Link Robaws Power BI via OData

Why a Robaws data model in Power BI?

Robaws is used to manage construction processes from quotation to invoice. As a result, it contains valuable data about projects, quotations, articles, supplier prices, invoices, bank payments, employees, leave and planning. For management reporting, you often want to bring that data together in Power BI.

A good Robaws data model does not revolve around a single table. You want to be able to link projects to quotes, invoices, articles and planning. Only then will you see which projects are profitable, where material costs are increasing and which outstanding items need attention.

Load Robaws data via DigiData

With the Robaws link DigiData synchronizes the available Robaws entities to structured tables. Power BI reads those tables via an OData feed. So you don't have to build a direct Robaws API link or your own connector.

This is practical for construction companies. Reports remain faster and more stable because DigiData first stores the source data and then makes it available for analysis. Your Power BI report does not have to wait live on the Robaws API.

Terms and access rights

Before connecting, check whether the Robaws user has access to all modules you want to report. Robaws works with separate OAuth scopes for projects, planning, employees, articles, quotes and sales invoices, among other things. A successful link therefore does not automatically mean that every table is available. Choose only the scopes and roles required for the report and note which project and relationship numbers are used as keys.

Examples of Power BI reports

Use projects and quotes to track order value and pipeline. Combine items and supplier prices to monitor material costs. Use invoices, credit notes and bank payments to monitor cash flow and outstanding items. Add personnel data and daily planning for capacity analysis.

If you also link accounting data, you can compare Robaws with your financial administration. This makes it easier to explain differences between project administration and accounting.

Analyzing Robaws with LLMs

Robaws data is also suitable for analysis with ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini when using a controlled CSV export. You can ask to flag abnormal projects, summarize cost increases or make a management update based on invoices and project statuses.

Building a Robaws data model

In Power BI, start with projects as the central dimension. Link quotes, orders, invoices, articles and planning to this. Use dates for weekly, monthly and quarterly reports. Add customer and supplier data as separate dimensions so you can filter project results by relationship or supplier.

For items it is wise to model item groups and supplier prices separately. This allows you to better monitor price developments, material consumption and margin effects. For finance links, invoices, credit notes, bank payments and outstanding items are the most important tables.

KPIs for construction companies

A Robaws Power BI dashboard can control project margin, quotation value, order value, invoiced amount, outstanding invoices, material consumption, supplier costs, planning per employee and capacity per period. For management, the combination of project status and financial progress is especially valuable.

If you combine Robaws with accounting data, you can check whether project administration and financial administration tell the same story. Differences become visible more quickly and are easier to investigate.

Why OData works better than separate Robaws exports

Individual exports are snapshots. They are useful for monitoring, but less suitable for dashboards that need to remain up to date. With OData you load the same tables repeatedly in Power BI. This allows you to refresh reports and avoid having to build data logic over and over again.

Combining Robaws with accounting

Robaws provides the operational project picture. You see quotes, orders, planning, articles, invoices and employees. The accounting provides the final financial picture. By combining Robaws with Exact Online, Twinfield or another finance source you can explain why project results deviate.

A practical example is project margin. Robaws contains planning and project information, while finance contains the booked turnover and costs. By using project numbers or customer relationships consistently, you can see if a project appears operationally sound but is lagging financially.

A second example is outstanding items. Robaws can show which invoices or order phases still require attention. Finance shows what has actually been paid. Together they provide a better picture of cash flow than one source alone.

Data quality in construction reports

Construction reports are sensitive to project numbers, item groups and date fields. Agree which project number is leading and use that key in Power BI. If project names are manually adjusted, reports may otherwise split project lines.

Also check whether quotes, orders and invoices use the same status logic. A quotation value is not a realized turnover. A scheduled task is not a written hour. By clearly modeling these definitions, you prevent dashboards from becoming too optimistic or too pessimistic.

For material analyses, it is important that article groups and supplier prices remain recognizable. DigiData makes the Robaws tables available, but reporting quality depends on consistent source registration.

For whom is a Robaws Power BI connection valuable?

A dashboard helps project managers to see extended hours, material consumption and planning more quickly. For finance, it helps to compare project administration with booked figures. It makes it visible to management which project types are structurally profitable.

The connection is especially useful when Robaws does not stand alone. Construction companies often also work with accounting, time registration, planning and sometimes separate spreadsheets. With DigiData, those sources become part of one model, so you don't have to merge files every month.

Practical starting order for Robaws dashboards

Start with a dashboard that project leaders immediately recognize. Show projects, planning, open actions, invoice status and most important cost items. If that basis is correct, you add margin and finance controls. This way you prevent the first dashboard from becoming too financial for operations or too operational for management.

The second step is a monthly project review. Use the same blocks per project: status, planned hours, realized hours, material, invoiced amount, outstanding amount and expected margin. This creates a fixed rhythm in which project leaders and finance discuss the same figures.

The third step is trend analysis. Compare project types, suppliers, item groups and periods. You will then not only see which project requires attention today, but also which types of work pose structural risks. This helps with pricing, planning and purchasing agreements.

Roles and access

Not everyone needs to see the same Robaws data. Project leaders need detailed information about their projects. Finance needs invoice and payment information. Management wants totals and exceptions. Therefore, set up Power BI in such a way that roles match responsibilities.

Also pay attention to privacy-sensitive personnel data. If planning, leave or employee data are in the model, determine in advance who can use those fields. A good Robaws dashboard provides insight without sharing unnecessary detail.

Finally, document what decisions are made on the dashboard. If the dashboard is for project review, it should clearly show project status and deviations. If it is intended for management, it should mainly show trends, risks and margin.

Resolve limitations and issues

If a table is completely missing, first check the Robaws module access and OAuth scope. If individual projects or invoices are missing, compare status, date filter and key used with Robaws. The API documentation also mentions rate-limit headers and HTTP 429 responses; repeated parallel refreshes can therefore slow down resource retrieval.

In case of deviating project margins, check the quotation, order, invoice and payment status separately. These records represent different phases and should not be added together without definition. If the feed works locally but not in Power BI Service, update the OData source references there and schedule the refresh after the DigiData synchronization.

Summary

If you are looking for a Robaws Power BI connector or a robust Robaws data model, DigiData is the intermediate layer that structures the data. You build dashboards on OData tables instead of separate exports. View the full Robaws integration for the supported entities.