Visual data analysis, is much more than a simple chart. Preparing a report in the right tool is an image, a graphic communication, conveying the most important information about the data to the viewer. Well-crafted data analysis allows you to see what is not noticeable at first glance. If we put together different data, or different information at once, we may find that such a dashboard indicates which elements in our organization we need to pay special attention to. To understand the data, you need a business intelligence tool to do it. Is Power BI enough?
What is Microsoft Power BI?
Power BI is one of the easiest to use advanced business data analysis tools on the market. It has many built-in functions, allowing you to use templates to present data in the form of charts, tables or graphs. The tool is integrated with many applications, including: SQL Server, Azure, Office, Google Analytics, Salesforce, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL. Note, however, that despite the free single-station version of Microsoft Power BI Desktop, professional use of this tool requires the purchase of a paid PRO or PREMIUM version. Power BI Desktop will definitely be a good option for those starting out with visual data analysis tools.
Power BI – which version to choose.
When deciding to choose Microsoft’s BI tool, we have three versions to choose from.
- Power BI Desktop – free version. Recommended for beginners who are taking their first steps into the world of visual data analysis. Actually, it can be called a training application. With limited functionality and really small amount of data taken from files (not databases or other sources) we can prepare our first dashboard. However, the Desktop version limits us to saving the dashboard to our computer. There is no way to share the results of our work – which essentially precludes the preparation of reports.
- Power BI Pro – version is already more powerful. Recommended for small organizations with little data to analyze. Limitations come from the ability to analyze smaller size data files and refresh data (max 8 times a day). The cost of the license is $9.99 per month per user. Regardless of the function performed, the price is calculated for each person who has access to the tool.
- Power BI Premium – this version is recommended for medium and large companies that need professional Business Intelligence. Here, the cost per user increases to $20 per month, but there is still no feature differentiation. The license is calculated per user. We know from experience that there are about 100 or more such users in larger companies. Also, the monthly costs increase to about $2,000 per month. Of course, all functionalities of the tool, file sharing capabilities are provided, but price-wise the service is comparable to BI tools from Tableau or Qlik. Since in the PREMIUM version the price argument stops playing in favour of Power BI, it is worth doing a more thorough comparison of functional capabilities, work ergonomics and performance of leading Business Intelligence tools on your own data – we often do such Proof of Concept comparing several technologies.
What to keep in mind when choosing Power BI?
When choosing Power BI, we need to remember that we are choosing to work across the Microsoft ecosystem, meaning we are de facto choosing their cloud solutions (Azure, Office 365, etc.). MS Power BI “on premise” version has very limited functionality, also requires MS SQL Server in the Enterprise version – in practice there is no point in considering MS Power BI “on premise” version.
Not all potential customers with whom we spoke realized that the decision to implement MS Power BI is de facto a decision to enter the Azure technology. It is worth to know about it and make such a decision consciously – and if our company has previously made a strategic decision to cooperate with AWS or Google, or other cloud provider, the implementation of MS Power BI simply will not fit into this “puzzle”.
Consulting with a Power BI specialist-is it worth using such services?
However, it’s a good idea to consult with a specialist about exactly how much we can work on our own without incurring costs. Therefore, it is important to invest in implementation and training when making a decision. When choosing a company, it is worth paying attention to whether their specialization is not limited to the implementation of a single tool, in this case Power BI. Such a company will do the job right, of course, but it’s better to choose a company that knows the broader spectrum of BI tools and can advise on the optimal solution. This way she will have an objective view of our choice and be able to advise well. The same principle applies to training. A person with a broader range of competencies will lead the workshop better and will be able to talk about the tool in a broader perspective, not limited to the Power BI we have chosen. It’s also worth noting which clients the company works with. The trust of large organizations (especially international) also translates into competence and experience. The larger the company, the more data it has, which in practice translates into more demanding reports. One company that deals with data and BI tools has a large client list from diverse industries is NewDataLabs. In the company we will find people who specialize in different tools, so we can get a professional implementation. Implementing not only the tool we choose, but also into the broad topic that is Business Intelligence. For more information, please visit the https://newdatalabs.com/en/power-bi/ website,
