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InformSU is operated via Power BI and is where ITS is currently developing reports using the new data warehouse. InformSU SSRS houses the previous operational reports used by Seattle University. Both will coexist as we gather requirements to build/replace reports and train users. Some reports may always exist in InformSU SSRS due to the nature of their requirements, but InformSU offers new reporting capabilities, simple visualizations, custom dashboards, and further enhancements via Power BI.
There are a number of ways to access Power BI. You can go to app.powerbi.com and login to your account. Any reports that have been shared with you will be in the left hand section called “Shared with me”. You can also access Power BI from the Office 365 waffle icon. If you don’t see it in your frequently used apps section you can search for it in the top search bar.
The process to request access to Seattle U data will be similar to the current process. There are separate processes depending on what kind of reports you are requesting and each is outlined here.
If a staff member has left or needs specific permissions removed, please contact us at informsu@seattleu.edu.
IR and ITS will both be involved in the creation of official InformSU reports. If you have a question about an official InformSU report, please contact us at informsu@seattleu.edu and we will direct your question as necessary.
IR will continue to generate weekly and quarterly reporting on enrollment. All reports will be available in Power BI. Institutional Research will communicate to users prior to any changes in accessing or distributing these reports.
Yes, you can download the Power BI App for Android, iOS, or a Windows device and login to view your dashboards and reports. You can find links to each version here and a detailed tutorial for how to view and interact with your dashboards here.
The new InformSU reports and dashboards will be released in a phased rollout. To see the calendar of model rollouts please check the InformSU site. To see details on upcoming models and releases please check the Project Updates and Timeline portion of the website.
Answer: Yes, Microsoft has published a large repository of documentation about Power BI and its many functions. For a general overview of what Power BI is check out this document. They have also published a video series which is broken down into short 5 – 10 minute sections.
Answer: Please contact us at informsu@seattleu.edu to discuss any changes to the official published dashboards.
Answer: Please contact us at informsu@seattleu.ed and if able include screenshots to best describe your issue. We also have office hours and further in person training opportunities where you can ask questions and receive help. Check out our opportunities.
Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer 11, Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are all supported browsers for viewing the Power BI App.
Data is refreshed at least once a day although some reports may be refreshed more frequently if necessary.
The Power BI Service is the online version used for sharing and viewing reports. Report consumers will login at app.powerbi.com and open their Shared with me folder to view their reports. Power BI Desktop is the software report developers use to create the reports which are then published to the Power BI Service. The Power BI Desktop App is free to download in the Microsoft Download Center. Direct access to SU data sources via the Desktop App can be requested at informsu@seattleu.edu, requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Yes, you can export a report within the dashboard to Excel. In the top righthand corner of the report click the ellipses (…) and select export data. Any slicer selections you have made while viewing the report will be reflected in the excel file. You can choose to export as an .xlsx or .csv file.
Yes, you can favorite information across multiple workspaces to allow for easy access. See a detailed tutorial on how to add favorites here.
Yes, this feature will save you time as you can input the commonly used selections once and save as a bookmark for easy access later. From the report view click “Bookmarks” on the right side of the toolbar. A dropdown will appear and you can select “Add personal bookmark” to save the current slicer selections. If any Bookmarks were created by the author of the report they will show up in the Bookmarks pane to the right of the report. If you don’t see a Bookmarks pane you can enable it by selecting View and turning on the Bookmarks pane in the drop down.
Once a report has been shared with you it can be downloaded and edited using Power BI Desktop. Note: This does not update the official InformSU version and data is no longer certified by Information Technology Services/Institutional Research. Regular trainings will be offered to help users create custom measures, visualizations, and dashboards.
To share, click the “Share” button on the top right of the report and enter the email of the person you’d like to share with. You can also restrict the recipient from sharing the report themselves. If you are not the creator of the report or dashboard you may not have access to share the report as the original user may have limited your ability to share the content.
A report is a set of interactive visuals pulling information from a single dataset. Reports can be pinned to a dashboard to summarize data from multiple sources focused on a particular theme or question.
Power BI offers a number of visualizations ranging from tables to area charts to geographical maps. New visualizations are added regularly and the service also allows you to create custom visualizations. See a full list of Power BI visualizations.
Yes, you can print an entire dashboard, dashboard tile, or report page. See here for step by step instructions.