Connecting GP to Power BI with OData
Microsoft is making significant investments in its Power BI analytics suite. The free tier of Power BI can be used to connect and analyze information from Dynamics GP via OData. The full range of Power BI functionality is well beyond the scope of this book, but in this recipe we'll see how to make a connection.
Getting ready
Prior to connecting GP to Power BI, a Power BI account needs to be set up. Power BI offers a free tier that can be used for this connection. A Microsoft account is required, but it doesn't have to be a business or an Office 365 account. A personal account also works.
Currently, the option to connect via OData is only available to set up using Power BI Desktop, not Power BI on the web. Power BI Desktop can be downloaded and installed from PowerBI.Microsoft.com. Once visualizations have been built using Power BI Desktop, they can be uploaded to Power BI on the Web. Data can be viewed and updated using Power BI on the Web, but...