Data Modeling vs DAX in Power BI: Solving Problems the Right Way (with Markus Ehrenmuller-Jensen)

LIVESTREAM DATE/TIME 📅

February 6th 2026 - 9:30AM (Pacific Time)

DESCRIPTION 📄

When should you solve a problem in the data model, and when should you solve it with DAX?

In this livestream, Markus Ehrenmuller-Jensen will walk through practical scenarios where you can take either route: modeling changes, DAX measures, or even report-level settings. Instead of “it depends,” you’ll see how to choose a clear, maintainable approach.

In this session, we discuss:

• How a solid data model can simplify or eliminate complex DAX

• When it actually makes sense to push logic into DAX instead of the model

• Typical patterns: role-playing dimensions, cascading filters, synced slicers, and more - Trade-offs around performance, maintainability, and usability

• How to think about long-term governance when mixing modeling and DAX solutions

Whether you’re a Power BI developer who loves writing measures or a data model purist, this session will help you decide where each piece of logic really belongs.

GUEST BIO 👤

​Markus Ehrenmuller-Jensen is the founder of Savory Data, with a career spanning project leadership, data engineering, and business intelligence architecture since 1994. He holds degrees in software engineering and business education and serves as a professor of databases and project engineering at HTL Leonding, a technical college. He is also certified in PL-300 (Power BI Data Analyst), DP-203 (Azure Data Engineer Associate Certification), DP-600 (Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate), and DP-700 (Fabric Data Engineer Associate).

Markus actively contributes to the global data community, speaking regularly at international conferences such as SQL Bits in London, Power BI Next Step in Copenhagen, Data Saturdays throughout Europe, and SQL Days. He co-founded SQL PASS Austria in 2013 and the Power Platform User Group Austria in 2016; both organizations merged in 2021 to form Data Community Austria. Since 2014, he has organized Data Community Austria Day in Vienna, fostering knowledge sharing among data professionals. In recognition of his technical leadership and community involvement, Markus has been honored as a Microsoft Data Platform Most Valuable Professional (MVP) since 2017.​

In addition to his speaking engagements, Markus contributes articles to reputable journals and has authored the book "Data Modeling with Microsoft Power BI," published in June 2024.

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Introduction to Power BI Deployment Pipelines!

Video by: Reid Havens

Learn about the basic benefits of utilizing Deployment Pipelines in Microsoft Fabric / Power BI, saving you time, effort, and reducing complexity for report/model management. Tune in to learn more!

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(Livestream Replay) AI Assistant for Tabular Editor - Andrzej Leszkiewicz

DESCRIPTION 📄

Discover how to enhance your Power BI workflow with Tabular Editor and the OpenAI API. This presentation demonstrates how, with a few simple C# scripts, you can directly access the OpenAI API from Tabular Editor to create a custom AI assistant with full access to your Power BI report’s data model—including tables, columns, relationships, measures, calculation groups, and more. Use this assistant to comment on DAX code, generate model documentation, write measures, and more, harnessing the full power of the latest OpenAI models—all without the need for Power BI Premium or Fabric capacity. An OpenAI API subscription is required, and Tabular Editor 3 is necessary.

GUEST BIO (Andrzej Leszkiewicz) 👤

Andrzej is a Power BI and data visualization developer and consultant, data explorer, explainer, and visualizer. He creates highly customized, interactive visualizations using the Vega visualization grammar and Deneb. Andrzej has introduced IBCS-styled data visualizations, embedded into Power BI's built-in Table, Matrix, and Card visuals. An IBCS® Certified Analyst, he is a passionate advocate of IBCS standards. With a background as an IT project manager and CIO in non-IT companies, Andrzej has been a full-time independent freelance Excel and VBA developer and consultant since 2011, focusing entirely on Power BI and data visualization since 2020. Through his YouTube channel, LinkedIn, and other social media, Andrzej shares his knowledge and passion for data visualization and related topics.

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(Livestream Replay) The Cost of a Workaround in Power BI - with Injae Park

DESCRIPTION 📄

From using SVGs or DENEB to create unique visuals, to page level security with RLS - workarounds are often necessary to overcome limitations and achieve desired functionalities in Power BI. However, these workarounds come with their own set of costs and considerations. This session discusses the key factors to help developers evaluate workarounds in Power BI, ensuring that the benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks.

To do this, we will explore some real-life workarounds in Power BI such as code-based Custom Visuals (DENEB, SVGs, HTML, Python), Page level security, and storing a custom PowerQuery library in Github. We will also dive into the trade-offs involved, including maintainability, impact on development, and technical debt.

GUEST BIO 👤

Injae Park is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP who combines his technical expertise with a passion for teaching by sharing his insights and practical tips through his YouTube channel @PowerBIPark. Injae's content ranges from beginner tutorials to advanced techniques, and as part of the Power BI Core Visual Representatives - he aims to bridge the MS Developer team with the Power BI community. His education in psychology and economics as well as his experience in consulting gives him a well-rounded perspective on the Power BI Developer experience, making his tutorials both engaging and accessible.

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