Dotted-Line Reporting
The Dotted-Line Relationship field in Org Chart for Power BI lets you show secondary reporting relationships alongside the main hierarchy defined by Manager ID. These appear as dashed connector lines between employee cards, useful for matrix management, project reporting, or dotted-line accountability.
How it differs from Manager ID
- Manager ID defines the primary org structure. Solid lines connect each employee to their direct manager.
- Dotted-Line Relationship adds optional extra links. They do not change hierarchy, headcount roll-up, or parent/child layout.
- Each employee row can define one or more dotted-line connections to other people already in the chart.
What you see on the chart
Dotted lines run from the employee to the related manager. An optional comment label can appear on the line, and the line colour can be customised.
Assigning the field in Power BI
- In the visual fields pane, drag your dotted-line data into Dotted-Line Relationship.
- Ensure Employee ID and Manager ID are already assigned so the main chart renders.
- Populate the field on each employee row that needs an extra reporting relationship.
- Leave the field blank for employees with no dotted-line relationships.
Recommended format (JSON array)
Use a JSON array when you need comments, colours, or multiple dotted-line managers for one employee. Each object should include a ManagerID that exactly matches an Employee ID elsewhere in the dataset.
[
{
"ManagerID": "MGR-104",
"Comment": "Project sponsor",
"Color": "#2E86AB"
},
{
"ManagerID": "MGR-207",
"Comment": "Functional lead"
}
]
| Property | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ManagerID | Yes | The Employee ID of the dotted-line manager. The link is only drawn if this person exists in the chart. |
| Comment | No | Short text shown on the connector (for example, role or relationship type). |
| Color | No | Line colour as a hex value (for example, #808080). Defaults to grey when omitted. |
Simple format (single manager)
For a single dotted-line manager with no label or colour, you can store just the manager's Employee ID as plain text:
MGR-104
This creates one dashed line from the employee to that manager.
Power BI modelling tips
- Build the JSON in Power Query, DAX, or your source system if relationships are stored in separate tables.
- Keep ManagerID values consistent with Employee ID formatting (including leading zeros).
- The visual can auto-quote unquoted JSON keys and values, but valid JSON is the most reliable approach.
- Invalid JSON falls back to treating the entire cell value as a single manager ID.
Example dataset rows
| Employee ID | Manager ID | Dotted-Line Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| EMP-001 | MGR-050 | [{"ManagerID":"MGR-104","Comment":"Programme lead"}] |
| EMP-002 | MGR-050 | MGR-207 |
| EMP-003 | MGR-104 | (blank) |
In this example, EMP-001 reports solid-line to MGR-050 and dotted-line to MGR-104. EMP-002 has one simple dotted-line to MGR-207. EMP-003 has no dotted-line relationships.
Creating links inside the visual
You can also add dotted-line connections manually from the chart toolbar:
- Open Links → Create Links.
- Select the employee and the target manager.
- Optionally enter a comment.
Manual links are session changes. To persist relationships in your data model, use the Dotted-Line Relationship field.
Troubleshooting
- Line does not appear: Confirm the ManagerID exactly matches an Employee ID in the visual.
- JSON not parsed: Check brackets, commas, and quotes. Test with a single-object array first.
- Comment not visible: Zoom in on the chart; labels are compact and work best with short text.
- Multiple links from one person: Use the JSON array format with one object per relationship.