{"id":11279,"date":"2022-06-09T07:21:43","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T05:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alistar.net\/referentie\/power-bi-data-model-centraliseert-bedrijfsinzichten-bij-vervaeke\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T17:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T15:26:09","slug":"power-bi-data-model-centralizes-business-insights-at-vervaeke","status":"publish","type":"referentie","link":"https:\/\/alistar.net\/en\/referentie\/vervaeke\/","title":{"rendered":"Power BI data model centralizes business insights at Vervaeke"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good data model<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seven years ago, it began Vervaeke <\/a>They\u2019re in the process of connecting their ERP system to Power BI, and in the meantime, their CRM system has also been integrated. CEO Kristof Blockeel had a clear vision when he started this project: \u201cYour Power BI data model is crucial. You need to think very carefully about what you want to achieve, which data you want to connect, and where you\u2019ll bring it all together. Right from the start of our ERP project, I was already thinking about our primary keys. It\u2019s important to define these keys in advance, not after the fact. For us, this long-term thinking is the foundation of the success of Power BI<\/a> \u201dOur data model has always been the foundation of everything.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite his vision and interest in technology, Kristof was glad to have Alistar\u2019s help in setting up Power BI. \u201cPersonally, I found the setup quite complex, especially when you want to merge two data sources. So we were very happy with the Alistar's expertise<\/a>. \u201dThey got the ball rolling, and now we can build on that ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With Power BI, you can see data from various sources at a glance\u2014data that you wouldn't otherwise be able to easily combine<\/p>\nKristof Blockeel \u2013 CEO of Vervaeke<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Various data sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m especially excited about Power BI because it lets you bring together data from all your different systems,\u201d says Kristof. Vervaeke uses an Access database that tracks hours worked at the factory. They do this using a handheld scanner to scan barcodes that come from Dynamics 365 Business Central<\/a> (formerly NAV) and form the primary keys. This allows employees to specify which machine they are working on and for which product. The BI reports provide insight into how long work has been done on each product and the profit margins associated with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour Power BI data model is the foundation of everything\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The technicians' time is tracked in our Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so they know exactly how long it takes to complete a particular project. There is also a BI report that shows whether there was a margin on the installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor our finance department, we use standard reports set up by Alistar that are populated with data (such as profit margins, etc.) from Dynamics 365 Business Central. This way, we always have a clear overview of the financial status of the companies within our group, anytime, anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the future, Kristof would like to create cash flow reports in Power BI. \u201cWe\u2019d like to know which payments are still pending and what we\u2019ll still need to pay to suppliers. This is very important information for our company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Data available throughout the company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently, about half of the employees have access to the BI reports, but Vervaeke definitely intends to expand this further and involve the entire company. \u201cThat\u2019s precisely the strength of Power BI: bringing together data from ERP, CRM, Access, etc., so that the entire company can use it. From sales managers to production staff, the CEO, and technicians, everyone needs to be able to view and analyze the data in detail so they can then draw smart conclusions from it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From sales managers to production staff, the CEO, and technicians\u2014everyone has to work together<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Gut feeling or Power BI data model?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Running a business based on gut instinct or on data\u2014it\u2019s a debate that often strikes a nerve in the business world. Kristof explains his perspective: \u201cWe\u2019ve already made important decisions based purely on data. For example, we saw that the main system we produced had a margin that was far too low, and was therefore unprofitable. This was a major wake-up call, but we acted on it quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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