What is Power bi?
Perhaps you have heard it said that everybody should be using Power BI. But what is it, exactly? Power BI is a collection of software services, apps, and connectors. These work together to turn unrelated data sources into coherent, visually immersive, and interactive insights.
The application consists of several elements that all work together, starting with these three basics:
- A Windows desktop application
- An online SaaS (Software as a Service) service
- Mobile apps for Windows, iOS, and Android devices
Built on Excel technology, the application will feel familiar to more advanced Excel users. You create visualisations in much the same way as you do with Pivot Tables. Power BI will make you much more productive in your data analysis and reporting. This increased efficiency will lead to greater profitability.
Power BI is easy to use and it’s cheap to train users
It’s intuitive and easy to learn for most users. The training costs are low and learner adoption is rapid.
it has free mobile apps
Microsoft have released mobile applications that are free for Windows, Apple, and Android.
You can subscribe via email
Most of us would like a static report to appear in our inbox every morning when we power up. All you need to do is to go to your report tab, click ‘subscribe via email’. You will then receive a nicely formatted PDF document, ready for printing. However, these reports are so much better when you have full interactivity.
it can be embedded into your own custom apps
When working from the ground up, you’ll always have the option of designing your own architecture around it. So, if you want to build your own website and set user access via your own login credentials, this will be no problem for Microsoft.
it is extremely competitively priced
It’s free to try for as long as you want. However, if you want to take advantage of all the enterprise features such as automatic refreshes, controlled sharing of data, then all you have to pay is a mere $9.99 per month.
Power bi has a modelling engine that power users can learn
Microsoft is conveniently enabling a culture of self-service which is breeding a new generation of ‘developers’. Power BI uses a language called DAX (Data Analysis Expressions); this is a functional language that can easily be learned by Excel professionals.
The application has data loading tools that power users can learn
Power Query, which is also built into Excel, is so easy to use, it’s almost embarrassing to the skilled developers out there.
Power BI provides self-service Business Intelligence
The app is self-service Business Intelligence personified. Any competent Excel user can learn to use the tools, allowing them to become semi self-sufficient in their analytics and reporting.
it is an Enterprise-strength tool
Power BI has the foundation to be an enterprise-strength tool. No matter the size or complexity of your enterprise, the application is able to process your data.
consolidation dashboards
Among other things, Power BI is a data source aggregator. It doesn’t matter where the data originates from, all you have to do is to click on a visualisation to view the information.
It is time for you to invest in Power BI, both the software and the training!