Perform Breakdown Analysis Using a Treemap in Power BI

One of the most effective ways to break down project data is the Decomposition Tree. It allows teams to move beyond simple totals and drill into the drivers of earned value.

By default, Power BI will show the sum of earned value across updates — but that alone can be misleading. Adding filters ensures analysis is tied to specific dates or categories, not just raw sums.

With the decomposition tree, you can:
• Break down earned value by levels (e.g., substructure, floors, concrete)
• Visualize contributions from highest to lowest, with relative weight shown in bars
• Apply advanced filtering to remove blanks and highlight meaningful categories
• Scale breakdowns by parent nodes or top nodes to compare percentages at different levels
• Add additional tooltips such as planned vs. actual percentages to quickly spot variances and delays

This flexibility makes it possible to see not just where the money is, but also where progress is lagging. For example, a slab may show 100% reinforcement completed, while another floor reveals a 30% delay — insights that drive corrective action.

Good dashboards decompose strategically to reveal the story behind performance.