More than ever, achieving a “central version of the truth” is essential for organizations to align on data-driven decisions. When first written in 2022, this blog outlined how Power BI could drive such alignment through shared data models, iterative development, and strong governance.
Now in 2025, with the emergence of Microsoft Fabric, Direct Lake, enhanced semantic modeling, and AI-powered Copilot tools, it’s time to reframe and evolve that guidance. This updated version integrates new technologies and practices to help you continuously advance your journey to a central version of the truth.
What Is a Central Version of the Truth (CVOT)?
Your CVOT is a shared understanding of key business data within a subject area (e.g., Sales, Inventory, Finance), used consistently across the organization.
Core principles remain the same:
- Shared semantic model with certified definitions
- Unified business logic and KPIs
- Governance and access control
- Iterative evolution across business and IT
In 2025, that CVOT is no longer just a Power BI dataset—it is likely a Fabric lakehouse or warehouse, layered with a semantic model and consumed by Power BI, Excel, notebooks, or APIs.
Why CVOT Projects Still Fail (and How to Succeed Now)
Common challenges remain:
- Big bang rollouts without iterations
- IT-led initiatives that lack business context
- Too much self-service without reuse
- Assumption of permanence instead of versioning
New risks have emerged:
- Ignoring AI-readiness (semantic clarity, synonyms, metadata)
- Failing to integrate semantic models with Fabric data sources
- Not using DevOps best practices (Git, pipelines, version history)
To succeed, treat your CVOT as a living product with a backlog, releases, governance, metrics, and feedback loops.
Your CVOT Technology Framework (2025)
Microsoft Fabric + Power BI now form a complete CVOT ecosystem:
- Unified Data Platform
Use OneLake to store curated data centrally
Build lakehouses and warehouses for domain-specific storage
- Shared Semantic Layer
- Define semantic models in Power BI (or Fabric Model Projects)
- Use TMDL for Git-integrated, lifecycle-managed models
- Model Governance & Endorsement
- Apply naming conventions, synonyms, and friendly names
- Promote models with certification and lineage tracking
- Tag models as AI-ready for Copilot and Q&A
- Access & Security
- Use RLS and OLS to control access
- Apply sensitivity labels for compliance and information protection
- Lifecycle Management
- Leverage deployment pipelines and Git integration
- Track semantic model version history
- Use usage metrics to inform retirement or promotion
- Consumption Across Tools
- Consume CVOT via Power BI apps, Excel, Copilot, Notebooks, or APIs
Mindset for Success
Organizations thriving with CVOT in 2025 have embraced:
Product thinking: Treat data models like software assets with ownership, backlog, and release notes
Platform thinking: Build on top of Fabric, not in silos
Governed self-service: Allow exploration, but enforce reuse and model promotion
AI-first culture: Ensure models support natural language interaction, Copilot usage, and automated insights
Updated Learning Journey
Instead of two steps, think of your CVOT maturity as a three-phase path:
- Foundational assets (individual models)
- Encourage experimentation, basic modeling, exploration
- Organizational assets (shared models)
- Promote certified models, standard definitions, shared usage
- Platform assets (cross-functional semantic layer
- Embed CVOT into enterprise architecture with Fabric, pipelines, and AI integration
Next Steps
- Identify your core subject areas where inconsistent definitions cause friction
- Audit existing Power BI + Fabric artifacts for duplication and gaps
- Establish or expand your Center of Excellence (CoE) to own the CVOT journey
- Invest in semantic model design, AI-readiness, and platform governance
- Create a roadmap for transitioning models into Fabric + semantic layer + AI
Remember: A Central Version of the Truth is not a dataset—it’s a journey of alignment, iteration, and governance. By evolving your tools, mindset, and architecture, Power BI and Microsoft Fabric can guide you there faster and more effectively than ever before.
