As a trainer, if I had to choose one training which I love to deliver from the wide variety of trainings we have on offer at Excel Consulting, it would have to be Power BI. Power BI is the software which generates the most amount of excitement among our participants. Often leaving our attendees muttering, “Oh, I have been doing this the long way all this time!”

"Power BI is the software that generates the most amount of excitement among our participants"

Here are few reasons I think that anyone who is serious about Business Analytics should consider Power BI:

Best of Power Query and Power Pivot

Analysing data has never been easier. Power BI desktop brings the best of Power Query (called Get & Transform in Excel 2016) and Power Pivot (DAX – Data Analysis Expressions) under one roof. If you are familiar with these tools in Excel, you will find seamless transition into Power BI Desktop. Which uses the same tools to transform and model your data.

Integration between Microsoft Flow and Power BI

As a manager, you might not necessarily monitor your Power BI Dashboard on a periodic basis. But you would want to be alerted when something changes which affects your business. Similarly, like your profit margin falling below a certain threshold. This is where you can use Microsoft Flow to trigger alerts and actions. Therefore, based on data generated on your Power BI Dashboard.

Mobile Dashboards

The great thing about Power BI is the ability for managers to monitor business performance. Above all, on the go, wherever they might be. Power BI app for Apple and Android allows managers to monitor and share their feedback with on-the-go access to Power BI Dashboards. Another fantastic integration is Power BI’s compatibility the Apple Smart Watch. If you are a smartwatch user, Power BI can directly send alerts and KPIs to your wrist without needing to open the Power BI app.

Frequent Updates

Microsoft has been rolling out updates to its Power BI Service (cloud based service) on a weekly basis and releases new versions of Power BI Desktop every month. If you have any ideas, you can share them on the online forums where a dedicated community of developers are listening for feedback and suggestions.

If you are keen to learn more check out our Power BI courses.