Developers often create excellent reports, only to be asked for data exports to Excel.

Ultimately, users want only one thing: easy access to data that helps them do their job. While Power BI reports and dashboards are powerful, they can't answer every question. Users may need to create their own reports, build Excel pivots, or extract data for other processes.
These needs must be met securely and consistently, avoiding governance bypass, duplicated calculations, or compromised security.

Enter the Semantic Layer.
The semantic layer connects Power BI and Microsoft Fabric back-end systems to end users, offering secure, governed, and user-friendly data access. Certified semantic models means that the content meets the organisation's quality standards and can be regarded as reliable, authoritative, and ready for use across the organisation.

This session will cover:

1. What is a Semantic Model?
Define the semantic layer, its components, and its role in self-service BI.

2. The Certification Process
Explore the structured, repeatable steps required to certify semantic models. This introduces the certification process map and checklist - a list of best practices a model requires to pass to be certified.

3. Deep dive into the Certification Checklist
Learn some common best practices, optimization tips, security considerations, and practical advice for building robust semantic models.

Who Should Attend?

This session is for Data Analysts, Data Engineers, and BI Developers aiming to upgrade models to meet enterprise business and self service needs.

Led by Steve Campbell, a Microsoft MVP and co-owner of a Microsoft data consultancy. Steve previously led data analytics for large-scale EMEA platform implementations.

Key Takeaways
- Understand the Role of Semantic Models.
- Learn the Certification Process and a repeatable framework for ensuring your models meet organisational standards.
- Take away practical tips for optimisation, security, and best practices.