Discover a new realm of ServiceNow learning possibilities with the Power BI Connector. This innovative plugin effortlessly integrates Power BI with your ServiceNow instance, revolutionizing data analysis and visualization like never before.

As you explore this cutting-edge technology, you might have questions, and that’s perfectly normal. To ensure a smooth experience, we’ve prepared an all-inclusive FAQ guide about ServiceNow Power BI integration.

Installation

Installation of the Power BI Connector for ServiceNow is essential to ensure proper connection between Power BI and ServiceNow instances. It enables easy ServiceNow data export for analysis and visualization, enabling users to access necessary ServiceNow data for reporting and decision-making.

Who can install the plugin?

Anyone with administrative HI credentials in ServiceNow can install the Power BI Connector plugin for ServiceNow. Once the plugin is installed, the ServiceNow administrator can assign roles and permissions to other users who need to use the plugin.

Does Power BI Connector for ServiceNow collect, store, or share customer data?

The Power BI Connector for ServiceNow does not collect, store, or share customer data. Instead, all data is stored on the customer’s ServiceNow instance.

Administration

This section covers key queries about administering the Power BI Connector for ServiceNow effectively, including configuring user permissions, scheduling data refreshes, troubleshooting issues, and monitoring system performance.

The plugin is only visible to administrators. It allows the administrator to control access to the plugin and limit it to only those users who require it to perform their job duties.

The Power BI Connector for ServiceNow has three user roles: PBI ADMIN, PBI EDITOR, and PBI VIEWER. Each role has specific permissions to access data sources and ServiceNow tables based on the user’s permissions granted by the ServiceNow System Administrator.

User

This section provides answers on using the Power BI Connector to access and analyze data from your ServiceNow instance in Power BI.

What does data source mean? How many data sources can I create? Should I make many?

A data source refers to a customized data set consisting of specific tables and fields a user wants to export from ServiceNow to Power BI. It is the set of data the user selects for exporting to Power BI and may vary depending on the specific exporting requirements and the data needed to build a report in Power BI.

There is no limit to the number of data sources you can create using the Power BI Connector for ServiceNow.

What data can I export from ServiceNow?

The Power BI Connector for ServiceNow allows users to export various data from their ServiceNow instance. It includes incident records, problem records, change documents, knowledge base articles, configuration items, service catalog items, user records, group records, role records, task records, and SLA records.

The Power BI Connector for ServiceNow allows users to export data without API limitations. Users can export any tables and fields, including custom tables.

It is not necessary to export everything from your ServiceNow instance. Instead, it is advised to filter the data, select the relevant table and fields and only export the specific information required for reporting and analysis.

The Power BI Connector for ServiceNow lets you connect and export data from multiple tables. If you need to obtain data about something not present in the table, you can check other tables in your ServiceNow instance that may contain the necessary information.

Use a dot-walking mechanism to export Reference type data, recover data from related tables in ServiceNow, and export it to Power BI for reporting and analysis.

You can filter data before exporting it to Power BI using the Power BI Connector for ServiceNow. The connector offers advanced filtering options to manage ServiceNow data selection and export only the relevant information. It can help manage large amounts of data and ensure that only relevant data is exported to Power BI.

The Power BI Connector for ServiceNow can export only the changes in the ServiceNow instance upon each refresh. It is achieved through an incremental refresh, which allows the connector to track changes made in the ServiceNow instance since the last refresh and only export the new or updated data.

To connect tables in Power BI Desktop, use the “Manage Relationships” option in the “Modeling” tab. It allows you to define relationships between tables based on common fields manually. Power BI can automatically detect and create relationships based on column names and data types.

You can refresh your data source in Power BI as often as needed and you can refresh data automatically.

Exporting data with Power BI Connector for ServiceNow does not have any performance impact on the ServiceNow instance.

Support

Power BI Connector for ServiceNow vendor support consists of providing help and guidance to users who encounter issues or have questions about the connector’s functionality. It may include troubleshooting issues, answering technical questions, and providing general assistance to ensure users can use the app to its fullest potential.

You can contact the Alpha Serve support team if you encounter problems using the Power BI Connector for ServiceNow. Alpha Serve team will provide guidance and assistance to resolve your issues. The initial response time frames vary based on the issue’s priority, with high-priority issues receiving a response within 48 hours, medium-priority within 72 hours, and low-priority within 5 working days.

You can get the support team through different means, such as email, phone or create a support request. It’s a free option.

Price

Power BI Connector for ServiceNow can only be purchased through ServiceNow Store. You can pay for the Power BI Connector for the ServiceNow app using a credit card or an invoice. For credit card payments, the credit card you provide for billing purposes will be billed monthly during the subscription term of the app and on any subsequent automatic renewal subscription terms. For invoice payments, all payments shall be due net thirty (30) days from the date of ServiceNow’s invoice, and payments shall be invoiced and made in the currency provided in the invoice.

The monthly subscription fee for Power BI Connector for ServiceNow is $1900 USD per month per instance. The app is purchased for a minimum period of twelve (12) months, discounts for longer-term contracts (24, 36 months) are available. Contact us to request more information.

Discounts may be available for some instances, such as volume purchases or multi-year contracts. We also provide special pricing conditions to ServiceNow partners. Please get in touch with the Alpha Serve support team for more information on available discounts.

Conclusion

The Power BI Connector for ServiceNow is a powerful tool that allows businesses to leverage the strength of both Power BI and ServiceNow, providing enhanced data analysis and visualization capabilities.