Daily DAX : Day 239 ROUNDUP

 The ROUNDUP function in Power BI's DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) language rounds a number up to a specified number of decimal places, always rounding away from zero. Unlike the ROUND function, which rounds to the nearest value based on standard rounding rules, ROUNDUP ensures the number is rounded up, regardless of the value of the next digit.

Syntax

dax

ROUNDUP(Number, Num_digits)

    Number: The numeric value you want to round up.

    Num_digits: The number of decimal places to round to. 

        If positive, it rounds to the specified number of decimal places.

        If zero, it rounds to the nearest integer.

        If negative, it rounds to the left of the decimal point (e.g., to the nearest 10, 100, etc.).

Return Value

A decimal number rounded up to the specified number of digits.

Examples

    Basic Rounding:

    dax

    ROUNDUP(3.14159, 2)

    Returns: 3.15 (rounds up to two decimal places).

    Rounding to Integer:

    dax

    ROUNDUP(3.14159, 0)

    Returns: 4 (rounds up to the nearest integer).

    Rounding to Tens:

    dax

    ROUNDUP(123.456, -1)

    Returns: 130 (rounds up to the nearest 10).

Use Cases

    Financial Calculations:

        When calculating taxes, fees, or pricing, businesses may need to round up to ensure they don’t undercharge. For example, rounding up invoice amounts to the nearest dollar for simplicity.

        Example: ROUNDUP([TotalPrice], 0) ensures the total price is always rounded up to the nearest whole number.

    Inventory and Resource Allocation:

        When determining the number of items or resources needed, rounding up ensures you have enough to cover demand. For instance, if a calculation yields 5.2 units, rounding up to 6 ensures sufficient stock.

        Example: ROUNDUP([DemandForecast], 0) to allocate whole units.

    Reporting and Dashboards:

        In financial or operational reports, you might need consistent rounding for clarity. For example, rounding up percentages or metrics to avoid underrepresenting values.

        Example: ROUNDUP([SalesGrowth], 1) to show growth rates with one decimal place.

    Time or Quantity Estimations:

        When estimating time or quantities (e.g., hours for project completion), rounding up ensures conservative estimates to avoid shortfalls.

        Example: ROUNDUP([EstimatedHours], 0) to allocate full hours.

Notes

    ROUNDUP always rounds away from zero, so negative numbers will round to a larger negative value (e.g., ROUNDUP(-3.4, 0) returns -4).

    Use ROUNDUP when you need to ensure values are not underestimated, unlike ROUND (standard rounding) or ROUNDDOWN (always rounds toward zero).

    Performance-wise, ROUNDUP is lightweight and suitable for large datasets in Power BI.