Mastering the BI Mullet Part 1: Concepts & Strategy

The Challenge: Your organization has big data dreams but limited data staff. Report requests are piling up, and your small team can't possibly build everything users need—but you also can't let BI turn into the Wild West.

The Solution: A BI Mullet.

Microsoft calls it "Managed self-service BI"—discipline at the core and flexibility at the edge. This hybrid approach empowers end users to create their own reports using centrally maintained systems, so your data team can focus on the foundational work that matters most.

But here's the catch: with the wrong systems (or no systems at all), your BI Mullet gets messy fast. This first half of the session establishes the conceptual foundation for growing your BI Mullet with confidence.

You'll learn:
-The key principles of Managed self-service BI and why traditional approaches fail in resource-constrained environments

-How to identify what belongs "at the core" (centralized discipline) vs. "at the edge" (flexible self-service) in your organization

-Strategic architecture decisions that enable scalable self-service without sacrificing governance

-How Power BI semantic models, Purview, and Power Automate work together to create a sustainable BI ecosystem

1. Identify which aspects of your BI strategy need centralized control vs. where to enable flexible self-service 2. Design architecture that scales self-service reporting without overwhelming your small data team or sacrificing governance 3. Learn how Power BI, Purview, and Power Automate can work together to support a sustainable, manageable BI ecosystem