# Power BI on PANTHEON: RAW data, database queries or a data warehouse?

> Three ways for Power BI to get data from PANTHEON: RAW data, direct database queries or a data warehouse. When each pays off and who builds the reports.

**Short answer:** Power BI can get data from PANTHEON in three ways: as RAW data, through direct database queries, or through a data warehouse (DWH). For a few simple reports queries are enough. When data comes from several sources or you need one reliable base, we recommend a DWH. You can build the reports yourselves or leave it to us.

## Three ways to access the data

| Way | What it is | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| **RAW data** | data from the PANTHEON database, as it is, according to your request | when your team knows what it wants and shapes the reports itself |
| **Direct database queries** | queries prepared for what the report needs | when there are few reports and they come only from PANTHEON |
| **Data warehouse** | a separate database that combines PANTHEON and other sources | when data comes from several sources or one accurate base is needed |

## When you need a data warehouse

- data comes from several sources (ERP, webshop, external tools, Excel spreadsheets by department),
- nobody knows any more which version of a number is the “right” one,
- the sales-by-region report takes days,
- management wants to follow key indicators every day, not once a month.

If you have a specification, we build the DWH to it. If you do not, we use our experience to help you decide which data and indicators you need and how to arrange them in a model. More on the [Building a data warehouse](https://www.pantheon.hr/en/services/data-warehouse/) page.

## Who builds the reports

You can build reports yourselves, on the data we have prepared. You can also leave it to us: we build Power BI reports and dashboards, for example for management, sales, purchasing and finance, and maintain them later as your needs change. More on the [Power BI and PANTHEON](https://www.pantheon.hr/en/integrations/power-bi/) page.

## What you need

- PANTHEON with access to the database,
- Microsoft Power BI licenses for users who share reports (we recommend a licensing model based on the number of users),
- Datalab's Connector license for automatic access to the PANTHEON database.

An overview of the whole topic: [Data warehouse and Power BI](https://www.pantheon.hr/en/data-warehouse-power-bi/).

Published: 2026-09-28

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Source: https://www.pantheon.hr/en/news/power-bi-nad-pantheonom/
Ars Pantheon — Datalab Premium Partner for PANTHEON ERP in Croatia