Power BI is Microsoft’s analytical service and it can be a powerful tool for any organization.

In several companies we see people taking data from different software systems and manually pulling it into an excel spreadsheet containing formulas, charts or pivot tables. These spreadsheets are then brought into management, sales and executive meetings to review how a company is performing. Not only is this a manual process taking one or more people’s time, there also is a lag from when data is entered in the initial system to when it gets in front of the right person’s eyes. Power BI can help cut down on this manual work and have data updated on a more real-time basis.

Here are some of the benefits of using Power BI:

Connect to multiple data sources

When pulling in data there are over 100 different source types to choose from. Compiling all your data into one report allows you to get an overall vision of current performance from one location.

Clean and analyze your data

Power BI gives you the ability to format, filter and transform your data. Calculated and conditional columns help analyze your data with the use of formulas and conditional statements.  Once you have clean and consistent data your reports will be more accurate and easier to read for end users.

Automatically refresh your data

Once you have reports created you can set up a schedule to refresh your data. Set a frequency, anywhere from monthly to multiple times per day, and choose the time of day you want the refresh to run so that your data is up to date when you need it.

Drill into your data

Not only can you view a company’s overall performance, but you can drill down into specific rows of data. Whether drilling down directly within your report or exporting the individual rows of data to an excel spreadsheet you can find answers quickly when a potential issue is spotted.

When you first begin using Power BI it can be overwhelming, and this is where a lot of people give up. However, if you push through the initial awkwardness you will begin to see the many benefits Power BI provides for your company.

In future blog posts we will cover the different features of Power BI to help you begin utilizing this tool effectively. You can also check out our Power BI training and webinars for more information.

-Jerica Coleman, CRM and Power BI Consultant

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