In certain situations where standard Power BI reports might not satisfy specific needs, such as when printability, fine-grained control, and governance are crucial, paginated reports are perfect. When to use paginated reports instead of regular Power BI reports is as follows:
1. When Comprehensive, Multi-Page Reports Are Required:
Printability: Highly formatted, pixel-perfect reports can be created with Paginated Reports. Paginated reports are better suited if you need to create multi-page reports or if you want total control over the layout (headers, footers, page numbers, etc.).
Structured Layout: They give you control over where each element appears on the page, preventing data from being cut off or misaligned. This makes them perfect for business or regulatory reporting that needs to follow certain formats.
2. Governance and Compliance:
Governance and Compliance: Paginated Reports are well-suited for regulated industries (such as finance, healthcare, or government), where specific formatting, precision, and report archiving are required. They support large datasets and allow detailed control over report formatting, ensuring compliance with legal or corporate standards.
Approval and Audit Trails: They can be used when there’s a need for approval workflows, validation, or document control, as they provide fixed, printable outputs that are suitable for audit and regulatory submissions.
3. When Extensive, Comprehensive Reports Are Needed:
Managing Vast Amounts of Data: Large datasets that span several pages, each of which may include a comprehensive subset of data (such as invoices, financial statements, or customer lists), are best displayed by paginated reports. Paginated reports are designed for detailed, row-level data, as opposed to standard Power BI reports, which concentrate on data visualizations.
4. When Accurate Data Presentation Is Crucial:
Formatting Precision: Power BI reports lack the level of control that paginated reports offer if you need precise control over the way data appears on a page (for example, fonts, precise data positioning, or particular table layouts).
Fixed Layout: When precise formatting is required, paginated reports enable fixed layouts with less concern for responsiveness.
5. When the Report Needs to Be Distributed in Non-Interactive Formats:
Export Options: Paginated Reports can be exported to formats like PDF, Word, Excel, and CSV with a consistent layout, making them useful for situations where the report needs to be delivered in a non-interactive, print-ready format.
