Power BI custom visual
Variance tables that read like a management report.
Actuals, previous year, absolute variance bars and relative variance pins in one compact table, laid out the way the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS) recommend. Your readers see what changed, by how much, and whether it is good news, at a glance.
Try it
This is the visual's own drawing code running on invented data. Switch to the price measure to see colors reverse: for prices, an increase is bad news.
Click ▸ to expand or collapse a category. Click rows to select them (Ctrl+click adds more); in Power BI this filters the other visuals on the page. Drag the edge after the category names to resize the column; double-click it to reset.
Built on the IBCS notation
IBCS is a set of practical rules for business reports. The core idea is semantic notation: things that mean the same should look the same, in every report. The visual applies the rules for scenario and variance analysis from IBCS Standards version 1.2, so you don't have to rebuild them by hand.
Scenarios with standard names
Actuals and previous year are labeled AC and PY, and variances ΔPY and ΔPY%. Every table uses the same vocabulary.
Absolute variances as bars
ΔPY bars start at a common axis and share one scale, including the Total row, so bar lengths compare honestly.
Relative variances as pins
ΔPY% is drawn as thin pins with a head marker, so percentages never get mistaken for amounts.
Color means business impact
Green is good for the business and red is bad. For costs and prices, one switch reverses the colors, or a measure can set them row by row.
Outliers don't distort the scale
A +300% jump on a small brand gets an arrow head at the edge instead of squeezing every other pin.
Charts embedded in the table
Numbers and charts sit side by side in one dense table, with labels outside the bars and an explicit + on every increase.
Made for real Power BI models
Everything you'd expect from a table in Power BI, plus the details that usually need workarounds.
- Correct subtotals for any measurePower BI calculates every subtotal and the total, so averages, distinct counts and ratios come out right instead of being summed.
- HierarchiesUp to five category levels, such as Category → Brand → SKU, with expand and collapse per row or all at once.
- Cross-filteringClick a row to filter the rest of the report page; Ctrl+click to select several.
- Pinned header and TotalLong lists scroll while the column headers and the Total row stay in place.
- Variance colors you controlReverse the colors for costs and prices, or bind a DAX measure that picks a color per row.
- Readable numbersAutomatic K, M and bn units, or fixed units and decimals of your choice.
- Layout and formattingResizable category column, sorting by any column, hiding of zero rows, fonts, colors and separator lines in the format pane.
Licensing
The visual is licensed per organization by IOStream Software Systems.
Organization license
License from IOStream Software Systems
Each license is agreed individually, covering the reports, dashboards and services your organization uses the visual in.
Request a license