On the surface, creating a single Power BI dashboard for all users sounds efficient. After all, why manage multiple dashboards when you can build one master file? But in practice, this one-size-fits-all approach is one of the most common – and costly – mistakes teams make when implementing Power BI.

Different users engage with dashboards in very different ways. Executives might only want to see high-level KPIs and trends. In contrast, analysts often need access to raw data, comparatives, and granular filters. When you try to cram all that into one view, the result is a dashboard that’s either too dense to navigate or too vague to be useful. Neither outcome supports informed decision-making.

Common issues with one-size Power BI dashboards

• Information overload: Trying to meet all needs in one dashboard leads to cluttered screens and too many filters.
• Lack of context: Metrics shown without relevant explanation or framing lose credibility and clarity.
• Confusing navigation: Without a clear flow, users waste time finding what matters to them – or give up altogether.
• Underutilization: Investors in custom Power BI dashboards are often frustrated to see minimal adoption across teams.

In teams where do-it-yourself (DIY) dashboarding is encouraged, the problem can worsen. Despite good intentions, users may rely on default dashboards that don’t serve their unique priorities. This can lead to misinterpretation, fragmented reporting, and missed opportunities for insights-driven action.

Instead of pushing a single dashboard to all stakeholders, it’s better to invest in a layered approach – using role-based dashboards, views, and filters tailored to each group’s specific needs. Doing so doesn’t mean creating dozens of copies; in Power BI, it means using smart design practices and features like row-level security, bookmarks, and role-based filters to control visibility without duplicating data sources.

That’s where support from experienced consumer insights professionals can be a game changer. Experts, like those in SIVO’s On Demand Talent network, can help guide your team through structuring dashboards the right way – translating research into role-based visuals and avoiding analysis paralysis.

Ultimately, Power BI should empower your team – not overwhelm it. Designing stakeholder-specific dashboard layers is step one to making that happen.

Once you accept that a single dashboard won’t work for all users, the next challenge becomes designing Power BI views that deliver the right data to the right people, in the right format. This is where role-based dashboard design comes in – a method of tailoring BI views by aligning them with specific stakeholder responsibilities and decision points.

Effective stakeholder dashboards aren’t just about visual preferences – they reflect distinct priorities:

Executive Dashboards

Executives typically want big-picture clarity – not every data detail. A well-crafted executive dashboard in Power BI should surface top KPIs, trends over time, and high-value metrics that support business planning. Keep visuals clean and summary-focused, using interactive tiles (like cards or gauges) to flag performance at a glance.

To enhance usability, consider:

• Highlighting no more than 5–7 key visuals per page
• Limiting filters to major categories like time period or region
• Adding tooltips to provide context without crowding the display

Analyst Dashboards

Data analysts need more than summary views – they need access to drilldowns, comparisons, and flexible filtration. Custom Power BI dashboards for analysts should include layered tabs or collapsible views, enabling deep dives without overwhelming casual users. Here, you can leverage detailed Power BI filters and slicers, trend analyses, or category-level breakdowns.

To support exploratory analysis, build tabs that separate trending insights from raw source views, and make sure your data model supports fast slicing across multiple dimensions (e.g. product line, geography, target audience).

Cross-Functional Teams

Marketing, sales, finance – all of them may interact with the same dashboard, but each will likely have different questions. Grouping filtered views by department or interest area helps solve this, reducing noise for specific users. Using Power BI tools like bookmarks, row-level security, and page navigation options enables users to toggle easily between views curated for their function.

For example, a marketing lead might want to see campaign performance by audience segment, while sales might care more about revenue impacts. Using the same underlying data set, Power BI allows you to deliver tailored views without rebuilding everything from scratch.

Best practices for building role-specific Power BI dashboard views:

• Start by mapping stakeholder use cases: What actions are they trying to take?
• Identify what metrics matter most to each role, then reverse-engineer the visuals
• Use Power BI features like drillthrough, synced slicers, or dynamic titles to make each view feel personalized
• Test with real users before rollout – small feedback loops help prevent confusion later

These customizations can feel time-consuming, especially for under-resourced Consumer Insights teams trying to manage research analyses, dashboard design, and ongoing stakeholder requests all at once. That’s where partnering with a seasoned professional from SIVO’s On Demand Talent solution can help. Our experts bring hands-on experience in designing Power BI dashboards tailored to stakeholder roles – ensuring research is displayed accurately, decisions are backed by reliable data, and your team grows in confidence using powerful BI tools. Whether you're facing usability problems in a current build or starting from scratch, role-specific dashboard support helps bring clarity, speed, and impact to your Power BI journey.

Power BI is a powerful tool for visualizing data, but customizing dashboards for multiple stakeholders can quickly become complex. Whether you're building executive dashboards or detailed reports for analysts, a one-size-fits-all approach often leads to frustration, misalignment, or missed insights. Understanding these common issues can help you design smarter, more effective experiences in Power BI.

Lack of clarity around stakeholder needs

One of the biggest obstacles teams face is not fully understanding what different users need from a dashboard. Executives don't need deep-level filters and tables – they want to see KPIs at a glance. Analysts, on the other hand, need the ability to drill down and manipulate data layers. Without clearly defining these roles early, it's easy to create dashboards that are too generic or overly complex.

