Over the past few years, Business Intelligence -BI- has become increasingly popular in the corporate world. While the accumulation of data is no longer of interest in itself, it is the interpretation of this data that is now becoming meaningful. In this context, numerous solutions have emerged. Among them, Microsoft Power BI stands out from the crowd as a powerful decision-making tool.
In this article, we’ll give you 10 reasons to use Power Bi-which have made it such a success-and then, thanks to our Tutodata, you’ll be able to start your adventure in the art of Business Intelligence!
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Business Intelligence - Definition
Business Intelligence (BI) is the use of company data to facilitate decision-making, understanding current operations and anticipating future actions.
It is the set of tools and methods designed to transmit relevant information to company managers.
This now includes data visualization, an essential step in the decision-making process of most companies. To find out more about the benefits of DataViz and discover some of its tools, please consult our article on the subject.
What is Microsoft Power BI?
Power BI is a Business Intelligence tool developed by Microsoft. It is specifically designed for:
- data visualization
- report creation
- business management support
- information distribution
While BI tools are becoming more and more numerous, Power BI offers significant advantages that justify its widespread use.
1- Collaborative tools
Microsoft Power BI enables managers to collaborate on interactive reports.
- Reports can be easily shared with each collaborator, with tracking of changes made by different collaborators. It’s also possible to work on the same report at the same time, or consult a Dashboard from multiple devices.
- With Power BI, you can create general dashboards available to all members of your team. Each employee can also create personal dashboards based on specific visuals and information. What’s more, they can always access the company’s various reports, via their personal dashboard, for more in-depth data analysis.
Communicating and commenting on your organization’s performance has never been easier!
2- Numerous connectors
Power BI offers a wide range of connectors. This makes it possible to analyze data from a wide variety of sources, including :
- Files (Excel, Text, XML, …)
- Databases (Access, SQL Server, …)
- Azure (Microsoft Azure SQL Database, …)
- Online Services (Facebook, Google Analytics, Twitter …)
3- User friendly
Power BI is a particularly user-friendly tool.
It has been designed so that a large number of users can take data into their own hands, create customized reports and share them easily without going through any intermediary.
The visuals are gradually enriched by the very active Power BI user community, which makes its most sophisticated visuals available free of charge.
To complete this collaborative aspect, there is a free Android and App Store application that enables users to access their reports and monitor their dashboards easily, for example, when traveling on business.
4- Cloud
Another major advantage of Power BI is its ease of installation and use.
No local installation is required, and updates are always carried out automatically.
This means that all employees within a company can consult reports and dashboards, and use the latest Power BI functionalities, from any device.
5- Power Bi Free / Pro
Price can often be the deciding factor in choosing a solution. Power BI pricing is affordable.
The offer becomes paying when you want to share reports within your team or company.
The subscription is €8.40 per user per month, in addition to your Office 365 licenses. This is one of the least expensive data visualization solutions available.
- Power BI Desktop: FREE
- Power BI Service: There is a FREE version of Power BI Service, with volume constraints. There is also a Pro version, priced at €8.40 incl. VAT per user per month.
- Power BI Mobile: FREE (Available on Google Play, App Store and Windows Store)
6- Low level of technical skills
The Power BI business intelligence tool is a “self-service” solution that enables any user with no particular technical skills to understand and exploit data.
Before Power BI, reports were produced using PowerPoint or Excel, with results that were often less visually interesting.
Power BI now makes it easy to analyze and visualize data. It’s now possible for a manager with little prior technical expertise to create customized interactive reports, or to set up a customized graphical dashboard, all with just a few clicks.
However, it is also possible to focus on more advanced and precise analysis axes, for which knowledge of DAX language will be required.
7- Help and training
As one of the most widely used tools, there’s a wealth of information available today on how to use Power BI, for example via Microsoft documentation, on various user forums and on numerous YouTube channels sharing tips and tricks.
DataScientest also offers comprehensive Power BI training, covering everything you need to know on the subject.
8- Constantly updated data
All your data is automatically refreshed, and available 24/7 on all Power BI platforms (Power Query, Power Pivot, Power View & Map, Power BI Desktop) for agile, rapid decision-making. When you choose a Microsoft cloud business intelligence solution, you’re choosing a long-term solution. The tool is regularly updated with new functionalities.
9- Saas system
The Saas system guarantees the security of your data and user data, and enables access from anywhere in the world. Information sharing is secured by single sign-on and full compliance with regulations such as data residency, access and control. And data is protected in compliance with strict industry standards and certifications.
10- Seamless integration with Excel
Power BI’s integration with other Microsoft products means you can easily convert data from Excel to Power BI, for example.
Power BI also lets you analyze data directly from Excel. What’s more, it’s easy to adapt to the tool from within Excel.
In fact, the reflexes acquired when using Excel will help you to get to grips with the various functions.
The great similarity with Excel makes it easy to get to grips with the tool.
Let’s get down to business!
