Organizations today rely on both Power BI and Tableau to unlock insights from their Snowflake data. But without a centralized approach, things get messy—definitions drift, performance suffers, and costs climb. Despite significant investments in cloud data platforms, data teams still spend nearly half their time on prep work, and over 85% of the data used for insights is already out of date by the time it’s analyzed.
The fix? A centralized semantic layer, powered by AtScale.
The Challenge of Multi-Tool Analytics
When teams use Power BI and Tableau side by side, several issues bubble up:
- Inconsistent metrics across dashboards and departments
- Duplicate data modeling efforts in each BI tool
- Performance slowdowns from direct Snowflake queries
- Security headaches from managing access across tools
- Uncontrolled compute costs due to redundant, unoptimized queries
AtScale: The Unifying Layer
The AtScale semantic layer platform — available as a Snowflake Native App since June 2024 — solves these challenges by giving Power BI and Tableau users a single, governed view of Snowflake data.
One Source of Truth
AtScale establishes a shared layer for metrics and dimensions, eliminating the “multiple versions of the truth” problem. Define business logic once and use it consistently across every dashboard and department.
Multi-Tool Integration, No Redundancy
AtScale supports direct connections to both BI tools:
- Power BI connects using the SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) driver
- Tableau connects directly via live integration
This shared layer means no more redoing logic in separate tools — just one semantic model that works everywhere.
Built-In Performance Optimization
AtScale rewrites complex BI queries into efficient SQL and routes them intelligently:
- Delivers sub-second query responses, even on large datasets
- Dramatically reduces compute costs with caching and smart aggregates
Leave the Data Where it is
No need to extract, copy, or replicate Snowflake data:
- AtScale operates directly on your Snowflake warehouse
- Users query live, governed data with zero movement
How to Implement AtScale for Power BI + Tableau
1. Deploy AtScale’s Semantic Layer
- Available directly from the Snowflake Marketplace
- Deployed securely within your existing Snowflake environment
2. Build Your Semantic Model
Use AtScale’s Design Center to:
- Click “New Cube” and name it by domain (e.g., Revenue, Product, Customer)
- Drag in Snowflake tables and define relationships visually
3. Define Business Metrics and Dimensions
- Standardize KPIs like Gross Margin, ARR, or Customer Churn
- Create hierarchies, filters, and calculations that reflect how teams analyze data
- Add friendly names and synonyms for intuitive searches
4. Connect BI Tools to the Model
Additional Benefits
Cost Efficiency
AtScale customers report 3x lower Snowflake compute costs, thanks to intelligent query routing and caching that reduces redundant compute.
Governance That Scales
- Enforce row- and column-level security
- Integrate with directory services for consistent role-based access
- Maintain auditability across tools
Future-Ready Analytics
As of March 2025, AtScale also integrates with Snowflake Cortex Analyst, enabling:
- Natural language queries with greater accuracy
- A shared semantic foundation across AI and BI tools
Bridging the Data Gap in Real-Time
When centralizing your semantic layer with AtScale, you give Power BI and Tableau users a governed, consistent, high-performance way to access Snowflake data — without duplication or drift.
As real-time analytics becomes the norm and data volumes grow, this unified semantic model ensures your insights stay fast, accurate, and aligned across the business. Check out this interactive demo to learn how to deploy AtScale from your Snowflake account. Or reach out to learn more.
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