Overuse or confusion with Power BI filters

Power BI filters are essential for creating interactive dashboard views, but when they're overused or not well-labeled, they can overwhelm users. Stakeholders may apply conflicting filters, displaying inaccurate data or causing confusion. Worse, inconsistent use of filters across reports can lead to a lack of trust in the data.

Too much information in a single view

Another common issue is trying to show everything in one dashboard, instead of following best practices for Power BI dashboards. Different departments often want access to different metrics. Cramming them all onto one screen makes it difficult for users to focus on what's relevant to them.

Permissions and role-based access

Setting up Power BI roles for different users – so that each team only sees the data they need – takes planning and precision. Poorly managed permissions can expose sensitive data or create confusion between teams. Role-based dashboard design in Power BI requires a thoughtful layer of governance that many teams overlook.

Usability and adoption

Even the most beautifully designed dashboards can fail if users don't understand them. A common challenge is poor usability – too many clicks to access data, unclear navigation, or overloaded visuals. If stakeholders can't quickly find the insights they need, they’re unlikely to use the dashboard at all.

With DIY tools becoming more prevalent in market research, these challenges are showing up more often. Teams need not just technical Power BI skills, but also the strategic thinking to ensure a dashboard meets specific business goals. That’s where insight experts come in.

Technical know-how is important in using Power BI, but technical skills alone rarely deliver the business impact stakeholders expect. That’s why working with Power BI experts and insight professionals can dramatically improve how data is understood and acted upon across your organization. These professionals help bridge the gap between raw data and stakeholder-specific stories – ensuring that your Power BI dashboard views are both accurate and actionable.

Tailoring insights to audience needs

Every team interprets data differently. Marketing may want campaign performance metrics, finance wants cost efficiency, and the C-suite cares about strategy-level trends. Insight experts identify these nuances early and translate them into tailored dashboard layers, using report customization principles that preserve clarity while delivering depth.

Building meaningful narratives from data

Numbers without context don’t drive decisions. Professionals with a background in market research understand how to turn charts into compelling stories. For example, rather than simply listing sales figures by region, they might highlight unexpected growth patterns and ask strategic questions informed by the data. This ability to construct a narrative transforms static reports into organizational assets.

Creating scalable role-based designs

Insight professionals are well-versed in Power BI dashboard layers by department, meaning they can create smarter structures that accommodate both high-level overviews and deep-dives. That includes setting up role-based dashboards that automatically filter or restrict access depending on user profiles, so everyone sees a version that’s relevant to their job.

Ensuring alignment with research goals

Dashboard design isn’t just a tech project – it needs to align with your research objectives. Whether it’s brand tracking, category innovation, or consumer segmentation, insight experts ensure that data visualization choices support strategic initiatives. This is crucial for keeping self-serve tools like Power BI on mission and avoid drifting into data exploration without purpose.

When well executed, a custom Power BI dashboard not only informs – it empowers. That’s why many organizations are bringing in SIVO’s On Demand Talent: professionals who combine dashboard expertise with deep insight experience. They can adapt quickly, work flexibly, and strengthen internal capabilities – so your team gets the most out of its Power BI investment.

Creating stakeholder-ready dashboards in Power BI is not always as simple as dragging charts onto a canvas. If your team is feeling stretched, hitting roadblocks, or wants to take data storytelling to the next level, it might be time to tap into outside expertise. On Demand Talent can be the flexible, high-impact solution teams need to overcome challenges and make the most of their tools.

Use On Demand Talent when you:

• Need to customize dashboards for multiple departments: If you’re juggling the needs of marketing, sales, operations, and leadership, On Demand professionals can help design a layered approach that serves everyone – without overwhelming anyone.
• Want to accelerate Power BI adoption: A dashboard is only useful if people use it. Insight experts can improve usability by simplifying views, training internal teams, and building intuitive visualizations that increase engagement.
• Face skill gaps in research-to-dashboard translation: Your data analyst might know Power BI inside and out – but may not have experience aligning self-serve dashboards to strategic business questions. On Demand Talent fills that gap, ensuring your dashboards reflect insights, not just numbers.
• Are stretched thin during high-volume periods: Whether you're launching a major research study or navigating team transitions, bringing in experienced On Demand support allows you to scale up quickly – often within days – without committing to a full-time hire.
• Want to build internal capability for the long term: Many clients use On Demand experts not just for execution, but mentorship. They can guide your team on best practices for Power BI dashboards, teach effective design principles, and leave behind reusable frameworks for future projects.

More than freelancers – a true extension of your team

Unlike freelance platforms where quality varies, SIVO’s On Demand Talent connects you with vetted, seasoned professionals who are ready to contribute right away. These aren’t interns or junior analysts learning as they go – they are trusted experts in consumer insights, market research, and data strategy.

Whether you’re building a dashboard from scratch, refining an existing tool, or looking to scale insights capabilities across departments, On Demand Talent gives you flexible access to high-caliber support – without long onboarding or hiring cycles. It’s strategic capacity, when and where you need it most.