspecting the semantic model to define requirements before locking the report specification.

A Power BI report design contract should include accessibility-aware design rules, model-aware specifications matching the semantic model, and a defined page plan. Locking this contract before authoring ensures the final dashboard meets compliance and usability standards.

You should lock a Power BI report specification to prevent rework and misalignment. This approval-gated step ensures stakeholders sign off on the defined audience, scope, and page architecture before implementation sequencing and PBIR authoring begin.