{"id":236830,"date":"2025-01-27T08:09:30","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T08:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/?p=236830"},"modified":"2025-12-03T11:53:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T11:53:49","slug":"power-bi-copilot-column-sorting-ai-visualisations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/power-bi-copilot-column-sorting-ai-visualisations\/","title":{"rendered":"Power BI Copilot: The Hidden Impact of Column Sorting on AI-Generated Visualisations"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p>When working with Power BI&#8217;s new Copilot feature, you might notice something unexpected: your AI-generated visualisations aren&#8217;t always displaying data in the order you want. This is particularly important when dealing with time-based data like fiscal years, months, or any sequential information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Real-World Example<\/strong> <strong>of Power BI Copilot Sorting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s walk through a common scenario that many analysts face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine you have sales data organised by product launch years. Your data might look something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Launch Year: &#8220;FY2020&#8221;, &#8220;FY2021&#8221;, &#8220;FY2022&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sales Amount: Various values for each year<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"867\" data-src=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-26-1300x867.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-236836 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-26-1300x867.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-26-1280x720.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-26-980x551.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-26-480x270.jpeg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1300px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1300\/867;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At first glance, everything might seem fine. The data appears in the correct order when you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>View it in a simple table<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sort it alphabetically<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create basic visualisations manually<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"867\" data-src=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-27-1300x867.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-236835 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-27-1300x867.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-27-1280x720.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-27-980x551.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-27-480x270.jpeg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1300px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1300\/867;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where Things Go Wrong<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem emerges when you start using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wr__6tM5U6I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Power BI Copilot<\/a> to create visualisations. Here&#8217;s what typically happens:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You ask Copilot to &#8220;Show Sales Amount by product launch date&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Instead of ordering by year, Copilot orders the data by Sales Amount<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your timeline becomes jumbled, making trends harder to spot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The same issue appears when creating new report pages<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"867\" data-src=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-28-1300x867.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-236834 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-28-1300x867.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-28-1280x720.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-28-980x551.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-28-480x270.jpeg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1300px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1300\/867;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why This Matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This sorting behaviour can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Misrepresent your data trends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make reports harder to understand<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leads to incorrect insights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cause confusion for end users<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Simple Solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to fix this issue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create a new column (example name: &#8220;Launch YYYY&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use this column to set the &#8220;Sort By Column&#8221; property for your launch date column<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hide the sorting column to keep your model clean<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"867\" data-src=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-29-1300x867.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-236833 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-29-1300x867.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-29-1280x720.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-29-980x551.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-29-480x270.jpeg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1300px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1300\/867;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implementation Steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Add the Sorting Column<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create a new column for sorting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Format it to match your desired sort order<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep it simple (like YYYY format for years)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Set Up the Sort By Column<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select your display column<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set its &#8220;Sort By Column&#8221; property<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Point it to your new sorting column<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Clean Up<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide the sorting column<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test with Copilot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify the sort order<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"867\" data-src=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-30-1300x867.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-236832 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-30-1300x867.jpeg 1300w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-30-1280x720.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-30-980x551.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-30-480x270.jpeg 480w\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1300px, 100vw\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1300\/867;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After implementing this solution:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Copilot consistently respects your intended sort order<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Visualisations maintain chronological sequence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time-based trends become clearer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reports become more intuitive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Best Practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While this solution works, remember to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use proper date dimension tables for more complex scenarios<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow standard data modeling practices<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test Copilot-generated visualisations after making changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Document your sorting strategy for team reference<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don&#8217;t assume alphabetical sorting is enough<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set explicit sort orders for time-based data<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test how Copilot interprets your data<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Think about how end users will consume the information<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Next Steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To improve your Power BI models:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Review existing models for sorting issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Implement proper sort columns where needed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test with various Copilot prompts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gather user feedback on the results<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While setting up proper column sorting might seem like a small detail, it can significantly impact how Copilot generates visualisations. Taking the time to implement proper sorting will lead to better, more intuitive reports that your users can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting this right is especially important as AI-powered features like Copilot become more central to business intelligence workflows. A small investment in proper data modelling pays off in more accurate and useful AI-generated insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to learn more about optimising your Power BI models for AI features? <a href=\"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/contact-us\/\">Contact our team of experts<\/a> for personalised guidance and best practices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When working with Power BI&#8217;s new Copilot feature, you might notice something unexpected: your AI-generated visualisations aren&#8217;t always displaying data in the order you want. This is particularly important when dealing with time-based data like fiscal years, months, or any sequential information. A Real-World Example of Power BI Copilot Sorting Let&#8217;s walk through a common [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":236837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[108],"tags":[59,110,51,116,121],"class_list":["post-236830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-co-pilot","tag-ai-in-crm","tag-business-central","tag-copilot-ai","tag-power-apps","tag-power-bi"],"modified_by":"mounika","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/01\/image-25.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236830"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":236840,"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236830\/revisions\/236840"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmosys.co\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}