Ian Proffer has worked with MEDITECH Data Repository since 2000. He recalls when SQL Server Reporting Services first shipped with SQL Server 2000, providing hospitals without significant software budgets an affordable way to share data repository information across intranets rather than through email spreadsheets or physical printouts.

Over two decades later, while SSRS remains widely deployed, Microsoft Power BI applications are gaining popularity. Acmeware contends that Microsoft Power BI is the best reporting platform to use with MEDITECH Data Repository. This article examines three comparison areas: report design tools, report management, and end-user presentation, focusing on the first two in this installment.

Report Design Tool

Microsoft Power BI Desktop provides an intuitive starting point for building visualizations, reports, and dashboards using familiar drag-and-drop conventions on a blank canvas. It is dramatically different from designing SSRS reports with Report Builder or SQL Server Data Tools.

Power BI Desktop integrates data modeling and ELT capabilities. Data sources leverage Microsoft Power Query connectors supporting numerous systems: databases, cloud applications, and dozens of other platforms. Users can manipulate data before incorporating it into reports by removing duplicates, modifying data types, and adding custom columns.

The design experience provides instant visual feedback; changes to fonts, filters, or fields appear immediately in the design space, enabling faster iteration compared to SSRS's preview workflow.

Report Sharing and Management

Both platforms publish reports online and organize them hierarchically. SSRS uses folder structures while Power BI uses workspaces. SSRS publishes to intranet web portals; Power BI publishes to the Power BI service, hosted by Azure as part of Microsoft 365 packages.

Security management differs slightly: SSRS integrates Active Directory groups and users, while Power BI relies on Microsoft 365 groups. Both offer comparable permission levels, from view-only access to full administrative control.

While capabilities align, Power BI's interface reflects modern cloud-first design principles with fewer clicks and a cleaner experience compared to SSRS's 15-20 year old web application design patterns.

Summary

Acmeware and its clients are transitioning from SQL Server Reporting Services to Power BI. The report design tools and online manageability demonstrate advantages supporting this shift. Read Part 2 for a comparison of user experience. Read more of our Power BI Advisor blogs.